‘Of course I have,’ he said, his voice gravel-edged. ‘It’s been on the news and it’s all anyone in the village is talking about. I keep telling myself that it can’t be true. I don’t want it to be true.’

‘Well I’m afraid it is true, Mr Nash, and as part of the investigation into what happened we need to know as much as we can about each member of the family. And we’re hoping that you can help us in respect of Charlotte. So, may we come in?’

He stood aside and waved them through to a small, low-ceilinged living room, which should have been cosy but wasn’t. There was no sofa, just two armchairs, an old TV, an open fireplace and a sideboard. The floor was cluttered with cardboard boxes and carrier bags.

‘Excuse the mess,’ Nash said. ‘I made an effort this year and put up some decorations because I thought my parents were coming for Christmas. But they pulled out at the last minute.’

‘So, you live here alone?’

He nodded. ‘Mum and Dad moved to Spain two and a half years ago. I didn’t want to go so they left me the cottage and the business. I’m mortgage free and make enough money to keep me going. I can’t complain.’

He invited them to sit on the armchairs while he stood with his back to the fire which was smouldering away.

Without being prompted, he said, ‘It might sound odd to you, but I haven’t been able to function properly since the news broke. I’ve had to cancel two jobs, and I can’t stop thinking about Charlotte. She didn’t deserve for this to happen to her.’

His eyes filled with tears but he blinked them away and did his best to remain composed.

‘It seems to me as though you still had strong feelings for her,’ James said.

Nash swallowed. ‘I did. That girl meant the world to me and I never wanted our relationship to end.’

‘So how long had you known each other?’

‘Just under ten years. We met at school, but we didn’t start going out until three years ago. At first it was great, but she gradually drifted away from me, mainly because she started mixing with people who she should have stayed clear of, people who were into drugs and that. At the same time, she was having problems at home, especially with her mother. There were lots of arguments and she kept threatening to move away from Kirkby Abbey.’

‘What did they argue about?’ Abbott asked.

‘Anything and everything,’ Nash replied. ‘They just didn’t get on. Charlotte had a better relationship with her father. He was like a calming influence on her. Once she even said to me that she would have preferred it if it was just the two of them.’

‘So, when did you and Charlotte break up?’ James said.