‘Does Ross know where he is?’

‘He says he doesn’t, but he probably has an idea. There is some good news, though. We now have CCTV footage of Sullivan close to the scene of the shooting shortly after it happened. It means we’ve got a solid case against him so once he surfaces, he’ll be going back inside for sure, and this time he won’t be coming out again.’

James made it to Giles Keegan’s detached house just after six. Bright exterior lights shone down on the snow-covered forecourt and the ageing Mini Cooper that he was often seen driving around the village in.

Keegan had spent his entire career with the Cumbria Constabulary and had worked his way up to detective chief inspector before retiring. He’d lived alone since his wife succumbed to cancer six years ago.

He greeted James with a pat on the back and waved him through to the living room which was warmed by the heat from a large open fire.

He pointed to a bottle of whisky on the sideboard and asked James if he would like a glass.

‘I’ve love one, Giles,’ he said. ‘It’s been a tough day and I’ve been up since four.’

‘Are you heading home after this?’

James nodded. ‘Annie’s preparing dinner so I can’t stay for long. But I’m keen to know more about your psychic friend, Lisa Doyle.’

James sat on the sofa and Keegan started telling him about her as he poured two neat whiskies.

‘First I should point out that it’s my understanding that Lisa went to the farm on two separate occasions,’ he said. ‘They were both a number of years ago, and Robert made no secret of it. It came up in a conversation I once had with him and Lisa also mentioned it to me.’

‘Do you know what actually happened?’

Keegan shrugged. ‘Only that Lisa was asked to contact the spirits that Mary believed were haunting the house.’

‘And did she manage to?’

‘I don’t know. At the time she regarded that kind of information as confidential. But I can tell you that Robert described it as total nonsense. He only went along with it because Mary kept on.’

‘And did Lisa pass on any interesting or disturbing facts about the family?’ James asked.

‘Not that I recall, but I didn’t pick her brain about it because at the time I wasn’t particularly interested.’

James thought about it as he took a mouthful of whisky, which burned a track down the back of his throat.

‘Do you think it’d be worth me having a word with her?’ he said.

Keegan shrugged. ‘That depends on what you hope she can tell you.’