They found Ollie at the front desk bent over a newspaper, the day’s races highlighted in a mishmash of black circles and underlined names; Ollie’s uncrackable code.

Ollie immediately furled his brow in surprise. ‘What are you two doing back? You know I don’t enjoy two visits in a day from you lot. One is sociable, two means trouble.’

‘We need your guest.’

Ollie acted indignant. ‘What do you mean guest? I’ve lots of guests.’ He pushed the register towards Chandler as proof. Chandler waved it away.

‘Just take me to his room, Ollie,’ ordered Chandler.

Still muttering under his breath, Ollie led them to the Presidential Suite on the top floor.

Ushering him out of the way Chandler addressed Jim in a whisper. ‘Plan is, we ask him to the station to answer a few more questions. If he resists, we cuff him and haul him in.’

Chandler knocked. He didn’t state his name or business. No need to give Gabriel the chance to flee or arm himself. Assuming he was a crazed killer was the safest course of action.

Nothing. Chandler knocked again, louder this time in hope of rousing a possibly sleeping Gabriel to the door.

Again nothing.

Ollie approached, whispering at them, ‘He ran the bath earlier. Used up most a’ my hot water. I’m having to hang the dirty sheets outside and let the sun bake any critters from ’em.’

‘You got the master keys?’ asked Chandler, impatient.

‘Yeah, wait!’ said Ollie in a loud whisper.

Chandler looked to him. ‘Hurry up.’

Ollie fumbled the key into the lock, affording Gabriel plenty of advance notice to Chandler’s annoyance. His size ten boot would have been more effective.

With the door unlocked Chandler eased Ollie to one side entering with his gun drawn. Jim followed.

The room was empty.

‘Gabriel?’ barked Chandler, striding through the bedroom into the bathroom. The wooden-panelled tub was full of water but there was no sign of Gabriel.

‘Anything?’ he shouted over his shoulder.

‘Nothing,’ replied Jim.

Gabriel had disappeared.

They searched. Rooms, cupboards, stairwells, the laundry and the lobby. Each drew a blank; no sign of their suspect or indeed any other guest. Their last stop, the kitchen, was empty apart from pots and pans and traces of rat droppings. Gabriel had disappeared into thin air.

As they ended the search a horrible thought entered Chandler’s head. That in the short time between depositing Gabriel here and Heath’s arrival at the station, Gabriel had somehow fallen victim to Heath. It was a tight timescale but could Heath have been waiting outside the station, before following them to the hotel and killing Gabriel? But then how did Ken manage to capture and hold Heath hostage? Could he have hiked all the way back out there in that time? Ken’s place was a good fifteen kilometres out of town.

Reaching the reception desk Chandler questioned Ollie.

‘You didn’t hear anything strange?’