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and Patrick lets his brother head off knowingly into a dangerous situation while he stays at home to watch a movie. Why didn’t he try and talk the victim out of it? He says it himself—it could’ve waited till morning.’
    Weir watched him, fists bunched under his nose, elbows on the desk. Heavy enamelled cufflinks protruded from his coat sleeves.
    â€˜Second thing is, it’s the better explanation for the failure to dispose properly of the body. Whether they intended to shoot Matthew Lanegan or not, Patrick’s got away from them, meaning that they had to deal with him rather than deal with the body.’
    â€˜So what about the fire?’
    â€˜They reckon there was an accelerant. Deliberate arson. So you say to the jury, they shot Matthew, Patrick was there but he got away from them, they’re in a complete flap and they can’t afford to risk Patrick making his way back to shore while they’re towing the evidence out to sea. They need to be safely back in harbour and off their boat by the time the brother makes it home and raises the alarm. Quickest thing is to slosh the Lanegans’ boat with fuel and light it up.’
    â€˜Why not shoot holes in the thing?’
    â€˜Because you’re back where you started—the boat’s on the bottom in shallow water and easily recovered. Fishing boats don’t just sink on a calm night. Mind you, I think that’s assuming too much insight where these fellers are concerned. I’m all for the panic theory.’
    â€˜And there’s no panic without Patrick out there,’ said Weir. ‘Otherwise they’ve got all the time in the world.’
    â€˜Patrick’s got his own reasons for wanting to say he wasn’t there, presumably.’
    â€˜Presumably he has. But he’s going to have to do better isn’t he?’
    â€˜He’s given his version.’ Charlie shrugged. ‘We can’t influence him to change it.’
    â€˜I’m not suggesting we influence him. He may have made his statement under some kind of pressure, maybe still grieving. There might’ve been threats—god, we don’t know what goes on in these places. The first part of his statement rings true, so he’s half-implicated the accused. He just didn’t go all the way. We need to work out why he said this stuff when logic would suggest it isn’t true. He doesn’t have a clear motive for lying, this kid.’
    â€˜So we send the local copper around with instructions to get a second statement?’
    â€˜The local copper might be part of the problem.’
    Weir lit up his most beguiling smile. The glasses rode up on the wave of creases across his nose. ‘I was thinking we might send you.’
    Charlie knew he’d been had—Weir had been circling him invisibly for the last ten minutes with his feigned bafflement, closing the gates around him until he was trapped, a victim of his own analysis. He owed the man his professional survival, and Weir, for reasons only he knew, was going to exact a price. The old swindler was gazing, affably enough, straight into Charlie’s eyes. The smile faded slowly, leaving the faintest line of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth.

THIS IS A TAPE RECORDED CONVERSATION BETWEEN DETECTIVE SERGEANT NEIL ROBERTSON AND TOBY JAMES MURCHISON OF 22 CASPIAN STREET, DAUPHIN IN THE STATE OF VICTORIA, CONDUCTED AT ST KILDA ROAD POLICE COMPLEX ON MONDAY 24 AUGUST. ALSO PRESENT IS MY CORROBORATOR, DETECTIVE SENIOR CONSTABLE BRYAN GOODALL.
Q1
Toby, do you agree the time by my watch is 10:13 pm?
A
Yeah.
Q2
Okay. Just get my things organised here. Toby, just for the purposes of the tape, can you state your full name and address please?
A
Toby James Murchison, 6 December 1976, and, sorry you didn’t need that, did you. Um, 22 Caspian Street, Dauphin.
Q3
Right, now Toby I intend to ask you some questions in relation to the
death of Matthew Francis Lanegan.