‘Do you remember seeing this man’s photograph on the TV and in the newspapers?’ asked Flowers, showing each of them the photo.

Heidi gave a vague shake of her head and avoided everyone’s eyes, while Dan shifted in his chair. Ethan ran a hand across his jaw, his dark brows drawn together as he stared at the phone.

‘Have you seen this man before?’ asked Ryder.

‘I remember seeing that photo,’ Dan said eventually. ‘Ethan and I talked about it. We thought he looked like one of the men who used to come here, but we weren’t certain.’ He pointed to Flowers’ phone. ‘He has a buzz cut and a bushman’s beard in this photo. From memory the guy looking for Art had long hair. It’s hard to tell if it’s the same person.’

‘We thought about calling the police but decided it wasn’t worth it,’ Ethan said.

‘Why was that?’ asked Ryder.

‘Crime Stoppers said he was known to police, and they were looking for information relevant to his murder. We genuinely couldn’t tell them anything about it.’

Dan nodded. ‘And we didn’t want to bring Art’s history to the attention of the police again. All that trouble was a long time ago.’

Flowers put his phone away. ‘Samuel Freidman, commonly known as Scruffy, had close ties to a drug operation in the mountains.’

‘Really?’ said Ethan. ‘Then he probably got what was coming to him.’

Dan gave his brother a sharp look then spoke to Flowers. ‘Detective, you said earlier that it was too much of a coincidence for the tractor to be on the runway the same night Art flew in.’

‘Yes.’

‘If someone intentionally sabotaged the plane to kill Art, and this Scruffy Freidman is the same man who used to come here, are we in danger from these people as well? Kristin and I have the children to think of.’

‘It’s hard to say,’ said Flowers. ‘Their beef could have been purely with your brother.’

Dan gave a heavy sigh. ‘We may not have been close to Art, but we’re anxious to know who did this to him.’ He looked at Ethan and then Heidi. Both nodded in silent agreement.

‘Rest assured, we’re chasing every lead,’ said Ryder. ‘We want this case solved as quickly as possible.’

Having wrapped up the interview, the detectives stepped onto the front verandah to find Kristin reclining in a wicker chair. She stood up when she saw them, a coffee mug cradled between her hands. ‘I’m trying to catch some sun while it’s out. My vitamin D levels are low.’

‘You’re doing the right thing then,’ said Ryder, after searching his mind for the appropriate response.

Kristin joined them at the top of the stairs. ‘It’s difficult in winter when the days are short.’

‘You can take vitamin D supplements,’ put in Flowers.