I sat around for what felt like hours, but was only around ninety minutes, drinking tea to keep warm and chatting with the various PCs who drifted through. As the day went on and the snow continued, the search was looking more and more like a lost cause. It felt quite frustrating to be waiting around, but Singh wanted all bases covered and if Leon turned up they’d want to be able to communicate with him immediately. Once I’d dried off sufficiently I stood outside the front door to look across the park. The snow had almost stopped, but the light was already fading, giving the blanket of white a bluish tinge. The two-hundred-year-old Regency mansion looked impressive with its coating of snow, and I leant back against one of the columns while I waited.

Eventually, I saw a group of people trudging through the drifts on their way back to the house. Singh peeled off from the group and came over to me, Mike trailing after him.

‘We’re calling it a day,’ Singh said, his face drawn. ‘The weather is making it impossible and I don’t want to put anyone’s safety at risk. It’s going to be a difficult drive out of here as it is.’

‘Okay, what happens next?’ I asked.

‘Now that this is a murder investigation, DI Forest and I will be conducting interviews at the school, in case any of the students remember anything, while we wait for the report from forensics. We’ll try to get access to Leon’s phone and social media, too. Given the circumstances, we’re going to be treating Leon’s disappearance and Steve Wilkinson’s murder as connected.’

‘Where do I fit in?’

‘For now, you’ll mostly be working with us to take statements from the students, those who were here today and any others who are friends with Leon and might be able to give us some information. We’ll also be speaking to staff to try and establish why someone might have killed the head teacher. But can you come to the station first thing tomorrow for the briefing? Then we’ll see if there have been any developments and prioritise from there.’

‘Sure. Can I go home now?’

Singh nodded. ‘I’m sorry for keeping you here in this weather. I’ll come with you and make sure you can get out of the car park.’

Mike had been standing nearby, listening in. When he heard that everyone was leaving, he sidled over and addressed Singh.

‘I’m supposed to be getting a taxi back to the school,’ he said. ‘But I don’t think I’m going to be able to get one out here in this weather.’

‘You’re right,’ Singh replied. ‘I’ll arrange for someone to give you a lift into Scunthorpe, then you should be able to get back to Lincoln from there.’