Anna rises to her feet and attempts to follow him into the darkness, though after a few steps stumbles and falls to her knees. She remains on the ground, unmoving, in this position for a few minutes.

On the wall adjacent to the hotel, a shadow grows and another body enters the footage, that of a man. He limps towards Anna and hoists her up, positioning her arm over his shoulder before leading her down the street and quickly out of view.

8

I pause the cctv footage from outside Limas and point to the homeless man in the doorway with my pen.

‘Do you think that’s him?’ I ask Liam.

He glances between the computer screen and a printout of the man who picked Anna up. It’s a still from when he first enters the camera’s field of vision from outside the hotel’s entrance.

It’s dark and grainy which makes it difficult to pick out any distinguishing features, though he does appear to have a patchy beard. The man outside the bar has his hood up and is shrouded in the darkness of the doorway, making it difficult to make a worthwhile comparison.

‘It’s hard to tell,’ he replies, his eyes switching from screen to printout and back again.

I press play on the video in the hope that the homeless man huddled in the doorway does something of note. He shifts about on the cardboard in an apparent attempt to get comfortable against the biting cold of the December night.

After a minute or so, he seems to find the position he’s looking for, as he curls up in a ball, his legs tucked in tight against his chest.

As I’m about to move the mouse to close the file, I freeze. Another homeless man, Zed, well known to the police, enters the video. He is carrying a plastic bag in his hand, and a holdall is slung over his shoulder. He is marching purposely towards the doorway housing the unknown homeless man.

When Zed reaches him, he shouts something and when the man doesn’t react, grabs him by the collar, hoisting him to his feet. Even though Zed is a head shorter, the taller man, judging by his body language, is scared. They have a brief discussion and he nods his head in agreement with whatever Zed has said to him, lifts his bag and walks, with a slight limp, out of the video frame.

‘The limp,’ I say, tapping my finger on his trailing leg, ‘that’s our man. The guy who picked Anna up off the floor outside the hotel had a limp. I think we need to talk to Zed to see what he can tell us.’

Liam rubs a hand over his stubbly jaw. ‘Another trip to Altrincham? We’ve only just got back!’ he moans.

‘Stop your whining,’ I scold. ‘You can tell me how your wedding plans are coming along and I’ll treat you to lunch in that café you like there.’

‘Pinonos? Now we’re talking,’ he says, hoisting himself out of his seat and heading towards the station doors like an eager puppy.