Winslow pointed. ‘She’s sitting in the patrol car talking to my partner. She says she’s the family solicitor and came here this morning for a pre-planned meeting with Mr and Mrs Bateman. When she rang the bell and there was no answer, she looked through a window and saw a body on the floor in the kitchen. Instinct prompted her to check the front door and it was unlocked so she stepped inside and got the shock of her life.’

‘I’ll talk to her in a bit so keep her here,’ James said. ‘And you need to station yourself at the entrance to the lane. I noticed there’s a gap in the wall on one side that gives access to a field. Direct all other vehicles that arrive to park there. Some more of the team are travelling over from Kendal and will be here any minute.’

‘Will do, guv.’

As the detectives headed across the yard towards the house, James noticed that the place was pretty rundown and there were no farm animals in the surrounding fields or buildings. Off to the left there was an empty paddock and the barn door stood open, revealing nothing but a small mound of hay inside.

The scene of crime officers had wasted no time slipping on their pale blue protective overalls and two of them were unloading metal boxes from the forensic van. Others were no doubt already inside the house.

Just to the right of the front door was a box with the protective overalls, along with their accompanying shoe covers, masks and gloves, ready for anyone who entered the house.

‘I’ll go in by myself to begin with,’ James said, turning to Stevens and Abbott. ‘You two get suited up and go and check the rest of the farm.’

He gave his name to the officer with the crime scene log and as he stepped into the doorway a SOCO appeared and warned him to tread carefully.

‘We’ve only been here a short while ourselves,’ he said. ‘So, more needs to be done to protect the integrity of the scene.’

‘Not to worry, I know what I’m doing.’

He steeled himself and stepped over the threshold into a short hallway, the baggy forensic overalls rustling with each step.

The rank and pungent smell of death hit him immediately and his stomach rolled. A second later he entered the large open plan living room and kitchen and the sight that greeted him took his breath away and made his insides go cold.

CHAPTER FOUR

James could see all three bodies from where he stood. They were lying close to each other on the grey flagstone floor between a large brown leather sofa and a stand-alone breakfast bar.

Bile rose in his throat as he took tentative steps further into the room. He was aware that two SOCOs had stopped what they were doing to acknowledge his presence, and he nodded in response.