‘It was useful in that I learned a couple of things about Mary,’ he said. ‘She told the psychic that her life was a mess. She also said she was having to keep secrets that were tearing her apart and it could be that one of those secrets relates to the missing baby, Megan Roth.’

James went on to describe what Ms Doyle had said about seeing and hearing a crying baby and how Mary had reacted.

‘It could just be that she didn’t get over what happened all those years ago and had always believed that Megan was still alive. Maybe what the psychic told her finally convinced her that she was dead and it hit her hard.’

While Tanner prepared for his conference call with the Chief Constable, James gathered the team to bring them up to speed.

He covered the same ground as he had with Tanner and kept it short. Afterwards he went and got a sandwich from the canteen and took it back to his desk. He was just about to bite into it when his phone rang. It was Gordon Carver, from the Cumbria Gazette. This time James decided to take the call.

‘Good afternoon, Inspector,’ Carver said. ‘I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday.’

‘I know and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to respond. It’s been manic.’

‘I bet it has. It’s just that I wanted you to know that your press office is being less than helpful. For instance, I have it on good authority that you’ve arrested a businessman and his wife in connection with the Bateman killings. But I can’t get it confirmed. I’m hoping that since we have an arrangement, you’ll tell me if it’s true.’

James was happy to confirm it since that snippet of information would be released soon anyway. But he wouldn’t be drawn on the details.

‘I appreciate it, Inspector. Now what about Neil Savage, the most wanted man in the country until yesterday when you tracked him down to that isolated party destination? According to one of my contacts he’s presented you with an alibi which presumably means he’s no longer a suspect.’

‘I’m afraid your contact is jumping the gun,’ James said. ‘Mr Savage remains in custody and will face further questions.’

There was a time when James used to get worked up over police officers leaking information to the media but he’d come to accept that there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. And, of course, he himself had slowly become more than happy to provide reporters like Gordon Carver with off-the-record briefings when it suited him.

He told Carver that he’d be the first to know if there were any major developments and then ended the call.