‘Get Nita,’ Clare said when they emerged from the interview room. ‘Tell her to get back onto the hire company and find that car. And see who’s available to chase up Luke Gasparini’s finances. Personal and his TV company.’

Chris went off to call Nita while Clare updated Tony.

‘You’re joking?’ he said when she’d told him.

‘Nope. Sounds like the maverick brother returned, the sister falls under his spell and, between them, they do away with Russell.’

‘To spare him the pain of a horrible death?’

‘So he says.’

‘Believe him?’

Clare spread her hands. ‘It’s pretty bizarre, but I can’t honestly see why he’d make it up. Nita’s checking on the hire car now. It has a tracker so, providing they’re still using it, we should be able to find them.’

‘They may know that, of course.’

‘Let’s hope not.’

Tony regarded her. ‘You doing okay?’

She shrugged. ‘The Lemsip helped.’

‘All the same…’

‘You’re getting soft in your old age, Tony.’

‘Call it fellow feeling, Clare. I wasn’t feeling too hot myself yesterday.’

‘Tummy upset, someone said.’

‘And how. Anyway, what do you plan to do with him? This Luke guy.’

Clare sat down and rubbed her forehead, trying to clear the dull ache. ‘To be honest, Tony, I’ve no idea. Assuming he’s telling the truth, he hasn’t committed a crime so I can’t charge him. Quite the reverse, actually. He came straight to us to report the crime. He’s not an accessory either. And he does seem genuinely afraid for his own safety.’

‘We’re not running a home for stray TV producers. If he doesn’t have any pals he can stay with tell him to book into a hotel in the town. Just till we pick the other two up.’

‘Nita’s waiting on a call back from the car hire folk. Hopefully get the car’s location pretty soon.’

‘What do we do now?’ she asked.

Chris shook his head. ‘Sit it out.’

‘Tony thinks we should release Luke. Send him to a hotel.’

‘He’s got a point. Can’t really keep him. Unless you’re planning to charge him.’

‘He’s done nothing wrong,’ Clare said.

‘It is the most bizarre story, though. I mean, think about it: brother coming back from the dead to murder the other brother? And the sister in on it?’

‘Positively Shakespearean,’ Clare said.

‘I was about to say that.’

‘Of course you were.’

‘So we let him go?’

‘Yeah. If you’d do the needful, Chris. I’m just going to shut my eyes for five minutes.’