‘Then she must have closed up and been on her own.’

‘Or one of our suspects hid in the pub waiting for everyone to leave.’

‘I left just before closing time and there was only about five people still there. As I recall two of them were young guys playing darts in the saloon bar, and the other three were a group of old boys in their fifties – none of whom looked like our suspects.’

‘I’m probably letting my imagination run away with me,’ she said nervously, still unsure about mentioning Betty.

He tilted his head as he looked at her. ‘What is it you’re not telling me, Jane?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Something’s bothering you, isn’t it?’

‘Nothing’s bothering me.’

‘Do you know about Katie’s boyfriend calling my wife?’

Jane sighed. ‘Yes.’

‘Well, if that’s what you’re worried about, I’ve spoken to Katie and she didn’t tell him about the fight with you.’

‘Her boyfriend should have spoken to you; what he did was a cheap form of revenge.’

‘Maybe, but I doubt Katie did much to try and stop him.’

‘Does Murphy know what happened?’

‘Yes, I told him first thing this morning. He wasn’t exactly pleased, but he was even more pissed off with you about speaking to Abby Jones.’

‘He gave me and Teflon a pocket notebook caution.’

‘You were lucky – if you’d gone there on your own, he would have served you with a 163 disciplinary action. Basically, Teflon saved your bacon.’

Jane couldn’t hold back any longer.

‘I spoke to an elderly woman this morning who was walking past the getaway car before the robbery. She said the driver opened the door and nearly knocked her for six. She saw his face and from her description I believe it’s our suspect Graham Smith.’

Kingston leant back in his chair and laughed.

‘For fuck’s sake, is that what’s bothering you?’

She frowned. ‘I don’t see what’s so funny. Betty said you never interviewed her, but you told me you did, and that she was an unreliable witness. As far as I can see she’s as bright as a button and the only identification witness we’ve got, now Simpson’s dead and Abby Jones won’t help us.’

‘Fiona Simpson saw what happened from the pub window, so she told me about Betty.’

‘Then why didn’t you mention it in any of the meetings?’

‘Simpson asked me not to use Betty as a witness because she’s elderly and recently lost her husband. I agreed not to unless it was absolutely necessary, so I kept her name out of my report.’

She looked at him uncertainly. ‘Betty was adamant that neither she or Fiona Simpson told anyone they saw the driver’s face—’