‘Someone might have seen something.’

‘I doubt it. Corrigan is always so careful. We can get the uniforms to canvas the neighbourhood. I think we can safely assume this was Corrigan’s doing. Maybe Chilton got those names for us in the end. Or Corrigan just decided he didn’t trust him anymore.’

‘It might be enough to persuade Angela Corrigan to speak to us,’ Adrian said.

‘Add to that the body they are digging up in Oswestry, she might,’ Imogen said hopefully.

‘Even if we can prove it is Clive Osborne’s body, what are the chances of us being able to pin the murder on him? He is one slippery customer,’ Adrian said.

He wasn’t sure he even wanted Corrigan to go to prison. Men like that thrive on the inside.

‘We should go and speak to Angela again, after we go back and brief the DCI. She said she wanted information on any major developments. I would say this is pretty major.’ Imogen stood up. ‘You coming?’

‘Did they give you a time on the ambulance?’

‘It should be here within ten minutes, they said. The uniformed police might take a little longer.’

‘You want to go back and brief the DCI without me? I’ll stay with him. I can get a lift back to the station with one of the uniforms,’ Adrian said, hoping she would say yes.

He wasn’t even cleared for duty yet. The truth was he didn’t want to see Reece Corrigan.

‘Actually, I might. I just need to pop home and get something,’ Imogen said.

Adrian was alone in the garage with Jimmy Chilton’s broken body. He had obviously outlived his usefulness. Could Corrigan feel the net closing in on him? Is that why his behaviour was getting more rash? He must have known this would come back to him.

Chilton groaned and started to stir. His eyes opened and Adrian could see the exact moment when he realised that he was going to die. He looked up and saw Adrian.

‘It’s OK, there’s an ambulance on its way,’ Adrian said, knowing that the ambulance wouldn’t be able to save Chilton but wanting to give him some hope.

‘I’m sorry,’ Chilton said breathlessly.

Adrian had no idea what he was saying sorry for.

‘Just hang in there.’

Adrian leaned across the bonnet and took hold of Chilton’s hand. No one deserved to go like this.

‘I tried to tell Reece to stop, told him I was going to tell you …’ he trailed off.

‘Tell me what?’

What was Chilton talking about? Was he talking about what happened to Adrian? Did he know something? Did Adrian want to know what he knew? Chilton wasn’t going to live through this, Adrian knew that much, and so now might be the only chance he had to ask the question.

‘Jimmy. What are you sorry for?’