‘Was he in here on Thursday night a couple of weeks ago?’

Without a moment’s hesitation the barman nodded.

‘Are you absolutely sure? It couldn’t have been another evening?’

‘Positive. Like I say, we hadn’t seen him in a while, but Scatter Gun were playing and Jack left no one in any doubt that he didn’t think much of them.’

West asked, ‘Was he normally a bit of a loudmouth?’

‘I wouldn’t have said so, but he’d had a few and I think his volume control was shot, if you know what I mean.’

West nodded his understanding and reached into his jacket. He placed the CCTV still of the second man on the bar. ‘Do you recognise this fella?’

The barman nodded, but the apprehension was clear in his voice. ‘That’s Damian. Damian Kelly.’

West drained the last of his orange juice. ‘He a mate of Jack’s?’

‘Used to be. I think Jack’s done the odd bit of work for him in the past.’

West asked, ‘What line of work’s Mr Kelly in?’

‘Builder. Sub-contracts for bigger firms mainly. But like I say Jack hadn’t been in here so much lately. So I don’t know what he was up to these days.’

West got the impression that the barman was trying to avoid telling him something. ‘Was Mr Kelly in here on that Thursday night? The last night Jack was in here.’

The barman nodded reluctantly. ‘Yes. I think he might have been.’

‘You think?’

‘No. I’m certain he was. Jack had come in and bought himself a couple of pints early in the evening.’ He inclined his head in the direction of the pub’s two other patrons sitting by the fire. ‘He sat over there nursing the second one until Damian came in. Damian had been down the races in Salisbury in the afternoon and won a few quid. He stood Jack his drinks all night.’

West said, ‘That was very generous of him. Does Mr Kelly often flash his money around?’

The barman reached down behind the counter and, producing a cloth, began wiping the bar down in what appeared to West to be an entirely unnecessary gesture. ‘To be truthful I’ve never known him win before. Betting’s a mug’s game if you ask me. But Damian’s always liked a flutter.’ He looked up at West. ‘You a betting man?’

West shook his head. ‘Football. Swindon Town. What about you?’

‘Wrong-shaped ball, mate. The blue, black and whites for me when I can get away from this place.’

West couldn’t help smiling. ‘Takes all sorts.’ He paused. ‘Did you happen to notice if Jack and Damian left at the same time on the Thursday night?’