‘There was nothing of real value from him as he didn’t look out of his viewing window while the robbery was going down. He put the first box in the chute and thought it was being delivered to the bank. He was reading a paper while waiting for the second coded knock on the van, which means it’s safe to send out the next cash box. When he heard his colleague say, “You can send out the other case” without knocking, he knew something was wrong and set off the van’s alarm. He then heard the shotgun go off and stayed where he was until the lids arrived.’

Baxter used a CID term to refer to the uniformed officers who were first on scene.

‘Well, you’ve had an easy day, Bax,’ Murphy joked.

‘I tried to string his statement out to three pages, Guv, but I didn’t think you’d want to know about him spewing his breakfast up all over the back of the van.’

Murphy laughed. ‘Who interviewed the guard that was carrying the cash box?’

Stanley raised his hand and waved a lengthy statement he was holding.

‘This poor guy literally shit himself when the barrel of the gun was put against his forehead—’

‘Just take us through what he saw and heard, Stanley, not his bowel movements, thank you,’ Murphy said, to general laughter.

‘Couldn’t he give a good description of the gun?’ the Colonel asked.

‘Not really, other than the barrel was round, black and had what he described as a fin on the tip of it – understandably he closed his eyes when it was first put to his forehead . . .’

‘That might be a Luger,’ the Colonel commented. ‘A Luger barrel is round and has a sight tip on the end, whereas with many semi-automatics the barrel is an oblong shape. Dabs also mentioned the 43 and DNH stamps on the cartridge case, meaning the ammunition was German. A Luger can also fire nine-mill ammo. Don’t take my word for it, though, Dabs.’

‘Good point,’ Murphy said. ‘Dabs, make sure the firearms section at the lab are aware of the Luger idea and keep me and DI Kingston updated with the results.’

Dabs nodded, and Murphy asked Stanley to continue.

‘The guard was still on his knees with the gun to his forehead when the unarmed man said, “Last chance, son. Tell him to put the other fucking cases in the chute.” The voice was calm, but gravelly, as if he maybe had a sore throat. His eyes were brown, and his stare was “pure evil”, he reckoned. The next thing he heard was the van’s alarm going off, followed by the shotgun blast – then when he saw the two robbers run to the front of the van he legged it into the bank.’

Jane put her hand up.

‘Yes, Tennison?’ Murphy sighed.

‘I just wondered if the guard said anything about smelling smoke on the unarmed man?’