He nodded again and went on searching. He pulled a phone from a zipped side-pocket of the parka and a car key from Ohara’s jeans. But not the key to the handcuffs. He stopped and shrugged his shoulders. ‘It doesn’t seem to be here.’

‘It must be.’

‘Maybe he left it in his car. I’ll go and take a look. But before I do …’ He stood up and hurried out of the room, returning a few moments later wearing rubber gloves. He stepped over to the window and picked up the gun, holding it carefully by the handle and barrel. ‘I’ll put this somewhere safe. And I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

By Wada’s watch twelve long minutes of silence elapsed, during which she could only wonder what Caldwell was doing. Then she heard several thumps and grunts from the direction of the back door, as if he was carrying something heavy and unwieldy into the house.

A moment later, he was back in the doorway of the bathroom. ‘I couldn’t find the key,’ he announced. ‘Sorry.’

‘It has to be somewhere.’

He smiled oddly. ‘True enough.’

‘What was that noise I heard just now?’

‘There are tools in the barn,’ he said, seeming not to hear her question. ‘Given this is a farm, they probably include a pair of bolt-cutters. I’ll check. Meanwhile …’

He grasped Ohara by the ankles and began dragging him towards the door, leaving a gleaming smear of blood on the tiles. ‘Where are you taking him?’ Wada asked.

‘I’ll explain … when I come back.’

Wada sat down and waited. At least she no longer had to look at Ohara. What Caldwell was planning for him she had no idea. As far as she could tell from the sounds that reached her, he dragged Ohara as far as the kitchen. There were muffled scrapes and bumps and thumps after that that she couldn’t interpret. And several more grunts of effort from Caldwell.

Then he was back, breathing more heavily than ever. And sweating, despite the chill that hung everywhere in the house beyond the range-warmed kitchen. He leant against the doorpost and looked down at her apologetically. ‘I’ve had to … improvise,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’

‘There’s a chest freezer in the scullery, at the back of the kitchen. I’ve put him in there. Along with your friend, whose body I found under a tarpaulin in the back of Ohara’s car. In the circumstances, it seemed the best thing to do. The only thing, really. They’ll keep there until Thursday.’

‘What happens on Thursday?’

‘I’m going to be collected. We can sort everything out then.’

‘Who is collecting you?’

‘You have to stay until Thursday as well.’ Caldwell rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. ‘Sorry.’

‘That is three days from now. I cannot stay here for three days.’