‘Can we be sure he’s still out there?’ asked Chandler. ‘There’s a chance he double-backed and bedded down in some barn on the outskirts.’

‘We’ve searched as extensively as we can,’ said Mitch. ‘And even if he has, we’re left with the same needle in a haystack problem.’

‘Well, do we need to be seen to do something? Rather than sitting around waiting for him to make the next move?’ asked Luka. It was a solution designed to plaster over the cracks, saving face. The positive projection to the public. He was slowly turning into Mitch.

‘Sitting still may be our best bet, Luka,’ said Chandler. ‘He attacked the guy we have in our cells when he had the chance. Maybe he’ll come back to finish the job.’

‘Whatever the decision, the press need to be updated,’ said Mitch. ‘This time I think it’s best that one of you local guys do it.’ Though he didn’t look at him, Chandler understood that the buck was being passed.

‘Why local?’ asked Chandler, wanting some reasoning behind it.

‘To show that both local and state are working in harmony to protect the town.’

As Chandler expected: a bullshit reason. ‘So what you want is for me to go out there and tell them that we’ve got nothing, putting my face on the incompetence of the police force.’

Mitch shook his head but the thin smile was telling. ‘No, Sergeant, I want you to go out there and do your job.’

‘You’re the ranking officer here,’ said Chandler.

‘That’s right. And I’m ordering you to take the conference.’

‘And tell them what? That we don’t have any leads; just to strap themselves in, hunker down and wait for the Devil to appear?’

‘Not in those words.’ Mitch paused. ‘You need to learn to deal with disappointment and setbacks, Sergeant.’

‘I’ve learned,’ said Chandler. He couldn’t hold it back any longer. It was time to play his joker. If Mitch was going to try and put him in the shit then they were both going to be covered. ‘The whole reason we’re in this mess is because Gabriel stole the keys from you, when you attacked him in the interview room.’

To Chandler’s surprise, the revelation did not shake Mitch’s cool. It was almost as if he expected this. Contrary to intention, the chill ran down Chandler’s back. He had walked right into the trap

Mitch stepped back from the table and straightened to full height. ‘Now is not the time to go around throwing blame, Sergeant. The press will do enough of that. We have to close ranks. Remain as one,’ he said, appealing to the entire table.

‘And don’t you think that should come from the boss?’ said Chandler.

‘It’s about keeping a united front.’

‘Behind a leader we can trust.’