Among them was whether William Nash had been completely honest with them. James didn’t doubt that he had been up to the point where Charlotte – Megan – was stabbed during the struggle with Mary. But his account of what had happened after that was unfortunately less convincing.

The trouble was it was supported by the evidence. The shotgun was found in Robert’s hand and the only prints on it belonged to him and Charlotte.

It was therefore only natural to conclude that it must have been a murder-suicide. But that was what Giles Keegan had done twenty-four years ago and he’d been wrong.

He was out of the door by six while Annie remained in bed, and he promised her he would try to get home early so that they could spend the evening together to celebrate the new year and Andrew Sullivan’s incarceration.

On the way to Kendal, he phoned DC Abbott and told her to meet him at the station as soon as possible.

‘We’re going to have another go at Nash,’ he told her.

‘I’ll be there, guv,’ she said. ‘And I heard what happened last night. Are you okay?’

‘I feel better than I have in a long time. Knowing that the threat from Sullivan has finally gone away is a huge weight off my shoulders.’

At the office he convened a short meeting of those who were in and various decisions were taken.

DCI Tanner and DS Stevens would formally interview Sullivan armed with James’s statement and the evidence of the gun taken from him. They would also liaise with the team from the Met who were due to arrive at about ten.

Tanner had already talked to the Chief Constable and it had been agreed that a press release would go out in respect of Sullivan’s arrest but they would hold back on the latest developments in the Bateman investigation until after James had questioned Nash for a second time.

Nash’s doctor had been forewarned that they were coming but James had specifically asked her not to tell him.

He was awake when they entered his room and he looked as rough and pale as he had the day before.

He did not object when the doctor said the police wanted to talk to him again.

‘We’ve come to ask you some more questions, Mr Nash,’ he said, before proceeding to caution him. ‘You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’

Nash stiffened and his eyes came out on stalks. ‘But I’ve already told you what happened.’