She shrugged. ‘It was no different to any other year, guv. My boyfriend and I gave each other presents neither of us really wanted and we drank far too much gin and wine, which meant we were nursing hangovers for much of the time.’

James cracked a smile. ‘Sounds like your Christmas was no different to most other people’s.’

She blew the fringe out of her eyes and smiled back at him.

‘That’s exactly what my mum told me,’ she said, before moving on to hand out more drinks.

James had a lot of time for DC Abbott. She was in her early thirties and one of the youngest members of the team. She was also sharper than a syringe and easy to get on with.

He turned back to the emails and was relieved that they didn’t reveal any further nasty surprises.

After that, he convened the morning meeting.

There were eleven people present, including three civilian staff, and they all listened attentively as the list of cases that were being dealt with from the last couple of days were read out, including two burglaries, a public order offence, three acts of vandalism and an attack on a pensioner. The group learned that there were also officers currently attending a domestic dispute in town and a suspected hit and run in Burnside.

Once everyone had been updated on all the active investigations, James handed out various tasks.

‘So, it seems we haven’t got too much on our plate right now,’ he told the group. ‘I think it’s safe to say that we can look forward to an easy day. It’ll give us time to get—’

He was interrupted by one of the civilian staff who thrust his arm in the air and said in a loud, shaky voice, ‘You might have spoken too soon there, sir. I’ve just heard from control. Uniform are responding to a three-nine and it sounds serious.’

‘Any details?’ James asked.

‘The call came from a woman who’s at a farm a few miles south of Kirkby Abbey. She claims there are three dead bodies in the farmhouse. And she’s described it as a bloodbath.’

CHAPTER THREE

The word bloodbath sent a shudder down the length of James’s spine, and for several seconds he was too shocked to react.

And he wasn’t the only one. A heavy, palpable silence descended on the room.

The first person to break it was the civilian staff member who had relayed the news from control.

‘A scene of crime team is already on its way there,’ he said. ‘And the pathologist’s office has been informed.’