For James, it was like facing a bunch of tough, clued-up reporters at a press conference. But he answered every question as clearly and honestly as possible.

The villagers were far from satisfied, though, and when he said he had to go there were mumblings about the need for a proper public meeting.

Inside the single-storey building, James thanked DC Abbott for the way she had handled the situation.

‘It wasn’t a problem, guv,’ she said. ‘They got here just before I did and so I walked right into it. But it’s not as if they were a rowdy bunch.’

Jessica Abbott was of Irish and East African descent and had been based in Kendal since being promoted to detective constable a year ago. She was an enthusiastic officer with angelic features that masked a fierce and determined personality. Colleagues and criminals alike too often underestimated her and came to regret it.

‘I’ve been instructed to tell you that two more detectives are on their way here,’ she said as they took off their coats. ‘They’re coming directly from their homes and should be arriving within the hour.’

‘Then we need to work out what tasks to assign them,’ James said.

He was pleased to see that things were happening in the hall. He counted seven uniformed officers, including Inspector Boyd, all busy speaking into phones, tapping at computer keyboards and making notes.

James crossed the room and stood in front of the makeshift evidence board before clapping his hands twice to get their attention.

‘Okay everyone, listen up,’ he said. ‘We’ve got another busy and unpredictable day ahead of us. While we pursue enquiries here, the rest of the team will get on with things back at base. The pressure on the force is gathering pace and it won’t ease off until we get a result. I’ve drawn up a list of tasks and I’ll go through them shortly. But first the good news is that no more bodies have turned up so far this morning. If, God forbid, the killing isn’t over then we will respond accordingly. There’s also plenty of bad news, though, I’m afraid. We’re not making sufficient progress, the villagers are starting to panic, and this area will soon be battered by a disruptive storm. Just how bad that will be remains to be seen.

‘Today I’d like us to speak to as many people as we can in the village to find out more about the two victims. We know quite a bit already, but I’m sure there’s a lot we’re missing.’

He held up Lorna Manning’s confession envelope and explained what was inside. He then handed it to Inspector Boyd and asked him to arrange for it to be taken to Kendal.

As the briefing continued, James purposely omitted mention of Andrew Sullivan and Annie’s Uncle Bill. He wanted to limit the number of people who knew why they were in the frame.

Finally, he shared that he planned another visit to Lorna Manning’s house in Willow Road and would talk again to Janet Dyer and Sonia Jenkins.