“The man, at first. I just watched him for something to do. There’s a bank across the road, a few yards down, and he was standing near the cash dispenser. He had dark hair . . . Then I saw Karen, the girl who was murdered. I’d seen her photographs in the newspapers, but it didn’t register until I saw them in color, on the TV program. For a second I thought it was Susan, she’s blond too. I stepped forward . . .”

“How close were you?”

“Oh, about five yards . . .” She looked around and pointed to a WPC on the other side of the room. “She was about there.”

“And then what?”

“The man over the road walked to the edge of the pavement and called to Karen.”

Tennison leaned forward and watched Helen closely as she asked her next question. “You heard him clearly, calling her name?”

Helen nodded. “There was quite a lot of traffic noise, but he definitely called out her name.”

Tennison relaxed a little. “Can you tell me what he was wearing?”

“A brownish jacket, with a light shirt underneath.”

There was a brief knock on the door and a uniformed DI entered. He gave Tennison a nod. “We’re ready for you, Miss Masters,” he said.

DI Sleeth led Helen Masters to the observation room next door, explaining the procedure as he did so.

“You will be able to see them, but they can’t see you, it’s one-way glass. Anything you want them to do, tell me and I’ll give the instructions over the address system. Take your time, and don’t worry. Any questions?”

She shook her head. DCI Tennison had already told her that another officer had to accompany her for the identity parade, to avoid any suggestion of bias. Helen gave Sleeth a nervous smile and sat in the chair he indicated, facing the one-way glass and the twelve men in the line-up. Sleeth gave Helen a small wink as he tested the microphone that linked them to the identification room.

The twelve men stood in a row, facing the observation window. Each man held a number in front of him; George Marlow was number ten. They were all dark haired and more or less of a size with Marlow, and two, like him, had a deep six o’clock shadow.

“Would you all please turn to your right,” Sleeth said into the microphone.

Helen looked at each man in turn, frowning, then made another request. Sleeth announced it.

“When I call out your number, please take one pace forward and say the name “Karen” clearly. Number one, step forward please.”

Number one turned slowly and obeyed. “Karen!”

Helen shook her head and Sleeth said, “Thank you, number one, you may step back.” He consulted with Helen and continued, “Number eight, please step forward and say the name ‘Karen’.”

The eighth man’s voice was indistinct. “Louder, please, number eight,” said Sleeth.

“Karen!” shouted number eight.