James was suddenly beset by a stream of conflicting emotions. The girl’s words made him feel sad, angry and frustrated. He wanted to shake some sense into her but it wasn’t his place to. He just hoped that she and her mates would eventually find a way off the path to self-destruction.

He took down the names and addresses of all six of them and left them in the hands of the uniforms. He and Abbott then headed back to the pool car. On the way he put in a call to Gillian Weldon, Savage’s mother.

Her voice was filled with dread when she answered, evidently fearing that James was going to impart bad news.

‘We found your son and he’s fine,’ he said quickly and he heard her gasp into the phone. ‘He was with some pals on a bender, just as you suspected. He’s now on his way to the station in Kendal where he’ll be formally questioned.’

‘Thank you for letting me know,’ she said. ‘I’ll arrange for a lawyer to go there. Will I be able to see him?’

‘Not straight away, I’m afraid. But once we’ve talked to him, I’ll see what can be sorted.’

During the return trip to Kendal, James asked Abbott what she made of Neil Savage.

‘Well I think he put on a good show for us, guv,’ she said. ‘But he failed to convince me that he didn’t know anything at all about the killings. He’s clearly a shady character and I have no doubt he’s perfected the art of lying.’

James grinned. ‘I actually don’t disagree with any of that. I’ve seen what drugs can do to people when they suddenly have to deal with stressful events such as the end of a relationship. When I was in London, I was involved in at least four investigations where doped-up guys brutally attacked their partners after they were given the elbow. Two of those partners were murdered. One was stabbed and the other beaten to death.’

‘There was plenty of weed found at the farm,’ Abbott said. ‘And we know from the tox report that Charlotte had a fair amount in her system at the time of her death. No doubt Savage did too.’

‘Drugs and booze are a heady mix,’ James said. ‘That’s probably why Savage was involved in a collision as soon as he left the farm. He was in no fit state to drive.’

‘I’m looking forward to hearing what he’s got to say for himself, guv. And I hope he’ll shed some light on those mysteries that are doing my head in.’

‘I take it you mean the bloody shoeprints and the peephole in the wall.’

‘Exactly.’