‘Five nine, five ten,’ Chris said. He stared at the image. ‘Certainly doesn’t ring a bell with me.’ And it doesn’t look like any of the three friends either. He looked round at the others. ‘Anyone else?’

Tony wandered over. Then he shook his head. ‘Nope.’

Sara was still staring at the screen. ‘He’s familiar,’ she said. ‘I just can’t place him.’

Clare looked at her. ‘Recently?’

‘I think so. I just need to remember…’

They waited while she stood, her brow creased. Then it cleared. ‘Got it,’ she said. ‘The homeless shelter – down by the harbour. I’m sure that’s where I saw him. Or someone pretty like him. I was checking on a bit of vandalism they’d had and that e-fit’s a likeness for one of the residents.’

‘That would fit with Zac’s description of him, looking a bit rough,’ Chris said.

‘Did you catch his name, Sara?’ Clare asked.

She shook her head. ‘No, but the guys at the shelter will know who I mean.’ She fished out her phone. ‘I’ll call them now.’

‘If he’s there,’ Clare said, ‘we don’t want him alerted. Just find out if he is and if not, when they expect him back.’

They stood, the room silent while Sara made the call. But Clare knew from her face.

‘Sorry, boss,’ she said putting down the phone. ‘He left this morning.’

‘As in gone for good?’

‘So they say.’

‘Don’t suppose they know where he was heading?’

‘No.’

Clare sat silent for a minute then she said, ‘Sara, call the shelter back, please. I want to know if he had a guitar.’

‘A guitar?’

‘Yes. Now, please. And, while you’re at it, see if they noticed him wearing gloves. And anything else you can find out about him.’

Sara stared for a moment then picked up her phone again. They waited and after a short conversation she clicked to end the call. ‘You’re right, boss. He did have a guitar, or at least a guitar case. They never actually saw inside it. Apparently one of the others asked Willie – that’s his name – they asked him for a tune but he said he was too rusty. He kept it in his room most of the time.’

‘Room?’ Chris said. ‘Like a private room? I thought they all bunked down together on mattresses.’

Sara shook her head. ‘Some of the men at the shelter can pay a bit extra for a single room. If they pick up work.’

‘And this guy, Willie,’ Chris said, ‘he’d been working?’

She nodded. Then she turned to Clare. ‘That’s the other thing. They said that Willie and a few of the others had done some work at a country house, clearing a bit of ground for a children’s play area.’

‘Not Lamond Lodge?’ Clare said.

‘Yeah.’

‘And the gloves?’