‘DS Stevens will go to Penrith to talk to Foreman’s wife and oversee a search of their house,’ he said. ‘DC Abbott and I will go to Kirkby Abbey to talk to Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend, William Nash, and see where we are with Kenneth O’Connor.’

Several other members of the team gave updates saying they now had access to Robert Bateman’s bank accounts and these were being examined, but no progress had been made in the search for Neil Savage, or the isolated house where he attended drink and drugs benders. And nothing new had turned up during the forensic sweep of Oaktree Farm.

So, it seemed they were making some progress on various fronts, but not enough to convince James that they were close to finding out why and how the Bateman family had met such violent deaths.

James and Abbott grabbed a late lunch snack from the vending machine before heading out to Kirkby Abbey. James drove his own car because he didn’t plan on returning to Kendal this evening, so DC Abbott followed him in a pool car.

Heavy clouds were building and the sun had all but disappeared. The brightness had been short-lived and Cumbria was bracing itself for some heavy overnight snow showers.

The forecasters were expecting the Lake District to be hit the hardest, but they were predicting that some areas might escape the worst of the weather altogether.

William Nash lived on a plot of land behind Kirkby Abbey’s only petrol station. It was set back from the road, which was why James had never noticed it before.

Inside a low perimeter fence was a small detached cottage, a garage that had been converted into a workshop and a semi-circular yard paved in asphalt, which was large enough for several vehicles.

When James arrived just before 3 p.m. there was a motor scooter and a small transit van parked on the asphalt. On the side of the van were the words: WILL NASH (MR FIXIT) Handyman Services.

James parked on the road and waited for Abbott to pull up behind him. Then they both walked through the yard to the front door of the cottage. There was no bell so James used the heavy metal knocker to get the attention of whoever was inside.

The man who answered was wearing tight, drainpipe jeans and a soiled blue T-shirt, and he fit the description that Annie had given James – tall, in his twenties and a bit nerdy.

‘Are you Mr William Nash?’ James asked.

He ran his tongue over thin lips and nodded. ‘Yes, that’s me.’

Both detectives flashed their warrant cards and James explained who they were.

‘We’ve come to ask you some questions about your former girlfriend, Charlotte Bateman. I take it you’re aware of what’s happened to her and her parents.’

A shadow crossed his face and James noticed that his eyes were red and inflamed.