‘I know that, Annie,’ he said. ‘It’s my own fault for coming here. I should have passed up on your invitation to spend Christmas in Kirkby Abbey. I made a stupid mistake that has almost cost me my life.’

Annie felt her stomach pitch. ‘You’re doing it again, Bill. You’re not making any sense. What is wrong with you? You’ve been acting odd since you arrived. I just don’t get it and, if I’m honest, it’s quite upsetting.’

Bill heaved a sigh and reached out to take her hand.

‘You really don’t need to worry, Annie,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m just getting old.’

Annie wasn’t convinced. Instinct told her that he was not being entirely honest, but she had no idea why.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Back at The White Hart James was having another conversation with Sonia Jenkins. While he’d been gone, she’d changed out of her dressing gown and into jeans and a jumper.

She was still an emotional wreck, though, and struggling to hold it together. He noted that she had also been drinking. A bottle of vodka and a half-filled glass was on the table in front of her.

Beth and Josh had stayed to help console her, and Father Silver was still there. All three were talking amongst themselves on the other side of the bar area while DS Stevens and a couple of uniforms were searching the upstairs flat and going through Charlie’s belongings.

James was sitting facing Sonia at a table in the restaurant as he gently asked her questions about her husband’s movements in the hours before he went out with the dog.

‘After the argument at lunchtime, which you saw, we hardly spoke to each other,’ she said. ‘But there was no need to, anyway, because we were really busy. Charlie spent most of the time in the kitchen and serving at the tables while I stayed behind the bar. Being market day, we remained open and we were at it non-stop. After closing up, I went straight to bed and he took Daisy for her walk.’

But there was no one to confirm that she did go to bed and stay there until the morning. He was being asked to take her word for it. She did sound convincing, though, and he found it hard not to believe that she was telling the truth.

So far, she had cooperated fully. She’d provided them with the password to the laptop the couple had shared and had given her permission for the place to be searched.

‘Have you spoken to Janet yet?’ she asked him. ‘Like I told you earlier, she was furious with Charlie for going to her house yesterday morning.’

‘I intend to talk to her shortly, Mrs Jenkins. But can you tell me exactly what she said to you? When I heard you and Charlie arguing in the alley, he claimed he went there to tell her not to set foot in this place again.’

She nodded. ‘That’s right. But she said he also tore her off a strip for letting on to Ron Curtis that they’d been having an affair. She said Charlie threatened her and said he’d make sure she’d regret it if she ever talked about him again to anyone.’