The two officers were briefly stuck for further questions. ‘So you do a lot of late-night cycling, I understand?’ Cottesloe said eventually as he cast a jaundiced eye over the untidy living room. There were books everywhere, more than the home-made plank and brick bookcases could hold, plus a few dirty dishes, one of which was being eaten from by a small grey cat.

‘I think better at night,’ Jakes said. He went out and brought back two grubby mugs of black coffee. ‘I like to go somewhere quiet, and the riverbank is normally pretty empty at that time.’ His voice was cultured, and thoughtful.

Wickens stroked the cat, which was purring contentedly, and took a quick glance at the statement that had been taken over the phone. ‘You say on here you talked to one of the houseboat residents?’

‘Yes. He seemed to have heard something too.’

‘What is your occupation, Mr Jakes?’ Wickens asked. He was expecting something academic, given the house and the accent. The answer really surprised him.

‘I’m a plasterer.’

The two policemen looked at each other. At least it explained the blotches in his hair and on his fingernails. They had both assumed he was working on a DIY project.

‘Would you recognise the houseboat resident again?’

‘I think so.’

Once they were on their way back in the patrol car, Cottesloe tuned into the radio news. There was a report about the impending release of Neville Rollason from prison.

‘That’s so wrong,’ Cottesloe said. ‘After what he did.’

Wickens flexed his fists. ‘I’d kill him given half a chance. Give me half an hour in a cell with that bastard, and it would all be over. I need my kids to be safe.’ He tapped the centre of his chest.

Cottesloe shook his head. ‘Yeah, but you won’t even know where he is. They’re bound to give him a new identity to fox the vigilantes.’

‘Why are they protecting him?’

‘Oh dear, Andy. How long have you been a cop? Since when has the criminal justice system ever listened to the likes of you or me?’

Gillard called an initial incident room meeting for three o’clock and roped in Detective Constables Carl Hoskins and Carrie ‘Rainy’ Macintosh. Rainy was fascinated by the tale that Gillard told as he presented the witness statements collected by Cottesloe and Wickens.

He dealt the photographs of the dead body out to the two detectives. ‘There’s plenty to look at, I think you’ll agree. What most interests me are these mesh marks, which he’s got all over. To me it looks a little like a fishing net or maybe chain-link fencing, but I’m open to other ideas.’