‘Wind it back a bit, can you?’ I leant forward to get a better look. The clock on the camera said it was 01:12:22.

We watched the scene again.

‘Have you checked the number plate?’

‘Nil return. They must’ve made up false plates.’

‘This has got to be them, hasn’t it?’

The camera showed the van driving further onto the site and round the perimeter towards the crane where Patrick Ryan’s body was found. The vehicle parked up with its rear facing the patch of grass.

‘They get out . . . move around . . .’ I checked Alexej’s face. ‘Typical. Black balaclavas.’

‘Here they open the back doors of the van.’ He traced their movement over the screen with his finger. ‘And heave out something long. That’s Ryan. See the red crane with the light on it?’

Next, they lugged their cargo onto the grass.

‘Shame we can’t make out their—’

‘Hang on. They’re a similar height, both tall and thin. Like Kenny Hayes and his brother.’ I stared at him. ‘Is it? Yes, I think that’s Kenny Hayes and his brother, John. We’ve got them.’

Alexej’s face was jubilant.

‘Guys,’ I yelled to the rest of the team. ‘Possible IDs on the Manor House CCTV. Kenny Hayes and his brother.’

Dan and Shen gathered round, followed by Jackie.

‘We can compare relative heights and frames with our existing photos of Kenny and his brother,’ Dan said. ‘I agree it looks like them.’

Jackie’s voice had relief in it too. ‘Now we just need to find them. Manor House Developments must know what swipe card they used at the barrier.’

‘Where the hell was their security?’ Dan asked. ‘The foreman kept emphasising how much equipment they have. Surely it can’t be that easy for two blokes in a van to get onto the site and dump a body?’

‘You wouldn’t think so, would you?’ I said gruffly.

Having dumped Ryan’s body, the two men tied the bandana over his mouth, took out a canister from the back of the van and emptied its contents over him.

‘So, that’s the petrol. Zoom in on that, can you? See if it’s the same can as the one Mr Walker found at the back of the off-licence.’

Alexej froze a shot and enlarged it.

‘It is. It’s the same sort.’ It was another link with the arson. Perhaps we could trace a supplier and whoever bought them.

Then they lobbed the canister back in the van and drove off the site. ‘We haven’t got the physical evidence but we’ve got a good view of it.’ Questions were circling through my mind. ‘So, Kenny and John – we think – killed Ryan and cut out his tongue somewhere else. At least we know that now. But why? And why choose the Manor House site as the place to dump the body?’

Dan’s face was blank.