James looked at his watch. It was almost three o’clock and he couldn’t believe how quickly the time had passed.

‘I’d like you to go back to the hall,’ he said. ‘See what information you can drum up on Charlie Jenkins and his wife, and run their two members of staff through the system. They worked for the guy so we need to check them out.’

‘And what about you?’

‘I’ll go and talk to Janet Dyer. She told Sonia that Charlie threatened her, so she has to be a person of interest to us.’

Annie had texted him Janet’s address. It was quite close to the square, and he could easily have walked there, but the uniformed officer he chose to go with him had a patrol car to hand so they went in that.

The village was far less busy now, the carollers having dispersed. The place was still ablaze with Christmas lights, but James could tell that the atmosphere had changed. It was now sombre and subdued, and the yuletide jollity had vanished.

Janet Dyer lived in a small detached house just off the main road that passed through the village.

As they walked up to the front door after parking the patrol car at the kerb, James reminded himself what Annie had told him about her childhood friend.

She was divorced and lived here with her twin sons, who had gone to Carlisle to spend Christmas with her ex-husband. They’d been married for ten years before he’d left her and the kids and moved in with a woman he’d met at work.

Janet worked for an agency that provided homecare to old folk in the village and surrounding area and, according to Annie, she was a well-meaning woman who far too often allowed her mouth to run away with her.

From the way Annie had described Janet, he expected her to be a larger than life character with a domineering personality. So he got quite a surprise when she opened the door to them.

She was only just over five feet tall and had a pleasant face with delicate features. Her large brown eyes were swollen and traces of mascara were running down her cheeks. She was wearing jeans and a V-neck sweater that showed a hint of cleavage, and on her feet were a pair of fluffy indoor slippers.

She was clearly shocked to see them and caught her breath as she looked from James to the uniformed officer who was standing behind him.

‘I take it you’re Miss Janet Dyer,’ James said, holding up his ID.

She took a deep breath through her nose, causing her nostrils to flare.

‘Yes, I am,’ she said. ‘Is this about Charlie? I’ve had two people call me to say that his body was found in one of the fields. It’s awful. Like something out of a nightmare.’

‘It is about him, Miss Dyer. I’d like to talk to you because I know you had contact with him yesterday morning. My name is Walker. Detective Inspector James Walker.’