On his first call to the Border Village station near Eucla, an attendant remembered a Chevrolet Impala. Two-tone, plum and cream. It came in on the evening of the 24th. Cardilini sat dumbfounded; this could be his first actual evidence.

They were running late, Cardilini thought. With 1200 miles to Perth still to go, taking roughly 24 hours. But they must have made it. The attendant’s description of the driver: ‘An old guy. I think.’ He didn’t note the number plate. ‘Why would I?’

If they stopped in Norseman no one remembered them. At Kalgoorlie an attendant remembered the car, he didn’t know what time it was or who was in it, ‘But it was late.’

‘Hi, I’m Detective Cardilini from East Perth station. I’m making enquiries about a two-tone Chevrolet Impala that might have got petrol mid-afternoon on the 25th.’

‘Midday.’

‘You remember it?’

‘Yes. Don’t see many. A cockie. Bloody farmers always complaining about how tough it is while they drive around in a Chevy Impala. I’d like things to be that tough.’

‘Do you remember who was in it?’

‘Three blokes. Two older and another, maybe a son of one of the farmers.’

I’ve got them, Cardilini thought. ‘How do you know they were farmers?’

‘Country plates.‘

‘Did you remember the numbers?’

‘I’m not Sherlock bloody Holmes.’

Cardilini considered. They needed to average 70 miles per hour to arrive at Merredin at midday, so plenty of time to get to Perth. Now he needed a witness to say they saw the Impala parked near the school. He wanted to tell Williamson, Doney and Sheppard he knew how they managed to shoot Edmund.

‘Cardilini, Robinson wants to see you,’ Bishop called from the door to the detective’s section.

‘How did he know I was here?’

‘He must be psychic. Get going.’

*

‘Come in,’ Robinson said when Cardilini reached his door. Cardilini sat. ‘There’s been a shift in the complaint against you.’

‘Really?’ Cardilini said and thought, finally. The claw that had hold of the back of his neck released.

‘The Deputy Commissioner has had a call from Dr Braun.’

‘Okay.’

‘Yes. It seems a sixth form boy spoke to Mossop.’

‘Good to hear.’

‘I don’t know about that. He returned to Braun with the story that Mossop had convinced him that he wasn’t lying.’

‘What?’ Cardilini was forwards and squeezing the life out of the armrests of his chair. ‘That can’t be possible.’

‘I’m afraid it is.’

‘I warned the arrogant . . .’

‘Warned who?’

‘Carmody.’

‘When you were with Braun? And Braun saw you do it?’ A look of disbelief spread across Robinson’s face.

‘Yeah. No.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I told Carmody I knew his role in disposing of evidence to Edmund’s murder.’

Robinson shouted, ‘What?’

‘I said he removed the rifle, boots and bullet.’

‘What rifle and boots?’

‘The ones that, I think now, were placed at the tree opposite Edmund’s window.’