‘I doubt it, she only got a fleeting look at them as her dog ran off after a squirrel.’

‘Maybe we could interview her dog and the squirrel for a better description,’ Baxter joked, but Murphy wasn’t amused.

Kingston held up Jane’s report.

‘There’s some other information Mrs Brown gave Tennison.’

Kingston handed Jane back her typed report.

‘I feel like I’m stealing your thunder – and you’re also better placed to answer any questions.’

Jane looked at Murphy, who gave her a curt nod to continue. She recounted her meetings at Edgar House with Helen Clarke and Rita Brown, and mentioned the two men in a gold two-door Mercedes 450 SL with a black cloth roof.

‘How can she be sure it was them in the Merc?’ Stanley asked.

‘She can’t, but she noticed the driver was wearing a green Barbour jacket and had the same coloured hair as the man she’d just seen.’

‘There’s no direct evidence to connect any of this to the robbery,’ the Colonel remarked.

Jane was determined to make her point.

‘Granted it could all be circumstantial, but I think there’s more to it when you consider the witness descriptions of the men, especially the newsboy cap, the timing between the robbery, the crash and then the burnt-out Cortina being found nearby.’

There was silence in the room as everyone digested this. Teflon was the first to speak up.

‘I’d say it merits further investigation.’

‘I’ll make that decision, Teflon, not you,’ Murphy said.

‘I should also add that I found a cigar butt in Aylmer Road where the Cortina was parked just before the robbery,’ Jane added.

‘When?’ Murphy asked.

‘Yesterday afternoon on my way back to the office from Edgar House.’

Murphy frowned. ‘Why didn’t you mention the cigar before now?’

‘I tried to at yesterday’s meeting, but no one seemed interested. When I revisited Mrs Brown last night she was adamant one of them was smoking a cigar.’

Murphy made a beckoning motion with his fingers.

‘I’ll have a read of your report then decide what needs to be done.’ He looked at the Colonel. ‘Have we got a statement from the off-duty PC who was shot?’

‘Not yet, Guv. I was going to do it today if I got time.’

‘The Cortina owner’s your priority. Teflon, you and Cam get the statements from the PC who was shot and the two in the area car that crashed. Did we hear back from the bank about a reward?’

‘Not yet – I’ll chase him up after the meeting.’

‘Right, you all know what you’ve got to do, so get out there and start grafting.’

He turned and started to walk towards his office.

The Colonel raised his hand. ‘Excuse me, Guv, but what’s happening regarding the surveillance job the rest of the team are on?’