James felt his jaw go tight, making it hard to speak.

‘I’m really sorry, but yes, it is true,’ he managed. ‘Her body has been brought ashore and is now in the care of the forensic officers.’

Libby clapped her hands over her mouth as Murphy put his arms around her and pulled her against him. Her father, Fraser, spoke then, a tortured expression on his face.

‘I want to go and see her,’ he said. ‘I need to be sure that it’s not a mistake.’

‘That won’t be possible right now, Mr Elliott,’ James replied. ‘In time we will have to ask you to carry out a formal identification, but for now my team need space to do their jobs. It’s standard procedure, I’m afraid.’

Fraser’s face crumpled then and tears were pushed out by racking sobs.

‘How did she die, Inspector?’ Libby asked, her voice laced with despair.

James felt he had no option but to be totally honest with them all.

‘The exact cause of death will have to be determined by the pathologist,’ he said, ‘but it appears that Rachel suffered several blows to the head and face from an unknown weapon before she fell or was pushed into the lake. We’re therefore treating her death as murder.’

Libby’s face froze and tears pooled in her eyes.

James went on to explain that all the guests and staff would be questioned before being allowed to leave the hotel.

‘Statements will be taken and we’re asking everyone to share with us any photographs they’ve taken on their mobile phones,’ he said. ‘We have to find out everything we can about Rachel and try to piece together her precise movements during the reception. Pictures taken by the official photographer and by guests will be a huge help in that respect along with the hotel security footage. I will also need to talk to each of you at some point.’

‘What about the man you told us was seen coming out of her room?’ Fraser asked. ‘Shouldn’t you be talking to him?’

‘Yes, and we will as soon as he’s been identified,’ James answered. ‘Hopefully, one or more of the guests will shed some light on who he is. And we’ll also be checking to see if he left anything in Rachel’s room.

‘I have to ask, can any of you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm Rachel?’

Fraser shook his head. ‘She had no enemies that we knew of. She was a sweet girl who tried her best to lead a happy and fulfilling life,’ he said. ‘But it was a struggle for her at times and she had more than her fair share of bad luck.’

He broke down again then and slumped back onto the sofa next to his wife, who buried her face in her hands.

James told them that a family liaison officer would arrive soon and suggested they stay together in the bridal suite for now.

‘I’m sure Mr Murphy can arrange for you to get anything you might need,’ he said.