That was when my phone vibrated, in my coat pocket: Marlboro Man. “Kennedy,” I said.

His voice was a shade above a whisper. “Sir, we’ve got something. We spotted a guy coming out of Ocean View Lane. It’s a cul-de-sac, backs onto the north wall of the estate, nothing but building sites; the only reason for anyone to be there is if he came in over the wall. On the tall side, dark clothing, but we didn’t want to get too close, so that’s all we’ve got. We tailed him at a distance until he turned down Ocean View Lawns. Again, that’s a cul-de-sac, none of the houses are finished, there’s no legit reason why anyone would want to go there. We didn’t want to follow him down there, obviously, but we’re maintaining surveillance on the end of Ocean View Lawns. So far, no sign of anyone coming out, but he could have gone over a wall again. We were going to do a circuit and see if we can pick him up.”

Richie had turned around and was watching me, binoculars hanging forgotten in his hands. I said, “Good catch, Detective. Yes, stay on the line and do a quick tour of the area. If you can get a proper look at the man and give us a description, that’d be great, but for Jesus’ sake don’t risk scaring him off. If you spot anyone, don’t slow down, don’t make it obvious that you’re checking him out, just keep driving and chat away between yourselves and pick up what you can. Go.”

I couldn’t put the phone on speaker, not with our man loose and anywhere, everywhere, every stirring amongst the creepers. I pointed to it and motioned to Richie to come closer. He squatted beside me, ear cocked close.

Murmurs from the floaters, one of them rustling a map and working out directions, the other one easing the car into gear; the low purr of the engine. Someone was drumming his fingertips on the dash. Then, a minute later, a sudden burst of loud, confused gabble—“And the wife says to me, go on, you can keep it in the bin with the rest!”—and an explosion of artificial laughter.

Richie and I, heads almost touching over the phone, weren’t breathing. The gabble rose, died away. After a pause that felt like a week, Marlboro Man said, even more softly but with a rising current of excitement pulling at his voice, “Sir. We’ve just passed a male, about five foot ten or eleven, slim build, heading east on Ocean View Avenue—that’s just over the wall from Ocean View Lawns. There’s no street lighting, so we didn’t get a great look, but he’s wearing a dark mid-length coat, dark jeans, dark wool hat. Going by the walk, I’d say twenties to thirties.”

I heard Richie’s quick hiss of breath. I asked, just as quietly, “Did he suss you?”

“No, sir. I mean, I can’t swear to it, but I honestly don’t think so. He looked round fast when he heard us behind him, and then he put his head right down, but he didn’t do a legger, and as long as we had him in the rearview he was still just walking along the street, same pace, same direction.”