‘Trust us, Mrs Hobson,’ said Hendricks, working out the angle of the camera pointing down in the direction of the front door and beyond that to Heath Road. ‘How did we know to call here other than you called our switchboard and said you had something to tell us?’

‘Come in.’ She lifted the last chain. ‘Brush your feet on the mat and follow me into the front room.’

The walls were white and the front room smelled freshly painted. There was a red leather three-piece suite, with one of the armchairs directly facing a state-of-the-art television set.

Mrs Hobson lifted the net curtain and showed Hendricks and Riley the clear view of the entrance and exit to the public footpath.

‘What do you think?’ asked Mrs Hobson.

‘You have an excellent view of a place we’re very interested in,’ replied Riley.

‘Have a seat.’

Hendricks and Riley sat on the settee, facing Mrs Hobson.

‘Were you here all day yesterday?’ asked Riley, glancing at the TV Times beside the old lady.

‘I was.’

‘You didn’t answer the bell when the constables came knocking door to door.’

‘I heard the bell. It rang three times. It was the only call I had yesterday. But I heard on the grapevine the Jehovah’s Witnesses are in the area, so I ignored it and kept on watching telly.’

‘Fair enough,’ said Hendricks.

‘I saw on the Granada Reports round-up after the ten o’clock news that a woman’s body had been found on the footpath.’

‘Your CCTV, it’s working, right?’ asked Riley.

‘Yes.’

‘Have you viewed it, Mrs Hobson?’

‘No.’

‘What does it cover?’

‘It covers the front door.’

‘How far does it extend?’ asked Riley.

‘The top of Heath Road. Do you want to know what I saw just with my eyes?’

‘Of course,’ said Riley.

‘I saw a white van come out of the footpath. It was being driven really slowly. It turned left to get into the lane leading down to Heath Road. And then it took a right down Heath Road in the direction of Mather Avenue. If it didn’t stop in Heath Road then it had to turn either right or left on the dual carriageway. What was a white van doing on the public footpath? It’s not a road. It’s not fit to drive a vehicle down. I tell you…’ She looked at Riley and Hendricks in turn. ‘I smelled a massive rat.’

‘What time did you see the van, Mrs Hobson?’ asked Riley.

‘Half past three in the afternoon. Just before it started going dark.’

‘Did you see who was in the van?’

‘No. There wasn’t much light. I couldn’t see anyone.’

‘Licence plate?’