So neither suspect had tried to finish off the other. Chandler supposed that if either had truly been a serial killer they would have seized the opportunity. One thing was for sure – one of them wasn’t telling the truth.

Heath continued his story. ‘I stumbled along for a few hours before I came across a dirt road. Followed it and it came to a farm. Didn’t look to be anybody in so I thought I’d try and borrow the car. That’s when the gun-totin’ arsehole found me. And here we are. Sitting here talking while that psycho is out there.’

Chandler decided to level with Heath to gauge his reaction. ‘That psycho is telling exactly the same story about you – that you kidnapped and tried to kill him.’

Heath’s face dropped, turning pale as his eyes blinked rapidly. ‘You caught him?’

‘Yeah,’ said Chandler.

Heath paused. ‘He’s lying.’

‘Okay. Why?’ asked Chandler.

‘What do you mean, why?’

‘Why would Gabriel lie?’

Heath shuffled to the edge of the seat, the legs of the chair scraping on the floor. ‘I told you. Because he’s a psycho.’

‘I mean, a specific reason? Is there anyone that would want to kidnap and kill you? Would hate you enough to set this up? Any enemies? Debts? Anything?’

‘I don’t have shit to owe shit,’ spat Heath.

Maybe the first true thing you’ve said, thought Chandler. There was an intensity about Heath’s posture that gave Chandler the impression that on the inside he was permanently on edge, as nervous as a startled cat, claws buried within the soft padding of his clothes.

‘He’s just a psycho, sir . . . Sergeant . . . whatever you’re called.’

‘Sergeant will do.’

The stocky man’s nerves became more exaggerated, legs chattering up and down like pistons underneath the table. ‘There’s nothing more I can tell you, Sergeant.’

Chandler nodded. He’d wrung all he was able to from this stone for now. He needed time to plan his next move. All he had at the minute was one stranger’s word against another and his opinion on who was telling the truth. If either were.

‘Can I leave now?’ asked Heath.

‘Where to?’ asked Chandler.

‘Anywhere.’

‘I think that it’s best you stay here, isn’t it? If a serial killer’s after you.’

Heath opened his mouth as if about to argue but had nothing.

Chandler and Tanya left the interview room and re-entered the office. They were met by Luka pacing up and down between the desks, weaving in and out, as if tying himself in knots.

‘Well?’ asked Luka.

‘We’ll have to detain him,’ said Chandler.

Luka’s eyes lit up but it was Nick that spoke, his disembodied voice floating around the corner from the front desk. ‘So he did it?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Chandler. ‘Their stories are identical.’

‘They can’t be identical,’ said Luka.