Ron shrugged his shoulders. ‘To bollock me. He was fucked off because I told my pal Tommy Shepherd about his fling with Janet Dyer. Tommy then told someone else and it eventually reached the ears of Charlie’s wife. But it served him right for playing the field and I told him so.’

‘And did he threaten you?’

‘He tried to, but I just laughed in his face and he didn’t like that. He called me an old gossip and a mischievous bastard, but when I picked up the phone to call the police he stormed out.’

‘Did you have any contact with him after that?’

‘No.’

‘And did you speak to anyone about what happened?’

‘Only my lad, Daniel, and of course Janet, bless her. She was upset too because he had already been around to her place. I told her that she needed to stay well clear of him.’

‘And what did your son say?’

‘He was spitting blood. He wants to go to The White Hart when he gets back later to give that knobhead a roasting. But I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I don’t want Daniel getting pinched.’

James made a mental note to check up on Daniel’s movements. He wanted to know if he had really gone to Keswick yesterday and spent the night there.

‘So what is this is all about?’ Ron said. ‘Are you going to nick Jenkins for harassing Janet and me? Is that it?’

James leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and said, ‘You’re obviously unaware of events that have taken place in the village overnight and this morning, Mr Curtis.’

‘That’s because I haven’t been outside or spoken to anyone. So what have I missed?’

‘Mr Jenkins is dead. His body was found in a field this morning, and it appears he was murdered during the night while out walking his dog.’

The old man’s eyes became thin slits as he stared at James. Then after a couple of beats his mouth curved into a smile.

‘All I can say is that it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, Inspector,’ he said. ‘Rats like him don’t deserve to live.’

It wasn’t the reaction that James had expected and it must have shown on his face.

‘You don’t have to look so surprised,’ Ron said. ‘I’m at an age where I can tell it how it is without having to worry what people think. No way am I prepared to express fake sympathy for that prick. But I will say that whoever did it deserves a fucking medal. He wasn’t a nice man.’

‘I appreciate your honesty,’ James said. ‘But I gather most people in the village liked him.’

‘So they’d have you believe now that he’s dead. But a lot of folks thought he was flash and full of himself. In truth, he was nasty and, as I said, I had many problems with him, not least of which being the fact he said a lot of horrible things about my boy.’