‘The first is Andrew Buckley, sir. His cast-iron reputation as a GP has been shot to pieces now that we know what he’s done to his wife. If he were pushed, it’s easy to believe that he could kill.’

The DI frowns. ‘We need a motive, May. Do you have one?’

‘Hollie accused him of assaulting her, though he maintains it was revenge because she’d found out about him and Stephanie. And as you know, she was in love with his son, Dylan. Doctor Buckley claims it was Hollie ending their relationship that triggered Dylan to take his own life, but he’s proven we can’t trust him.’

‘Go on.’

‘Knowing the affair was still going on, maybe Hollie went to see him again. Maybe she challenged him. Maybe he lost his temper.’

‘Too many maybes.’ He shakes his head. ‘Plus we only have Buckley’s account of what happened and, as you said, we both know how reliable that is. We need something more concrete.’

‘We have Elise’s, too,’ I remind him. ‘Though she may only know what he’s told her about it.’ It feels like we’re closing in, but proof remains frustratingly out of reach. ‘There’s also James Hampton, of course, though I’m not sure he could kill anyone, least of all his daughter. But you couldn’t imagine him buying into child porn, either, and we know for a fact that he has. There’s also the undeniable fact that all three of the important women in his life are now dead.’

The DI is silent for a moment. ‘Anyone else?’

‘Only two more credible suspects. The first is Phil Mason. What if Hollie realised he was blackmailing her father? She could have gone to see him and threatened to expose him to the police. Maybe he arranged to meet her in Park House so that the two of them could talk without being observed by any of the villagers. It backs onto his place and would be easy for him to get there without being seen. When she refused to keep quiet, maybe he killed her, then pushed her body into the pool, where it lay submerged under leaves until we found it.’

This time, the DI looks thoughtful. ‘Without interviewing Mason, we can’t know. You said you had one more?’

‘Yes.’ I watch him closely. ‘Elise Buckley.’

The DI looks surprised. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to say that. Why?’

‘She and Hollie were seen having a heated exchange by one of the villagers, shortly before Hollie disappeared. If Hollie knew something about Elise – or maybe her husband – which threatened her family, it would be motive enough. Elise is fiercely protective of her daughter.’

‘You’ve only just got through telling me he abuses her.’ The DI looks confused.