‘If it is Ozzy Blanchard, then the body must have been moved from the garden to the riverbank in the last six months, when Cleaver was already in occupation of the cottage. That puts him back in the frame. And there is a motive, because Cleaver was part of the group protesting about the pollution from Aqua Western sewers. There are a few complicating factors. One is that Ozzy was said to be having a relationship with Crystal Willow, a woman from the family of landowners whose land was polluted, and who is the owner of Dove Cottage where the fingers were found.’

‘Ah, that does muddy the waters.’

‘No one admits to knowing where she is, but neither has she been reported missing.’

‘So if you find her, you solve the mystery,’ Delahaye said.

‘Well, it would be a good start. It’s something I’ll be looking at this afternoon.’

Following the first reopening of pubs on Saturday, Gillard returned to the Anvil Arms to find a new menu. Even though it was three o’clock on an overcast Monday, the outside tables were crowded. One central table was occupied by Aidan, Rory and Christopher Tickett, none of them masked, and decked with a dozen glasses, most of them empty. They saluted Gillard with their pints as he walked past and entered the bar. The hand sanitiser dispenser on the door was empty. Vicky Willow had agreed to be interviewed by Gillard anticipating it wouldn’t be busy, but she was now pulling pints, while her niece Rowena was sitting playing with the baby and seven-year-old Callum in a corner of the lounge.

‘I can see this is a bad time,’ Gillard said.

‘Don’t worry, I’m chucking them out now. We’ve still got a few burgers if you’d like one.’

‘No thanks, I’ve already eaten,’ he lied.

She showed him to one of the interior tables, flicking a tea towel to knock crumbs from the table and chairs. ‘Sit yourself down, I’ll be back in a mo.’ In fact it took a good ten minutes for Vicky to persuade the Tickett family to depart, which they did with boisterous good humour. She took the baby from Rowena, as he had started to grizzle, and bounced him on her hip. She then she sat down opposite Gillard and lifted her mask into place.

‘That’ll be more wobbly water pipes laid this afternoon,’ she said, indicating the Ticketts with an incline of her head. ‘They’ve each had at least three pints.’

‘In a perfect world I’d go and intervene if there’s a danger of drink-driving, but now I have a bit of your time I’d rather use that,’ he said.

She smiled.

‘I’ve got a simple question, Vicky. Where’s Crystal? No one has seen your sister for months, apparently. Not since Ozzy Blanchard disappeared.’