‘Someone else’s blood on David Pearson’s anorak,’ he said. ‘So what happened, do we think?’
‘The Pearsons did something bad, and realised they had to disappear?’ suggested Irvine.
‘They attacked or killed someone? But who?’
He shrugged. ‘It’s funny, isn’t it? Apart from the timing being so far out, you’d think it might have been Aidan Merritt.’
Fry snorted. ‘Oh yes. Out by around two and a half years, that’s all.’
‘It would be convenient, though. We’d solve two mysteries at one go.’
‘Have we got any other theories, aside from these fantasies?’
Everyone was silent, until Hurst chimed in. ‘We’ll just have to hope for a DNA match from the blood.’
‘Is that the best we can do?’
No one answered, and Fry sighed.
‘It looks as though it is.’
‘Otherwise, we’re going to ask all the same questions that were asked before?’
‘Yes, and as many more as we can think of,’ said Fry.
‘Why?’
‘If you ask enough questions, the person who’s lying will eventually change their story. Anyone who’s telling the truth can’t do that.’
‘A small bunch of regulars were looked at closely by the original inquiry team. Vince Naylor, Ian Gullick.’
‘Their stories tallied.’
‘Everyone’s stories tallied. At least anyone who was sober enough to remember what happened.’
‘You left a name off the list,’ said Hurst.
‘I know. Aidan Merritt. It’s too late to ask him any more questions.’
‘It had to be someone local.’
‘Why?’
‘Well, who else was in the immediate area apart from locals?’
‘Nobody that we know of, apart from the party of four tourists we can’t identify.’
‘What about guests staying at the Light House?’
‘They’d already stopped taking bookings before Christmas, remember? There was no one staying at the Light House.’
‘No one?’
‘Well, no one who wasn’t local. No one except the Whartons themselves.’
‘Is that right?’ Cooper turned suddenly to Murfin, who stopped chewing whatever it was he’d surreptitiously sneaked into his mouth. ‘Gavin, when you finally got to the Light House that day, it must have been a few hours after the Pearsons had been reported missing?’
‘Of course.’
‘Who was there?’
‘At the Light House? Just the Whartons, and a couple of regulars.’
‘Which regulars?’
‘Ian Gullick, Vince Naylor. They were always there. Practically lived in the place. They spent every hour they could in the games room.’
‘It was the day before Christmas, though.’
‘So?’
‘Hasn’t everyone been telling us that the Light House was always closed over Christmas? If the pub was shut, what were Naylor and Gullick doing there?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You didn’t ask?’
‘Ben, we were in the middle of a major search operation, not to mention the effects of a snowstorm. It never occurred to me to ask them what they were doing there. I suppose I just thought they were helping to clear the snow or something.’
‘How had they come? In a four-wheel drive, or what?’
‘I don’t know. I can’t remember seeing anything. When I think about it, I don’t think even a four-wheel drive would have made it to the pub in those conditions. Our vehicles couldn’t. We had to walk.’
‘Yes,’ said Cooper, picturing the depth of snow covering the access to the Light House from the road. ‘There’s only one way anyone could have got up there. It would have needed a farmer with a tractor.’
‘I’m amazed this wasn’t followed up at the time,’ said Fry. ‘Here are two individuals who might have had a grudge against the Pearsons. They were witnessed having an argument with them forty-eight hours previously, and they were on the scene not long after David and Trisha disappeared. What was the SIO thinking of?’
‘There were multiple witness statements taken from customers and staff who were at the Light House on the night after the argument,’ said Cooper. ‘Gullick and Naylor had no contact with the Pearsons that night. Maurice Wharton said he would never have let the two of them back into the pub if they hadn’t promised to behave themselves and stay away from the Pearsons. And by all accounts they did behave themselves. Apart from the angry words spoken the previous night, there was no suspicion against Naylor or Gullick, or any of their friends.’
‘We need to ask them some more questions.’
‘Of course. That’s what we’re here for.’
‘One more thing,’ said Fry. ‘Samantha Merritt gave us the names of some teachers she said her husband used to have a drink with sometimes after school. We talked to those teachers. And guess what? They said that a group of them often used to go for a drink, but that Aidan Merritt hardly ever joined them. They couldn’t explain why he would say that.’
‘And what do you think, Diane?’
She shrugged. ‘The usual reason would be an affair, wouldn’t it? You know,
‘The usual reason,’ said Cooper. ‘But … Aidan Merritt?’
‘Why not Aidan Merritt?’
‘I don’t know. He just doesn’t seem the type.’