‘You have the charges, Cardilini?’ asked Winfield, the internal investigating officer. Chapman, his offsider, took notes. Cardilini knew them both well. Detectives rotated through the internal investigation branch. Cardilini had done a stint too. The thinking was, only those who knew how things worked would know when a policeman overstepped the boundaries.

‘Charges?’ Cardilini corrected, ‘Complaint, surely?’

‘Complaint. Sorry.’

‘Thank you,’ Cardilini said.

‘Thank you,’ Mrs Burns echoed. The two investigating officers looked at her then at each other.

‘No need for you to do that,’ Chapman said. Mrs Burns nodded.

Winfield queried the presence of Mrs Burns with a glance to Cardilini. Cardilini shrugged.

‘Okay. So did you expose yourself?’ Winfield asked.

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘An older boy, Carmody, brought the boy, Mossop, to you and you told Constable Salt to go with Carmody, and leave you alone with Mossop.’

Cardilini shook his head frustrated. ‘Not to leave me alone with Mossop, but for Salt to further the investigation, you idiot.’

Winfield and Chapman exchanged annoyed glances.

‘Mossop is alone with you when you expose yourself,’ Chapman said.

‘I didn’t expose myself,’ Cardilini shouted.

‘That is in dispute,’ Winfield said.

What?’ Cardilini asked.

‘In dispute,’ Winfield said. ‘We don’t know the truth of the matter.’

‘Winfield, I’m telling you the truth. There isn’t a dispute,’ Cardilini insisted, ignoring Chapman.

Winfield turned uncomfortably towards Mrs Burns.

‘Winfield?’ Cardilini called.

‘Cardilini, hang on,’ Winfield replied.

‘Did you ask the boy exactly what he claims he saw?’ Cardilini asked.

Winfield drew back in disgust. ‘No.’

‘Not that, you moron. He said I showed him a picture, yes?’

‘Right, he said you showed him a picture of a boy with his pants down.’

‘Good. Did he say it was his picture? With his name on it?’

‘Was it?’ Winfield asked.

‘Ask him. He’s here, isn’t he?’

‘Cardilini, you’re not in charge of this. Get that straight,’ Chapman remonstrated with a look to Mrs Burns.

‘Yes. Fine. I understand that. I’m only trying to help. Right, Mrs Burns?’

Mrs Burns looked to Winfield and Chapman before she replied, ‘Yes.’

‘Chapman, check that with the boy,’ Winfield instructed.

‘Get him to explain how he knew the figure didn’t have his pants on,’ Cardilini said. Winfield nodded his confirmation and Chapman begrudgingly left.

Winfield and Cardilini exchanged a number of communicative glances; Winfield indicated Mrs Burns’ presence was a surprise to them, Cardilini indicated similar while Mrs Burns inspected the architraves. Chapman returned and nodded in the affirmative. Cardilini waited before asking, ‘What did he say?’

‘The figure had his pants around his ankles,’ Chapman replied.

‘Thank you.’ Cardilini reached into his inside coat pocket and put Mossop’s sketch in front of them, ‘That’s his sketch. There’s his name. The figure has trousers on.’

‘Hard to determine. Not much of an artist.’ Winfield pushed the sketch to Chapman.

‘There’s nothing around his ankles,’ Chapman said.