After he gave them the pin and password, James said, ‘Thank you for these. We’ll return them as soon as possible. And thank you both for your cooperation.’

It was Claire who responded with a single, sharp sentence.

‘You can see yourselves out.’

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

It was midday when James and Abbott left the Prescott residence.

‘There’s no need to rush back to the station,’ James said. ‘The Fells Hotel is nearby so let’s take the opportunity to go and see what’s going on there. You can have a quick look through Ethan’s phone on the way. Do you know Libby’s mobile number?’

‘I wrote it down along with the others,’ Abbott said, and quickly consulted her notes.

Once she had it, she put on a pair of gloves and plucked the phone out of the evidence bag, tapping in the password Ethan had given them.

‘So, what’s your take on what they told us, guv?’ she said.

James shrugged. ‘I have my doubts that they were completely honest with us. Surely either Libby or Ethan would have gone looking for Rachel after the WhatsApp message came through. I can’t imagine they just left it at that knowing she was drunk and liable to spout her mouth off.’

‘Me neither. It just doesn’t make sense. And my money would be on Ethan. We only have his mum’s word for it that he went back onto the terrace and they stayed together after that.’

‘Claire strikes me as the type of mother who’d lie to protect her son whatever crime he might have committed.’

‘We should have another look at the hotel surveillance footage,’ Abbott said. ‘See if we can spot Libby at the bar with Greg and Mark Slade after the incident on the path. But we won’t be able to confirm that Ethan went onto the terrace because of the dodgy outside camera.’

‘What about during the meal? Do you know if we can see mum and son at whatever table they were on?’

‘I can’t remember. I’ll ask DC Hall when we get back to the station and have a look myself. Meanwhile, I now have access to his phone.’

‘Check the call log first,’ James told her. ‘See how often Libby and him have been in contact with each other.’

James cruised towards the lake while Abbott studied the data on Prescott’s phone. After a minute, she said, ‘I’ve gone back ten months and there are no calls to or from Libby. And no text messages either. She’s listed as a contact, though.’

‘So, either they’ve not been in touch since they stopped dating, which would be well over a year ago now, or if they have been, then he used another phone.’

‘Which is why we’ll probably have to execute the warrant when it comes through and see what else turns up in the bungalow.’

‘That will depend on whether we’re able to pin Rachel’s murder on her boyfriend when we get to question him later,’ James said. ‘If so, then I won’t give a toss if there’s something going on between Libby and Ethan Prescott.’