‘I’m sure that almost everyone else will be saying much the same thing,’ she said.

Sean turned to James. ‘Am I right in thinking that you’ve come to ask me about Greg Murphy? You said that you wanted to pick my brain since we’re members of the same golf club.’

‘Actually, it’s not just Murphy we’d like your take on,’ James said. ‘We’re about to go and question Mark Slade, who as you know was Murphy’s best man. He’s also part-owner of your golf club. Did you know?’

Sean’s face registered surprise as he shook his head and switched his gaze back to his fiancée.

‘Start with Slade, Sean,’ Abbott said to him. ‘What do you know about the man?’

‘I’ve met him three or four times in the bar there, but I’ve only had one round of golf with him,’ he said. ‘I was part of a four ball back in the summer with Greg, Mark and another member.’

‘So how would you describe him?’ James asked.

Sean flashed an uncertain smile. ‘To be honest, as someone I wouldn’t like to meet up with on a regular basis.’

‘And why is that?’

He shrugged. ‘He’s a bit of a loud mouth, always boasting about how much money he’s got and how many women he’s bedded. And he can be quite rude to the staff.’

‘We’ve been told that him and Greg are best buddies.’

‘No question. They go back a long way apparently as Slade helped Greg’s dad out once when his hotel business had some serious cash flow problems.’

‘Is Slade in a relationship now?’ James asked.

‘I wouldn’t know. Before yesterday, I hadn’t seen him in months. I usually only take to the fairways in the summer.’

‘And did you speak to him yesterday?’

‘We had a quick word when I was on the terrace.’

‘I don’t remember that,’ Abbott said.

‘That’s because it was when you popped upstairs to get your wrap. But we didn’t have an in-depth conversation. He was too busy circulating to stop for long.’

‘And was anyone with him?’

‘Not that I noticed.’

‘Have you ever witnessed Slade acting violently towards anyone, including women?’ James asked.

‘No, I haven’t,’ he replied. ‘But whenever I’ve been in his company it’s only been for a short time and Greg has always been with us. So perhaps he was on his best behaviour on those occasions.’

‘How would you best describe Greg Murphy, Sean?’ James queried.

Sean thought about it for a moment. ‘He’s not half as arrogant as Slade, but he does like to be in control of things, and he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. But as I’ve already told you, I reckon he’s a fairly decent bloke who has unfortunately inherited some of his father’s more unsavoury traits.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ James said.

Sean shrugged. ‘Well, he likes to get his own way and is a sore loser. Many a time he’s blown a fuse when he’s had a bad day on the golf course. But he once told me that his dad helped shape the way he is by trying to control his life and making him do things as his deputy that he didn’t want to do. And it got much worse apparently after his mother died three years ago. Michael Murphy was quite an unpleasant man by all accounts and Greg clearly didn’t enjoy working for him, but he stayed because it was the family business and he knew that one day he’d be expected to take charge.’