The three of them sat at the table for the best part of an hour, and it was much less awkward than James had feared it would be. Bill seemed completely relaxed and showed no hesitation in answering all the questions that were put to him.

James did his best to make it seem like a conversation rather than an interrogation. Bill’s responses to the questions were short and sharp. No, he had never met Lorna Manning. Yes, he had known Charlie Jenkins, but not very well. No, he didn’t have a clue who might have murdered them. Yes, he often went out walking at night because it helped him to sleep when his head eventually hit the pillow. And so on …

James even showed Bill the Twelve Days of Christmas card from Janet to see how he’d react. But all he did was smile and tell them he thought it was a nice picture.

James had been hoping that by the end of the meal he’d have convinced himself that Bill wasn’t the killer. But unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case. A nagging doubt remained, primarily because it seemed that Bill was keeping something from them. It was a vibe he got from the man’s demeanour and the way he struggled to articulate his thoughts.

He said as much to Annie when they were alone in the kitchen and the surprise was evident on her face.

‘But I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘It sounded like he was being honest to me.’

‘It could be that I’ve read him wrong, hon. I’ll keep an open mind but I’ll also need to make sure I know where he is at all times.’

They tried to persuade Bill to stay the night but he declined the offer, saying he would have to return to The King’s Head anyway to get his things. He wouldn’t let James walk with him either, insisting he was ‘old enough and ugly enough’ to find his own way there, even in the dark.

After he’d gone, Annie said she was too tired and distraught to sit up and needed to go to bed. James said he wasn’t ready to call it a night so he offered to clear up the dinner things.

‘I’ll be up in a little while,’ he said. ‘I just need to sort out a couple of things ready for tomorrow.’

After tidying the dining room, he went to his study and typed up a short report about what had happened during the day. Then he wrote down a list of action points for tomorrow.

The files, envelopes and diaries from Lorna Manning’s suitcase were still piled up on his desk. He’d already decided that he would have to sift through them all before sending them to the station. After all, the confession had provided one clue so maybe there were more to be found.

He skimmed through the contents of all the envelopes and files first and then turned his attention to the diaries. They went back ten years; it appeared she’d started keeping them after moving to her new life in Kirkby Abbey.