When the Colonel saw the Luger next to O’Reilly’s body, he realised why he’d run. He didn’t want to be caught with a gun that ballistics would match to the bullets recovered at Woodville Road after he’d shot one of the police officers in the area car.

*

Tommy Ripley said nothing and didn’t resist arrest. When he was being booked in at the station he demanded to see his solicitor. His jaw nearly hit the ground when he saw a bloodied and beaten Tony Nichols brought into the custody suite in handcuffs. The PC who’d brought Nichols in told the custody sergeant he’d been arrested for the murder of Carl Winter. Tommy exploded with rage and before anyone could stop him, he lunged at Nichols, punching him so hard it broke his nose and knocked him unconscious.

*

The other man in Tommy’s office at the time of his arrest had an Irish accent. He told the Colonel his name was Danny Grogan and he was just having a friendly chat with Tommy and Aidan. There was something about Danny the Colonel didn’t like, so he arrested him. As soon as they arrived at the station, Dabs took a set of fingerprints from Danny and checked them against Patrick O’Dwyer’s – they were a match.

*

Graham Smith was out for a drive in the countryside with his wife when Stanley and his team forced entry to his house. Smith returned home just after 3 p.m., casually parked his car in the driveway, got out, and with a look of disdain said, ‘How can I help you, officers?’ When they arrested him, just like Tommy, he said nothing.

*

Teflon unlocked the servicing garage, opened the large metal sliding door and switched the lights on. There was a green Ford Transit van over the inspection pit with keys in it. As Teflon got in and reversed it out, Jane saw some mechanic’s disposable gloves in a box on a worktop and pulled four out. She handed Teflon a pair.

‘We’d better put these on, so we don’t leave our prints on anything.’

They stood side by side and looked down into the long, eight-foot deep inspection pit. It had a concrete base and small drainage hole, with sheet metal sides. Teflon grabbed a crowbar, a hammer and some screwdrivers from the toolbox.

‘If it’s hidden down there it’ll be behind the metal. Ladies first,’ he said with a grin.

Jane climbed down the steps and started knocking on the metal on one side of the pit while Teflon did the same on the other side. At the far end Jane noticed a change. It suddenly sounded hollow.

‘I think it’s hidden behind this section.’