‘You can help by making sure that nobody gets close to the body before backup arrives,’ he said. ‘The quickest way to the field is across the footbridge so that’s the best place to position yourself.’

‘Consider it done,’ Keegan said. ‘I take it we’re dealing with a murder?’

James nodded. ‘The victim was stabbed at least twice and it seems to have happened while he was walking his dog.’

‘Is he a local man?’

‘Charlie Jenkins, the pub landlord.’

‘Holy shit.’

James shifted his gaze from Keegan to The White Horse pub, which was thirty or so yards away to his right.

It appeared to be still closed, but there was a figure standing at one of the upstairs windows. James was pretty sure it was Sonia Jenkins, and she was looking down on the square.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The crowd showed no sign of dispersing even as the marked police cars started arriving in the square.

James was there to direct them along the road to the scene of the crime.

Both Annie and Father Silver tried to grab his attention, but he asked them to bear with him as he instructed the uniformed officers to encourage people to return to their homes.

DS Stevens arrived in a pool car behind the forensics van. James filled them all in without referring to the threat in the Christmas card. But Stevens let it be known that the DCI had told him about it over the phone.

‘Keep it to yourself for now along with the victim’s name,’ James said. ‘I don’t want his identity known until I’ve talked to the wife.’

‘Is she a suspect?’ Stevens asked.

‘Right now everyone in this village is,’ James said.

‘So what do you want me to do?’

‘Go and see what turns up when the techies start on the corpse,’ James said. ‘And get someone to coordinate a search of the area around it. I don’t expect much to come of it because of the snow, but we have to try.’

James then pointed out Fiona Birch to one of the uniforms.

‘She’s the woman who came across the body,’ he said. ‘Take down her details and a statement. Then escort her back to whichever B&B she’s staying in.’

He then took Annie to one side and told her about Charlie Jenkins. Her eyes stretched wide and she clamped her top lip between her teeth.

‘Oh Jesus,’ she said. ‘That’s terrible. Does Sonia know?’

‘That’s what I’m about to find out,’ James said. ‘After I’ve spoken to her I intend to talk to Janet Dyer, so can you text me her address and phone number?’

‘You don’t seriously think that either of them had anything to do with it, do you?’

He shrugged. ‘Who knows? I’ve got to start somewhere, and since they both had a bust-up with Charlie yesterday, they have to be in the frame.’

‘But that’s crazy. What about whoever is behind those messages? Isn’t it more likely that Charlie is the first of the victims and you were wrong to assume it was a prank?’