‘This is my property and I demand to know what’s going on,’ he yelled at them in a loud, ill-tempered voice. ‘If you want my help, then it makes no sense to keep me in the dark.’

Murphy switched his attention to James as soon as he saw him approaching.

‘Is it true?’ he shouted. ‘Have they found Rachel’s body in the lake? We can see the boats from here so we know that something has happened.’

James walked straight up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

‘I was actually coming to find you, Mr Murphy,’ he said. ‘Would you accompany me up to the suite so that I can talk to your wife and her parents at the same time?’

The man’s whole body stiffened and his eyes grew large like those of a startled animal. ‘Please. I want to know now so that I can prepare myself. I’ll be more helpful to them that way.’

James saw the sense in that and said, ‘Well, I’m sorry to say it is true.’

‘My God, this is t-terrible,’ he stuttered. ‘Libby will be devastated. Do you know if it was an accident, or did she kill herself?’

James saw no point in withholding information that would soon have to be shared with everyone.

‘It pains me to have to tell you, Mr Murphy, but we strongly suspect that Rachel was murdered,’ he said.

Murphy clenched his eyes shut as though struggling to process the news. It didn’t surprise James. After all, not only had the man lost his new sister-in-law and had his wedding ruined, a murder had also been committed in the grounds of one of his hotels and that was bound to have a negative impact on the business once the news got out.

After a few seconds Murphy opened his eyes and let out a loud sigh.

‘Let’s go and get this over with,’ he said, then quickly turned on his heels and headed into the hotel. James followed close behind and they both remained silent as they walked up the stairs together.

The vision of Rachel’s body raged in James’s mind as he arrived outside the bridal suite. The officer on the door informed him that only Rachel’s parents and sister were inside, Claire Prescott having returned to her own room.

As soon as he stepped inside the look on his face and the fact that Murphy was with him gave the game away before James had even opened his mouth.

‘It’s her, isn’t it?’ Denise Elliott cried out. ‘They’ve found our baby in the lake.’

As James started to speak, she let out a cry of anguish and then buried her face in the nape of her husband’s neck.

At the same time, Murphy rushed across the room towards his new wife who was sitting on the sofa.

But Libby sprang to her feet before he reached her and her eyes flared with emotion as she stared at James.

‘Please tell me it’s not true, Inspector,’ she said. ‘Rachel can’t be dead. She just can’t be.’