‘Her name is Rachel Elliott. She’s twenty-five and the younger sister of the bride, Libby Elliott.’

‘And the groom?’

‘Greg Murphy. You’ve probably heard of him. He’s a prominent businessman and CEO of a chain of hotels across Cumbria, including The Fells. His father died earlier this year and left him the business and a substantial amount of money, by all accounts.’

‘And are you there because you’re a close friend of either family?’

‘No. Sean and Greg belong to the same golf club so we got an invite.’

‘It’s safe to say you’re not emotionally involved then?’

‘That’s right, guv. Obviously, it’s still quite shocking, but I’m confident I can remain impartial. To be honest, I’m just praying that Rachel turns up and that there’s an innocent explanation for why she can’t be found.’

‘Well, keep looking and hopefully you’ll call me with some good news before I get there so I can turn around and come back home.’

CHAPTER TWO

Annie wasn’t at all surprised when James told her he was being called out.

‘It’s what I’ve been expecting, to be honest,’ she said, as she moved Bella from one breast to the other. ‘Just make sure that next year you put in an early request for leave over Christmas and New Year’s Eve.’

He grinned. ‘Consider it done. Will you be okay?’

‘Of course. I’m used it, after all. Is it a bad one?’

‘Not sure yet, but it could be. A woman attending a wedding over at Lake Windermere has gone missing and the circumstances appear somewhat suspicious.’

‘That’s awful. I do hope that no harm has come to her. Could it be she’s simply wandered off or passed out after drinking too much?’

‘Anything is possible, but there’s evidence to suggest that she might have fallen or been pushed into the lake.’

‘My God, I hope not.’

James glanced at his watch. ‘I have to go. I’m really sorry.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll give Bella a kiss from you on the stroke of midnight.’

James hurried upstairs to change into a suit. When he came back down, he slipped on an overcoat and then stepped back into the living room to kiss his wife and daughter goodbye.

As he turned to leave, one of the framed photos on the mantlepiece caught his eye. It had been taken on their own wedding day at a hotel in Kent. They were standing either side of the cake and smiling at the camera.

He remembered how happy they were and how much fun all the guests had had. It made his heart go out to Greg Murphy and Libby Elliott whose special day had been wrecked, their memories of the occasion forever tarnished.

Kirkby Abbey, a village with a population of around seven hundred, was located on the eastern side of the county and was surrounded by spectacular peaks and sprawling moors.

James headed west out of the village in his Audi along a familiar route that would take him through Sedbergh and Kendal and then beyond to Lake Windermere, a journey of just under forty miles.