‘Really? Why?’

‘So you could identify the student who is currently responsible for it.’

‘Good point,’ Cardilini conceded.

‘Shall I give this information to your constable?’ Acorn asked.

‘I’ll take it,’ Cardilini replied quickly.

‘You’ll lose it and I will have to tell you again. I know Salt, he is a meticulous record keeper and note taker. It’s rather obvious why he’s with you.’

‘Why?’ Cardilini asked as his stomach tore at itself.

‘His record keeping, Cardilini. You’re going to waste this information, aren’t you? And that fellow is right – you look dreadful, see a doctor.’

‘Acorn, walk with me for a minute.’

‘If necessary.’

Cardilini stretched out, trying to ease his stomach, but the knot started to crawl up his throat until he thought for a moment he might pass out. He all but staggered to the tree he wanted and leant against it.

‘What?’ Acorn demanded.

‘Second level, building across the quadrangle, window third from left.’

‘Yes?’

‘That’s where your friend lost the top of his head.’

‘I didn’t say he was my friend.’

‘Okay. He must have been standing at the window. And the shot came from across there?’ They both turned and looked at the opposite bank of the river.

‘Eight hundred yards,’ Acorn said.

‘Yes.’

Acorn wandered beyond the tree in both directions and stood with his hand to his mouth looking up at the window.

‘What do you think?’ Cardilini asked.

‘What do you mean? Be specific, for heaven’s sake, Cardilini.’

‘Is it possible?’

After a considerable show of investigation Acorn said, ‘A .303 is lethal at a mile. A stray shot, missing a kangaroo is possible. But the kangaroo, if that’s what they were shooting, would have needed to be about ten to fifteen feet high. As that’s an unlikely scenario, the shooter must have fallen backwards as he was firing. No wonder he hasn’t come forward.’

‘If you wanted to shoot Edmund how would you go about it?’ Cardilini asked.

‘Is this what you call policing?’ Acorn frowned.

‘Humour me.’

‘No.’

‘Okay. If someone knew their rifle well, knew their skill level well, knew where the keys to the armoury were, and wanted to shoot Edmund, how would they go about it? Your scenario? Please.’

‘A cadet couldn’t get his hands on the keys to the armoury,’ Acorn stated as an undeniable fact.

Cardilini knew different. ‘Please, Acorn. I’m dying here.’

‘Will you see a doctor?’

‘I’ll see a doctor.’

‘An experienced rifleman, or a cadet for that matter, would know exactly what he was capable of at two hundred yards. It’s a length they train at. So he would pick a spot that distance, he would take into account prevailing wind, air density and perhaps light. He’d need an anchor point, like a tree.’

‘This tree?’ Cardilini pointed to the tree he hung off.

‘That would only be a shot of about a hundred and eighty yards.’

‘Does it make a difference?’

‘Everything makes a difference.’

‘Go on.’

‘But, yes, this would be a convenient tree. A branch where that cut is would be okay, if he was tall enough.’