‘I expect all the officers will have left the premises within two to three days,’ James told him.

‘That’s good to know,’ he replied, then looked at his watch. ‘Is there anything else, Inspector, or can I go and give my wife a ring now?’

James thought about mentioning Erika Chan but decided not to. She would speak to him when she was ready.

‘No, we’re all done for now, Mr Murphy,’ James said. ‘It’s time we returned to the station.’

The weather started to close in again during the drive back to Kendal. Heavy clouds were blowing across Cumbria from the north and the blue sky had all but disappeared.

More snow was heading their way after what had been a brief and welcome respite, and at this stage even the forecasters weren’t able to predict how bad it would get.

James had asked Abbott to take the wheel so that he could bring his notes up to date and as she drove he wrote down lists of questions, action points and thoughts on where they were with the investigation.

‘I reckon Greg Murphy and his board will have a tough job reviving the reputation of the hotel in the short term,’ Abbott said as they continued south along the A591. ‘I don’t imagine many other couples will want to tie the knot there any time soon.’

‘I think you’re right on that,’ James said. ‘The media will be all over this for months, covering the moment we charge someone, then the trial, followed by the jury’s verdict. And along the way I guarantee it’ll be the subject of newspaper and magazine features. I expect the safety of guests at lakeside hotels will also become an issue that’ll be hotly debated and will ensure The Fells remains in the spotlight.’

‘So, have you given any more thought to Murphy as a suspect, guv? Do you think he could be our man?’

James glanced up from his notes and chewed on the inside of his cheek for a few seconds as he considered the question.

Then he said, ‘Let me put it this way, I don’t regard him as a front runner and if I was a betting man, I wouldn’t put money on him.’

‘I’ve come to the same conclusion,’ Abbott said. ‘I know that he and Rachel had no time for each other, but I just can’t see him attacking her with a weapon just because she got drunk at his wedding. We know her behaviour made him angry, but he responded by asking Libby to speak to her, which strikes me as reasonable. Plus, this whole saga has clearly had an impact on business … which doesn’t seem like something he would risk lightly.’

James nodded. ‘That’s a good point. And no one has said they saw him heading towards the lake at any point during the reception. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t do it, of course, which is why he needs to remain on the list for the time being.’