More details quickly followed. The three bodies had been found at Oaktree Farm, which was about nine miles from Kirkby Abbey. It was the home of Robert and Mary Bateman, a couple who had lived there for many years. They had a daughter named Charlotte who was in her early twenties. The person who called the emergency number had identified herself as Laura Sheldon, a solicitor based in Kendal, but it wasn’t yet known what she’d been doing at the farm or what her relation – if any – to the victims was.

The name Bateman rang a bell with James and he was sure he had been introduced to Mr Bateman, probably in one of the village pubs or at a local event. Or perhaps the man had been mentioned in conversation.

As James began to bark orders, the office buzzed with activity and tension. Those detectives who’d been instructed to go with James to the scene were pulling on their coats, while others were bashing phones and tapping frantically at keyboards.

Even though everyone was moving, it was taking time for what they’d been told to sink in. At this stage they weren’t sure what to make of it, but the emergency call certainly didn’t sound like a hoax. Clearly something awful had happened at Oaktree Farm – something as horrifying as what had taken place in Kirkby Abbey a year ago.

James travelled to the farm in a pool car with DS Stevens and DC Abbott – Stevens driving – and just after they left the station, they were informed that a patrol car was already at the scene and the officers on site had confirmed that there were indeed three bodies in the farmhouse along with a great deal of blood.

It appeared that two of the victims had suffered shotgun wounds. The third had been stabbed. That was all the information they had though as the officers had retreated as soon as they’d determined that there was no sign of life – as was protocol. Gone were the days when first responders trampled over a crime scene and compromised vital evidence.

‘And there was me thinking that my first day back was going to be a breeze,’ Stevens said. ‘This is unbelievable.’

James felt his body stiffen as a thousand questions raced through his head.

Did the corpses belong to the Bateman family? Were they the victims of a gruesome home invasion or a burglary gone wrong?

The more James thought about it, the harder his heart banged in his chest.

Neither Stevens nor Abbott lived near to Kirkby Abbey, so they were curious to know if James was familiar with Oaktree Farm.

‘I’ve never been there, but I’ve driven past it a few times,’ he said. ‘It’s close to the road, and I’m sure it’s been up for sale for a couple of months.’

‘What about the Batemans?’ Abbott asked. ‘Do you know them?’