Dan nodded. ‘Yes, we grew up together.’

‘Would you regard him as a close friend?’ Ryder asked.

Dan hesitated a little. ‘Yes, I would.’

‘Do you recall him buying a tractor from you some time ago?’ Ryder asked.

‘Some time ago?’ Dan mused, looking confused. ‘I remember selling him a tractor ten or twelve years ago.’

‘From our enquiries, we know that the tractor you sold to Mr Hoff was the same one driven onto the runway the night your brother flew in,’ Ryder said.

Dan’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Was it?’

‘You didn’t think that was strange?’ asked Ryder.

‘No, why would I? I never fly out of Khancoban Airport. I wouldn’t have a clue what equipment Ben has there now.’

‘Okay.’ Ryder waited until Flowers had finished writing before he continued. ‘Is it true that Ben Hoff asked you to keep one of the tractor keys here as a spare?’

‘Yes.’

Ethan swung around to look at his brother. ‘I didn’t know we had a spare key to that old tractor.’

Dan sighed. ‘Remember how useless Hoffy was at keeping track of his stuff? He still loses everything. There were two keys on the keyring. He handed one back and asked if I could keep it as a spare.’

‘Where is it?’ asked Ethan.

Dan unfolded his arms and rested his hands on his hips. ‘With all the other spare keys. I’m sure it’s still there.’

‘Where do you keep them?’ Ryder asked.

‘In Dad’s old roll-top desk,’ said Ethan. ‘There are spares for the cars, the tractors, my truck, the quad bikes.’ He looked at his brother. ‘What else?’

‘All the feed sheds, the house—’

‘Okay,’ said Ryder. ‘Can you just show us the desk, please?’

Ryder and Flowers followed the family into the wide hallway. At the far end, a steep staircase led directly to the floor above. Dan stopped about halfway along and threw open a door on the right.

The office was a spacious room with wood-panelled walls and a huge wooden desk with a green leather captain’s chair. Even the filing cabinets were wood veneer. Dan went to a small, antique roll-top desk set against one wall and opened it.

‘God, I don’t remember what’s in half of these,’ he muttered as he pulled out one mini envelope after another, read what was written on the front, and then shoved them back in their place.

‘This might be it,’ Dan said, ‘the envelope’s fairly old.’ He stilled, looking down at the envelope in his hand. ‘It’s open.’

‘Are the others sealed?’ asked Flowers, peering around Ethan’s bulky frame.

‘Yes, of course,’ Dan said, ‘otherwise the keys would fall out and get mixed up.’

‘Is the key in there?’ Ethan demanded.