‘I suppose so,’ Amy said. ‘And if he did then that might be why you can’t find him. Once those parties are in full swing it’s all about getting drunk and stoned. You sleep it off and when you wake up it starts all over again.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

James and Abbott came away from Amy Bell’s flat with plenty to think about. The possibility that their prime suspect may well have gone on some drink and drugs bender needed to be explored further.

If he had then was it in a desperate bid to escape reality? Did he regard it as a final hurrah before facing up to what he’d done? Or was he not planning on coming back from it, instead intent on filling his body with lethal amounts of mind-blowing substances?

‘As soon as we’re back at base we’ll get the team onto it,’ James said. ‘There can’t be many places around here like the one Amy described. And there’s every chance we’ve had call outs there before.’

‘It doesn’t ring any bells with me, guv,’ Abbott said. ‘But I do know that those types of blowout benders have become quite popular with young folk. It’s partly because unemployment is so high and drugs have never been so cheap. I remember reading about one that lasted eight days. Some kid held it in his house when his parents were away on holiday. The house was completely trashed and it ended badly when two of his mates died from dodgy ecstasy tablets.’

‘It’s a scary thought that the recluse who Amy mentioned is probably just one of many who are cashing in on the craze,’ James said. ‘Letting out properties to groups who want to get wasted is an easy way to make money. But I suppose it’s not that different to the illegal raves that take place on private land. That’s been big business for ages now.’

They talked through what else Amy had told them as they drove across town to the charity shop where Charlotte Bateman had worked.

The streets were busier now and James guessed it was partly because the day had brightened up. Locals and visitors were out in force, reminding him that Kendal was a vibrant commercial hub, with high street brands thriving alongside a collection of independent shops and dining options.

Between scattered clouds the sky was a flawless blue, but the sun wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to melt the snow that lay across the rooftops and open spaces. James expected that to be a feature of the landscape well into next week. He just hoped that it didn’t turn really bad like it had last Christmas and New Year when Cumbria was hit by brutal blizzards that brought the county to a virtual standstill.