The photofit officer was tied up on another job. ‘I could probably make it in a couple of hours.’

‘Soon as you can then,’ Clare said.

Zac agreed to hang around in exchange for a mug of tea and a lift home. They left him in the interview room. ‘I’m keen to see if the photofit looks anything like Russell’s three friends,’ Clare said.

‘You still think it’s one of them?’

She shook her head. ‘Probably not. But it’s possible. One of them could have shot Russell early morning then nipped into town to check Zac was at the museum. Plenty time to head back to the Lodge before the rest of them surfaced.’

‘Sounds a bit far-fetched,’ Chris said.

‘It does. But there’s something about those three I can’t put my finger on.’

Chris yawned. ‘Fair enough.’ He checked his watch. Might nip out for an hour if there’s nothing much happening.’

‘Get me a bag of crisps, please. Cheese and onion.’

‘I’m not going to the shops.’

‘You’re a dreadful liar, Detective Sergeant.’

As Chris left the station Sara appeared. ‘Oh, has Chris gone out?’

‘Yeah. On enquiries.’

‘Wish he’d said. I could murder some chocolate.’

Clare laughed. ‘We need to get you out of uniform and into plain clothes, Sara. You’re a far better detective than he is.’

With Tony still holed up in her office, Clare took a laptop into an empty interview room and was poring over the station budget when Sara put her head round the door.

‘Jim’s asking about Zac,’ she said.

‘Has the photofit guy arrived?’

‘Yeah. Nearly done.’

‘Right,’ Clare said. ‘When Zac’s finished he can go.’

‘He’s saying you promised him a lift back to Leven.’

Clare swore under her breath. ‘See if there’s a bus this evening. I can’t spare the manpower.’ She rose, closing the laptop. ‘Let’s see this e-fit, then.’

Zac was at the public enquiry counter, waiting for Gary who’d promised to drop him at the bus station. ‘I was supposed to get a lift home,’ he said, his face set in a scowl.

‘Tell you what, Zac,’ Clare said, heading for the incident room. ‘Next time I pick you up for nicking a car I’ll make sure you’re escorted all the way.’

The e-fit image was up on a computer screen as they entered the incident room.

‘Just printing off copies,’ Jim said as Clare sat down to study it.

‘Somebody give Tony a shout,’ she said. ‘He ought to see this.’

Chris came across and Sara peered at the image too. The hair was collar length, dirty blond in colour, the complexion tanned.

‘Zac wasn’t sure about eye colour,’ the e-fit officer said. ‘So we’ve gone for hazel.’

‘Height?’ Clare asked.

‘About the same as himself, he thought. So maybe…’