‘So, Charlotte is on the phone with Heather for four minutes starting at five past seven. Fifteen minutes later, at 07.24 p.m., she calls Heather back and they speak until 07.29, at which point she messages Neil, confirming he is not with her at that time,’ James said. ‘I suppose it’s possible he went straight back there after he received the message and that’s when things went bad.’

‘But he would have had to drive past the car he’d shunted off the road and it doesn’t seem likely to me that he would have done that,’ Stevens said.

James turned back to Coppell. ‘Have we ascertained the exact time the killings took place?’

Coppell shook his head. ‘But it would almost certainly have been between seven-thirty and midnight.’

‘We’ll have to work with that then. Meanwhile can you come back to us as quickly as possible with the results of the forensic examination being carried out on Savage’s car and the other vehicle?’

‘I’ll make it a priority,’ Coppell said. ‘There was another text message I think will be of interest, this one on Robert Bateman’s phone. Mr Bateman received it at 04.30 p.m. on Christmas Eve and he didn’t reply to it. It was sent by a man named Dean Foreman – who is listed among his contacts – and it said: I’ve had enough now and I’m not going to take any more of your shit. You’re about to discover that I don’t make empty threats, Bateman.’

CHAPTER TWENTY

The progress with the forensic evidence had upped the pace of the investigation. Suddenly there was another suspect as well as new questions about how events might have unfolded at Oaktree Farm on Christmas Eve.

James adjourned the briefing so that things could be set in motion without delay, letting everyone know they would reconvene in half an hour. In the meantime, he wanted to know who Dean Foreman was and why he had sent a threatening text to Robert Bateman.

He also wanted to know what relationship Heather Redgrave had with Charlotte and what had been said during their phone conversations to provoke Charlotte into sending the text message to Savage. Did it have something to do with the reason he tore up her photos in his flat?

There was a sudden burst of frenetic activity in the room. Those who didn’t go straight to their phones or computers started chatting animatedly amongst themselves.

‘This case gets more interesting by the hour,’ DCI Tanner said as he sidled up to James. ‘Right now I’m mightily confused.’

‘Join the club,’ James said. ‘Just when we think we might be getting somewhere we’re sent racing off in another direction.’