‘I’ll give you a hand with the phones and mugshot albums,’ he whispered.

‘Thanks,’ she whispered back.

‘Did Simpson remember anything else significant?’ Murphy asked.

Kingston nodded. ‘Only in relation to the cap the driver of the getaway car was wearing, which, linked with information Tennison obtained, would appear to be a grey “newsboy” style cap.’

‘What was the information?’ he asked Kingston.

‘It might be best if Tennison tells you as she actually spoke to the witness who saw the two men—’

‘I’m happy for you to tell us,’ Murphy said with an icy smile.

‘Er . . .’

Kingston paused to remember the salient parts of what Jane had told him. Jane decided she had to speak up, whatever the consequences.

‘There’s quite a bit for DI Kingston to remember. Perhaps he might like to read from my report I typed up last night – in my own time.’

She spread the six pages out like a fan and handed them to Kingston.

‘Just read out the relevant bits,’ Murphy snapped.

Kingston looked at Jane. ‘Where does the interview with Mrs Clarke start about the two men she saw leaving the estate before the fire was discovered?’

‘It was Rita Brown from flat fourteen Edgar House who saw them. Her account and description starts on page three, second paragraph down,’ she replied.

Murphy sighed. ‘You told us about them at yesterday’s meeting, Tennison, and as I recall Mrs Clarke only saw them from behind, which isn’t much use to us.’

‘The Clarkes own the garage the burnt-out Cortina was found in, sir. Mrs Brown had returned home after seeing the two men in Blake Hall Road. She immediately took her dog outside for a wee and saw two more men leaving the estate. It was shortly after that the fire brigade were called.’

‘Why didn’t you get this information from Mrs Brown during the initial house-to-house?’ Murphy asked, clearly trying to find fault in her work.

‘I was doing the forensics with Dabs. A uniform sergeant initially spoke to Mrs Brown, and having read his report on the house-to-house form I decided a revisit was necessary. When the further information came to light I returned to the station and informed DI Kingston.’

‘Which is why I got a statement from Fiona Simpson last night,’ Kingston added.

Murphy glared at kingston, then turned to Jane.

‘It would have been helpful to know all this before the meeting. Carry on, Stewart.’

Kingston looked up from the report.

‘Mrs Brown’s description of the man in the newsboy cap is also very similar to the driver of the car as Simpson described him to me.’

‘How can Mrs Brown be so certain it’s a newsboy cap?’ Stanley asked.

‘Because her husband has one,’ Jane replied.

‘Would Mrs Brown be able to recognise these two men if she saw them again?’ Murphy asked.