‘I’ve spoken to his wife and she’s very upset,’ he said. ‘But she insisted that she’s not covering for him. She claims he did not leave the house on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. It’s impossible to tell if she’s lying. She also reckons she’s not a victim of domestic abuse and that she was wrong to have accused her husband of hitting her a year ago. She said it was all a misunderstanding, whatever that means.’

‘Okay, well, give me a full briefing in the morning unless you find something significant in the house.’

James ended the call and pocketed his phone. Then he returned to his car and drove home.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Annie was waiting for him in the kitchen. She offered him a warm smile and a glass of freshly poured white wine.

‘I was at the window and saw you pull up,’ she said. ‘How come you’re so early? I didn’t expect you until much later.’

‘I came back to the village to interview William Nash, and to check on the team searching Kenneth O’Connor’s house,’ he said, taking the wine. ‘There was no point driving back to the office.’

They kissed and he asked her how her day had gone.

‘I’ve got most of the school work done and I went for a long walk,’ she said. ‘But I felt exhausted afterwards and had a nap on the sofa.’

‘Did you watch the press conference?’

‘Of course. Have you managed to find Neil Savage?’

‘Not yet, but we’re gradually making progress on that front.’

He sat at the kitchen table and loosened his tie. It was good to be home but it would take a while for his mind to settle, and he needed some quiet time to rein in his scattered thoughts.

‘I was going to raid the freezer for dinner,’ Annie said. ‘Is there anything you fancy?’

‘I wouldn’t mind having you on a plate,’ he joked.

She gave her head a slow shake. ‘Well, I’m most certainly not on the menu tonight, honeybun. I’m too knackered. But I can dish up a nice lasagne. It won’t be as tasty but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.’

So, lasagne it was and they ate it at the table after James had changed into some casual clothes.

They both made an effort to steer the conversation away from the Oaktree Farm killings, but it proved impossible.

Annie said several people stopped her to ask about it on her walk through the village earlier.

‘They all assume that you tell me everything,’ she said. ‘And I can’t convince them that you don’t, probably because it’s not true.’

‘What is the mood like out there?’ James asked.