Without answering, Pascoe began to read.

Statement of Peter Ernest Pascoe made at Thornton Lacey police station, Oxfordshire, in the presence of Detective-Superintendent D. S. Backhouse. On the morning of Saturday 18th September, I drove down from Yorkshire to Thornton Lacey. I was accompanied by a friend, Miss Eleanor Soper. Our purpose was to spend the week-end with some old friends, Colin and Rose Hopkins of Brookside Cottage, Thornton Lacey. Other guests were to include Mr Timothy Mansfield and Mr Charles Rushworth, also old friends, though I had not seen them nor the Hopkinses for more than five years. I do not know if anyone else had been invited. It was our intention to arrive at nine-thirty but we made such good time that it became clear we were going to be there by nine…

It was a glorious morning after a night of torrential rain. A light mist lay like chiffon over the fields and woodlands, yielding easily to the gentle urgings of the rising sun. The roads were empty at first. Even the traditionally dawn-greeting farmhouses seemed still to sleep in the shining wet fields.

‘I like it,’ said Ellie, snuggling contentedly into the comfortably sagging passenger seat of the old Riley. 'There are some things it's worth being woken up for.'

Pascoe laughed.

'I know what you mean,’ he said with hoarse passion.

'You're a sex maniac,’ she answered.

'Not at all. I can wait till we reach a lay-by.'

Ellie closed her eyes with a smile. When she opened them again it was an hour later and she was leaning heavily against her companion's shoulder.

'Sorry!' she said, sitting upright.

'So much for the attractions of the early morning! We're making very good time, by the way. You're sure they really want us for breakfast?'

'Certain. When I talked to Rose on the phone she was very angry we had to cry off arriving last evening and insisted on first thing today. Poor girl, she probably had a fatted calf roasting or something.'