“This comes to the subject of Matthew McConnell, and his current situation. It is clear now that law enforcement, guided by myself, have been too hasty in wanting to resolve this investigation due to public interest and...personal emotion, not only from myself but from the squad. This has been a misstep. I am by no means saying that McConnell is not involved in the disappearance of the Standedge Five. He is still heavily a suspect in this investigation. But it is clear circumstances yesterday, as is sometimes the case, are not the same as circumstances today.

“Therefore, the court session that was set for today, regarding Matthew McConnell’s ongoing incarceration, has been postponed. Given that we now have an alternative timeline of what could have occurred in the tunnel on the 26th of June 2018, we have decided to release Matthew McConnell pending further investigation. I must stress that this is not because he is innocent. There are still many questions to be answered about what happened on that fateful journey, and McConnell is still heavily embroiled.

“Matthew McConnell will be released later today, but placed under house arrest. He will also have a police presence outside his house until further notice. I must stress that this is not only for his own protection, but very possibly for the people of Marsden as well.

“Thank you for your time. We will be providing regular updates as the investigation into this man progresses.” Claypath stepped away, out of frame. And the television cut to a wide shot of the throng of reporters following him as he bypassed them and went down the steps. There were shouts from various journalists.

“Would you say that the arrest of Matthew McConnell was premature?” one asked.

“Was the judgment in any way influenced by your personal stake in this case?” another asked.

“Is this grounds for resignation?” yet another said.

But Claypath did not respond. He didn’t even acknowledge the questions had been asked. He just made his way down the steps and into the back of a black car. As it pulled out, the reporters swarmed behind it and kept shouting.

Robin picked up his phone, bewildered. He couldn’t think. Matthew McConnell was going free. The court hearing was canceled.

“So it was you, right?” Loamfield said, as though the conversation had never stopped. “You called in the anonymous tip?”

“No.”

“Yeah, whatever—wink, wink and all that. You’ve been a busy boy. You and this Red Door thing.”

“What?”

“There’s an article about the Monster blowing up on social media. You are named.”

Robin got up, pulled his laptop out of the desk drawer and opened it, navigating to The Red Door through his history. The main page flashed up and Robin read the name of the latest post: The Standedge Monster Is Real (PROOF!!). There was another article under it: There Is Another Way into Standedge! They were both posted in the early hours of the morning.