‘Six, maybe seven . . . I got a slightly better look at him when he returned to the car, but most of the time his head was down, and the pouring rain didn’t help.’

‘If we make an arrest would you be willing to attend an identity parade?’

‘I’d be willing, but as I said I didn’t see his face clearly, so I’m not certain I could pick him out.’

He wondered if Fiona was scared after witnessing the robbery.

‘Do you think the driver saw you?’

‘No, he never looked up. I know what you’re thinking, Inspector, but believe me I’m not afraid of people like him. I got robbed at knifepoint by a spotty-faced kid who forced his way in here on a Friday night. I was on my own closing up and he forced me to open the till. He took his beady eyes off me while he was stuffing the night’s takings in his pocket – that’s when I hit the thieving little bastard as hard as I could over the head with a brandy bottle. He ran off, but the police saw him staggering up the High Road with blood pouring down his face. At first they thought he was drunk and had fallen over, but I’m pleased to say he got nicked and I got my money back.’

Kingston could hear the anger in her voice as she spoke about being the victim of violent crime, but he wanted to know more about the driver of the Cortina.

‘Can you tell me, in as much detail as possible, what the driver looked like?’ He held the pen to his pocket notebook.

‘About five feet eight to ten inches tall. He might have looked broader than he was because of the donkey jacket, so I’d say he was probably of medium build. He wore a grey cloth cap, with the peak pulled low over his forehead, but I could see he had a round face and ruddy complexion – like some of the heavy drinkers I get in here. I couldn’t see much of his hair because of the cap, but the sides were black, and his sideburns came down to just below his earlobes.’

‘What about his age?’

‘Hard to say, really, but maybe late thirties to mid-forties.’

‘What about his eyes and nose?’

‘I never saw his eyes, but his nose looked a bit bulbous and red, again like a heavy drinker’s.’

‘Would you help a police artist create an impression of the driver?’

‘Yes, but I can’t leave the pub for long—’

‘It’s OK, I’ll get the artist to come here. It should only take about an hour, if that, and I’ll make sure it’s after three while you’re closed. Can you talk me through the robbery from the moment the three men got out of the car?’