He nodded, taking his hat off and placing it on the reception desk. It was saturated. “At least that’s one less thing to worry about. I need to have a chat with Maeve as a matter of fact. She was to let me know what species it is. See if it gives us any more clues as to how Jameson died.”

“They’re not normally aggressive, are they?” I asked, remembering what Maeve had said.

He shook his head. “I’m no expert but not unless they’re trapped or cornered, I don’t think. But then again maybe it depends on the species?”

I leaned one elbow on the reception desk. “So why was Bob Jameson bitten, then?”

“I have no idea. What are you thinking?”

“I’m wondering if the snake was set on him?” This was something I’d been wondering about. “Jameson wasn’t exactly fit but surely he’d have been able to move away in time, unless he stepped on it or something. I mean, how did he end up being bitten on the hand?”

Molloy was silent for a second.

“Well?” There was something he wasn’t telling me.

“He was tied up,” he said eventually. “We found a rope and there were marks on his wrists and ankles.”

I realized that must have been what was in the other evidence bag he’d handed to McFadden. One for the shoe, one for the rope. Something didn’t add up though.

“He wasn’t tied up when he was found, though, was he? When he fell on Maeve’s jeep.”

“No. He must have managed to untie himself either before or after he was bitten but subsequently collapsed and died. And then his body was washed down the hill.”

I digested this for a second before I spoke again. “Which solves how he got down the hill. But he must have walked up there himself presumably? It would have been nigh impossible to carry him up that bank if he was unconscious or helpless. He was a big man.” I remembered climbing up there on my hands and knees with Derek and I hadn’t been carrying anything, let alone trying to drag an unconscious man.

“Agreed. He must have gone up there, willingly or otherwise, with whoever it was who killed him, and then got overpowered or knocked out. At which point he was tied up.”

I sucked air in through my teeth. As ways to die go, it was a pretty unpleasant one.

“Although we’ll know more when the post-mortem is done,” he added.

“But where on earth did the snake come from?” I asked.

“Maybe someone was keeping it as a pet?”

“Who would keep a snake as a pet?”

Molloy shook his head wearily. “You’d be surprised. The weather’s been mild, so we could assume it just escaped from wherever it was being kept …”