Vernon waited, the Luger ready, and Carver crouched on the other side of the Ford, a Smith & Wesson revolver in his hand.

‘Do you think it was Craig who fired that shot, Mr Vernon?’

Craig answered for himself, his voice drifting mockingly out of the mist. ‘So you got here, Vernon? All right, then. Let’s see how good you really are.’

For a brief moment he appeared from the mist and turned and ran and Vernon went after him, cold with excitement.

They reached the Cooper half-blocking the track and Craig called, ‘This way, Vernon! This way!’

As they disappeared into the mist, Miller emerged from the reeds pulling Harriet behind him. They ran back along the track and paused beside the Ford. The key was missing from the dashboard, but he reached underneath, wrenched out the ignition wires and looped them together quickly. A moment later the engine roared into life.

He turned to Harriet. ‘Can you get this thing out of here?’

‘I think so.’

‘Good – I noticed a telephone box about a mile up the road on the way in. Ring through to Grant – he’ll know what to do. The County boys would probably wonder what in the hell you were talking about.’

‘What about you?’

‘You don’t think I’m going to let him cut his own throat at this stage do you?’ He shoved her into the car. ‘Go on – get out of it!’

As the Ford reversed away, a pistol shot echoed across the marshes that was answered by the blast of a shotgun. Miller turned and ran along the track in the direction of the sound.

Duncan Craig turned off the path to the left, ran across an expanse of coarse marsh grass into the shelter of the mist and doubled back on his tracks. He paused and listened intently. The only sound was the lapping of water and further along, geese lifted into the sky, voicing their annoyance at being disturbed.

By all the rules he should now be behind Vernon and Carver and he moved out of the shelter of the mist and approached the path cautiously. Somewhere to the right, there was the sound of running footsteps and as he crouched, shotgun ready, Nick Miller ran out of the mist.

‘Over here!’ Craig called softly and Miller paused on the edge of the raised path and looked down at him, chest heaving.

‘Thank God – I didn’t think it would be this easy.’

There was a sudden cold laugh and Max Vernon scrambled onto the path from the other side about twenty yards to the left. ‘It never is,’ he called harshly and his hand swung up.

The bullet caught Miller in the upper arm, knocking him back off the path into the soft earth as Craig fired his shotgun in reply. Max Vernon had already slipped back into cover and Craig reached down and dragged Miller to his feet.

‘Can you still run?’