Chandler paused. There was no need to reveal what he knew. ‘Just a guess. Pete’s probably got a stolen vehicle or two stowed there. The screaming could be the grinder at work.’

Nick nodded eagerly. ‘He was asking where you’d gone.’

‘Mitch?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What did you tell him?’

‘That you went to check on your family.’

Chandler tapped the desk affirming that this had been the correct response.

‘He was going to send a car out to check on you and Sarah if you didn’t come back,’ continued Nick.

The breath caught in Chandler’s lungs. He didn’t need any officers poking around and wondering why the house was empty.

‘They’re all okay. No need to disturb the kids. They’re asleep.’

Chandler hoped that he had sold the lie. He changed the subject.

‘Who’ve we got looking after our prisoner?’

‘This is it,’ said Nick, pointing to Roper and Flo hammering at their respective keyboards.

Two was manageable, thought Chandler.

‘And is the prisoner all right?’ asked Chandler, raising his voice so that he could be heard.

Roper answered but didn’t take his eyes from the screen. ‘Complaining as usual.’

‘Thinks we should have more officers guarding him,’ said Flo, concentrating on the screen.

‘He’s calling himself the VIP,’ said Nick. ‘Says that we have to protect him at all costs.’

‘That’s why we have to move him,’ said Chandler.

Flo raised her eyes from the screen, suspicion written across the dark lines of her forehead. ‘We weren’t informed about that order, Sergeant,’ she said. There was no hiding the distrust in her expression and tone.

‘Your boss ordered it,’ replied Chandler, locking his gaze on both of them, trying to ooze authority.

‘Move him to where?’ asked Roper, standing up from the desk. His sheer size remained impressive but the slight twitch in his stance suggested he hadn’t fully recovered from Gabriel’s assault. If it came down to a fistfight, Chandler would stand a chance, a fifty/fifty chance at least.

‘Is he not safe here, Sarge?’ added Nick, his tone steeped in wariness. If anyone was going to recognize Chandler wasn’t acting normal then it would be his young constable.

‘We believe Heath isn’t a target anymore,’ said Chandler, moving to the wall cabinet to retrieve the cell keys, ‘but we’re not happy that Gabriel knows where he is. He could change his mind. Heath’s name is still on that list.’

Flo nodded slowly. ‘I just need to call the inspector to confirm this.’

Chandler paused looking for an excuse to prevent this. Nothing came to mind.

‘Go ahead,’ said Chandler. There was nothing he could do but gamble on Mitch being out of radio contact up at Stenzl’s farm.