‘Thanks. I’d also like to speak to the staff member who was manning the rear gate that leads to the overflow car park during the reception. I want to know if he or she left the post for any reason and if so for how long.’

She nodded. ‘That won’t be a problem. His name is Neil Sherwood and he’ll be in the Garden Room.’

‘I also want the crime scene investigators to examine the room that Rachel was staying in, so no one else is allowed access to it. And your people need to cancel the reservations of those who have booked to stay here for the next few days. The property will effectively be locked down while the forensic work is carried out.’

James noticed a glint of sweat on the manager’s brow as she scuttled away to get things done.

Turning back to Abbott, he said, ‘Are they ready for me in the Garden Room?’

‘They are,’ she replied. ‘But be prepared because they’re all very much on edge and I think they must already suspect what you’re going to tell them about Rachel.’

‘That doesn’t surprise me. I don’t suppose you spotted any blokes with beards in there?’

‘There are a couple, but not the man I saw with Rachel.’

‘How many officers do we have here now?’

‘Just over thirty, including two more detectives from Kendal. There are about a dozen in the Garden Room. Others are manning the front and rear gates while several are dotted about the grounds and car parks. More patrols are on their way.’

‘That’s good. We’ll need them all if we’re to get this investigation off to a solid start.’

He looked beyond her to the corridor that led to the Garden Room and felt a clutch of apprehension.

‘Rachel’s killer might be among the people waiting in there for me to come and speak to them,’ he said.

‘That thought has occurred to me as well, guv,’ Abbott said.

‘Come on then,’ he said. ‘We’ve kept them all waiting long enough.’

The whispered conversations and anxious faces were strikingly at odds with the bright and joyful decorations that greeted James when they stepped into the Garden Room and he was surprised at how quiet it was given that about seventy people were crammed inside.

A bar ran along one wall and there was an area with chairs and sofas, a circular dance floor, a small stage packed with DJ equipment and lots of glass tables surrounded by stools.

As he stood facing the guests in front of the stage and swallowed the saliva that had gathered in his throat, James pictured in his mind how loud and lively it would have been now if tragedy hadn’t struck.

Most of the guests were seated or standing in front of him on the dance floor. There appeared to be an equal number of men and women and several looked to be in their teens. James was pleased that there weren’t any children present. The staff members in their hotel attire were gathered in front of the bar, and the police officers were standing either side of the entrance.