‘No. His lawyer asked but didn’t press. I think he thinks he’s in the clear and he’s trying to play nice.’

‘As long as we’ve got him here, we might as well try and force something out we can use on Mr Barwell. A part of me still thinks that they’re hiding something. A friendship, a past, something.’ There was a calm fury in Mitch’s eyes that Chandler was wary of. A look that suggested that he was capable of anything.

Gabriel agreed to the interview, again without his lawyer, seeming to think that he was now assisting the police. It was only when Mitch asked him how the victims died that his attitude changed.

‘What is this?’ asked Gabriel, staring at the one-way mirror.

‘Just some questions, Mr Johnson.’

‘They sound more like accusations. I thought you had your man.’

‘We need to gather as much information as possible,’ interrupted Mitch.

Gabriel fell silent.

‘So?’ asked Mitch.

‘So . . .’

‘How did they die?’

‘I don’t know. Ask the other guy. You found his shirt there, what more do you want? If I hadn’t escaped he’d still be out there. And I’d be in one of those graves. You, the police, would be none the wiser.’ Like Heath, the attempted accusation had summoned a blast of defiance in Gabriel. Though with Gabriel, this defiance had a spirited cockiness to it. ‘You want him to sign a confession? Break down and spill his guts? He’s a killer, Inspector, a cold-blooded killer. Someone with a similar make-up should be able to see that he won’t give up easily.’

Gabriel glared at Mitch. It was a jagged response, intended to hurt.

It worked. Mitch rose to the bait and shot Gabriel an arrogant grin. ‘I’ve done this before, Mr Johnson.’

‘And so has he. If you can’t make it stick, bring in someone who can.’

Mitch’s grin dropped and he narrowed his eyes. Chandler could see his old colleague getting wound up.

Gabriel laid his uncuffed hands flat on the table. ‘If you’re going to continue to detain me and ask me these types of questions then you probably better call my lawyer. You’ve held me without charge for a long time now and let’s face it, I’ve done all I can to help you, and if I really wanted to, I think I could bring a false imprisonment lawsuit against you, against this station.’

Chandler knew that any threat to Mitch’s status and career would aggravate him. The veins bulged from his temple, his lips so blue they shone dark grey in the light. His blood was boiling but Gabriel wasn’t finished.