‘Good. Let me know the minute it’s through. Who’s got an update from Harriet?’
‘Me, guv.’ Carys stuck her pen up in the air, and then lowered her gaze to her notebook. ‘No murder weapon found at the crime scene, but whatever was used, it made one hell of a mess – she said there was blood on the nearby rhododendron leaves, and across the grass next to the body. Unfortunately, Eva Shepparton traipsed through that, and spread it back towards the slope that leads up to where the marquee is. We obviously need to ascertain whether she saw or heard anything. She stated she couldn’t remember, but hopefully sobriety will help her recall.’
‘Good work, Carys. Kay – did you and Barnes glean anything from Sophie’s parents?’
‘They had no idea Sophie had still been seeing Peter Evans, let alone sleeping with him,’ she said. She glanced at Barnes. ‘In fact, they both came across as being shocked that they didn’t know about it, didn’t they?’
‘Yeah, and when I was talking with Diane Whittaker, all she was going on about was that she couldn’t understand why Sophie would do that – sleep with Peter when she was about to be engaged to Josh Hamilton,’ said Barnes. ‘From a due diligence perspective, I’ve started going through Matthew Whittaker’s business accounts, and Diane mentioned that they were waiting on some sort of funding or grant to help with renovations of their house, so I’ll keep working on that.’
‘How was Blake Hamilton?’ said Sharp.
‘Unhelpful,’ said Kay. ‘More interested in getting Josh to his university in London to pick up his stuff than help find out why Sophie was murdered. His wife, Courtney, was more talkative, but seems to be oblivious to the fact we’re trying to run a murder inquiry.’
‘In what way?’
‘She seemed to be relieved that Josh wouldn’t be getting married any time soon. Said both of them were too young for that sort of thing – she was keen for him to travel once he finishes university, and didn’t sound like she was enamoured about the whole engagement business at all.’
‘You’ll speak to them again?’
‘Yes – tomorrow.’
‘Where are we on getting copies of Sophie’s school reports?’
‘Here,’ said Debbie West. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary. No truancy, no detentions in the past two years. Couple of awards for tennis.’ She tossed the pages back onto her desk. ‘Model pupil, by the look of it.’
‘What were the parents’ thoughts about Peter Evans?’
‘They certainly gave the impression that they felt he was beneath having a relationship with Sophie,’ said Kay. ‘Diane had no time for him at all, and they were both taken aback when I told them Sophie’s passport was found at Peter’s flat.’
‘All right. Keep up the good work, everyone. DCI Larch and I will be interviewing Evans again in half an hour. Anything else?’
‘When we spoke to Matthew Whittaker earlier, he didn’t mention the fact that he took a pledge as well,’ said Kay. ‘Apparently, his part of the deal is to protect his daughter until such time as she marries.’
‘Failed there, then,’ Barnes mumbled. ‘Seems she was stringing them all along.’
‘I was wondering though, maybe if Matthew found out Sophie was sleeping with Peter, would that be motive enough for him to harm her?’
A hush filled the incident room, broken only when Gavin’s pen rolled across his open notebook and fell to the floor.
Sharp rubbed his chin. ‘You think he took his pledge that seriously?’
‘Perhaps. I think it’s worth having another word with him.’
‘Do it, but tread carefully.’
‘Understood.’
‘Okay, tasks for tomorrow. Barnes and Piper – sort out another interview with Eva Shepparton. When you speak to her again, find out what she knew about Sophie’s relationship with Peter.’
‘Guv.’
‘Hunter, first thing in the morning head over and speak to the pastor, Duncan Saddleworth. Get a feel for his relationship with the parents, and find out from him whose idea it was for Sophie to take this “purity pledge”. Then take Carys with you and speak to Matthew Whittaker again – find out how seriously he was taking his end of the bargain.’
‘Will do.’ She tapped her pen against the side of her notebook. ‘You think maybe Sophie was having second thoughts?’
‘Or, she was determined to go ahead, and either Peter Evans or Matthew Whittaker didn’t like the idea.’
Eleven
A mustiness filled Kay’s senses the next morning as she shook out her umbrella and placed it in a cast-iron stand in the church porch, grateful for the shelter from the brief summer rain shower.
As she straightened, she ran her eyes over the various messages pinned to the noticeboard, and reached out to lift the corners to read the calls to arms from the different groups that used the church for meetings, bell-ringing practice, and flower arranging.
She frowned at a rectangular space at the left-hand lower corner of the noticeboard, a red and a blue tack pinned in the middle of it.
Her eyes drifted to the collection box set on top of a narrow shelf above an old pew, and the metal loop on one side that was attached to the wooden wall of the porch by a solid chain.
Kay placed her hand on the centuries-old latch and eased open the wooden door.
She blinked as she pushed the door back into place and her eyes adjusted to the gloom.
Lights hung from long cords set high into the ceiling, while spotlights picked out the altar and pulpit.
Murmured voices carried through the large space and her gaze fell upon two older women and a man on the far side of the space. The two women held cloths and aerosol spray cans as they moved between the rows of pews, the sweet aroma of furniture polish wafting on the air.
They fell silent at the
