"So" he looked around nervously "you gonna tell me why I'm here?"

Brass gave him a patronising smile.

"Why don't you tell me why you were skipping town?"

The guy shifted uneasily in his seat. "I got a plumbing job out of town."

Brass stopped smiling. "Cut the crap, we know you're not really a plumber. We also know that Tommy's not your real name. And neither, for that matter, is James. So why don't you tell us what really happened and we can try and cut down on your jail time here? Roger."

The plumber went white. "What happened... when?" he asked, feigning innocence.

Brass reached under the table. He pulled out the gold watch. "This look familiar to you?"

"No... I've never seen it before."

"Then how come your prints are all over it?"

"I must have picked it up by accident."

"Okay... I'm gonna make this easier for the both of us. I'll tell you what we know. We know that you went into the house around the time he died. You took his watch, shoes, sweater and sunglasses, put them back, then took them out again. You left, and threw the stuff in a dumpster. Stealing from a dead or dying guy doesn't look too good for you does it? We could get you for murder. So speak up."

"I swear, I didn't kill him! He was already dead!"

Brass raised an eyebrow at him. "Sure."


Greg looked from the timeline to the bank statement again and again.

Thursday 7th

$10 - breakfast cocktail

$1 - newspaper

$1 - newspaper

$1 - newspaper

$1 - newspaper

$1 - newspaper

$23941 - gas bill

$30069 - electric bill

$19754 - phone bill

$9165 - gold watch

$400 - cash withdrawal

$900 - Italian shoes

$250 - cashmere jumper

$1000 - designer suglasses

$50 - sushi lunch platter

$300 - football membership

$1000 - gym membership

$45 - massage and jacuzzi

$ 67 - beer at bar

$500 - cable T.V. installation

timeline

2:00 he goes to the pub with joe

3:00 he goes home to his house

5:00 the plumber shows up

5:20 the plumber leaves

7:30 a neighbour, Brian comes to borrow eggs. Gets no answer when he knocks on the door. Goes to window and looks in, sees the body and calls the cops

8:00 we arrive at the scene

The unknown blood and prints were a match, but they still had no idea who the guy was. The bullets from the gun matched the bullet in David's head. All they knew was, somebody had been in the house in between David coming home and David dying. Then he saw something. The beers at the bar were the last known thing on the timeline. Yet according to his bank statement, he had bought the beers before he had cable T.V. installled. Which means that must have happened after he got home from the bar. That must be whose prints were on the wires, he was working on the T.V. Why hadn't the guy who installed the T.V. come forward? Greg ran to find Nick and Sara. Little lie, big lie.


The plumber was sweating now.

"I'm gonna tell you again. I was all dresssed up as a plumber, I pick a random house. I knock on the door, nobody answers. But the door was left open so I went inside. I saw the bags at the front door so I took some stuff. Nice things he had. Then I go into the next room, looking for more stuff and BAMM! dead guy sitting in a chair, blood coming out of his head. I put his stuff back, it feels rude, you know, taking stuff from a dead guy. Then I realise I can't put it back beacuse they'll get my prints so I take it again. Then I bolt. I dump the stuff on the way home because they don't feel right. The whole thing creeped me out like! So I was wandering past his house, checking that somebody had found him and hoping he didn't have a grieving wife or crying kids, when I see this neighbour guy, talking to the cops. Brendan, I think he said."

"Brian?" Brass interupted.

"Sure. Anyway this BrendanBrian guy is telling the cops that he say a plumber walking in at 5 o' clock so I have to come forward. I was skipping town 'cos I figured you'd catch me soon. I try to avoid police snooping around me too much. But I swear, I didn't kill anybody."

"He didn't catch you in the act and threaten to call the cops? You didn't have a fight and accidentally shoot him?"

"Hey, Mr. Cop, I'm telling you I -

"Wait!" Greg ran into the interview room.

"Now is not the time, Greg" Brass muttered, through gritted teeth.

"Sorry Brass, but this is important. You got the wrong guy."

Behind the glass, Nick heard Sara inhale sharply. They turned to look at each other in confusion.

"The man we're looking for is a cable guy."