James said he would give it some thought. He was never keen on fronting pressers, but they often proved invaluable in generating fresh leads.

After ending the call, he checked some of the online news feeds on his phone. Even though only a matter of hours had passed since Rachel’s body was found the story was already making headlines.

He was surprised to see that there was more information available than what had been officially released and James suspected that reporters had been in touch with hotel guests and staff.

The BBC News homepage appeared at first sight to have the most comprehensive coverage.

Breaking News: Missing maid-of-honour found dead at wedding.

A murder investigation is under way after a young woman’s body was found in Cumbria’s Lake Windermere.

The discovery came only a short time after Rachel Elliott disappeared during her sister Libby’s wedding at The Fells Hotel, which is owned by the groom, local businessman Greg Murphy.

Miss Elliott, 25, was the maid-of-honour and early reports suggest she was beaten about the head. It’s believed the attack took place on a private jetty in the grounds of the hotel near Ambleside as, according to a wedding guest who wishes to remain anonymous, several items belonging to Miss Elliott were found on the jetty during a search for her.

Soon after police divers found her body floating close to the shore.

Detective Inspector James Walker, who is based in Kendal, is leading the investigation and he and his officers have been at the hotel since before midnight.

Guests and staff are being questioned and the property, one of the most popular wedding venues in the county, has been locked down.

James raked a hand through his hair and let a breath out between his teeth. He felt sure that the day ahead was going to be immensely challenging.

The media would update the story as soon as the photo of Carlo Salvi was released and with every development the pressure on him and the team would be ramped up until they got a result.

Just before the briefing got under way in the Garden Room, three members of the hotel staff arrived with trays containing pots of coffee, sandwiches and cakes.

‘Help yourselves,’ James told the nine team members who were present. ‘This is the only sustenance you’re likely to get for a while.’

He poured himself a coffee and chewed on a ham sandwich before kicking off with a summary of what the pathologist had said about Rachel’s wounds. Tony Coppell also added his thoughts and findings before James relayed the various conversations he’d had with the Elliotts, Greg Murphy and Claire and Ethan Prescott, and the interaction he’d witnessed between Libby and her mother.

‘None of this points to any discernible motive for murder,’ he went on, ‘but it does highlight the fact that the wedding wasn’t the joyful occasion that most people attending thought it was. Behind the scenes there was a great deal of dismay, bitterness, animosity and ill will.’