He heaved his shoulders. ‘Charlotte told me it was causing a lot of tension between Robert and Mary. She picked up on it whenever she went back there. Just weeks ago, they had a big row because Mary accused him of selling off her jewellery to bring in some money. It was in a box that went missing and included bracelets and necklaces that belonged to her mother and grandmother.’

‘And what did Robert say?’

‘He denied it, but Charlotte suspected he was lying because he was desperate to raise some cash.’

James chose not to disclose that Robert actually hadn’t lied and that it was Kenneth O’Connor who took the box.

‘Did you ever meet the man who worked as a farmhand at Oaktree, Kenneth O’Connor?’

‘A couple of times. I didn’t like him. Charlotte said he was always ogling her when she lived there and it made her uncomfortable.’

‘Were her parents aware of that?’

‘She told them but they said she’d imagined it.’

James made a note of that.

‘Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt any member of the family?’ he asked.

‘Well O’Connor, for sure,’ Savage said. ‘You should find out what he was up to on Christmas Eve. But other than him I can’t think of anyone else.’

‘Can you tell me how much you know about William Nash, who was Charlotte’s boyfriend before you?’

‘He’s a weirdo for one thing and Charlotte did well to get shot of him,’ Savage said. ‘He was obsessed with her and tried to break us up by telling her I was no good for her. I wanted to go and punch his lights out but she wouldn’t let me.’

‘Do you think it’s possible that he might have had anything to do with the killings?’

This made Savage smile. ‘The guy’s a pathetic prick. He wouldn’t have the guts to do something like that. Even when he was with Charlotte, she treated him like shit. She told me he was like a pet and she only stayed with him until someone better came along. Guess that someone was me.’ He smirked.

James found it interesting to note how Savage’s demeanour had changed quite dramatically. He was sitting up straight now and had stopped trying to avoid making eye contact. Clearly the shock had worn off and he was back in control of his emotions.

‘Finally, I’d like to know if you ever went into the cellar below the house,’ James said.

Savage shook his head. ‘I never had cause to. But I do know the previous owners died down there and Charlotte told me that her parents had some kind of memorial installed.’

‘And were you aware that there used to be an internal door that led down to it from inside the house, but it was replaced by a plasterboard wall a number of years ago?’