‘The argument from on high was that even if Robbie McIntyre’s accusations were true, and my superior officer had basically dismissed them as lies, they did not offer any enlightenment in the Mary McIntyre case. For my own part, I believed a cover-up was happening, of what exactly I don’t know, but it did involve people in power who had to be protected, even if that meant Mary McIntyre’s killer would never be found and brought to justice.’

McCreadie halted there, the anger present in his voice echoed by his expression.

‘What about Father Feeney?’ a voice asked from the gathered officers. ‘Did you pursue him on the question of a cover-up by the Church?’

‘I did and not surprisingly he denied it. However, he was moved to another parish shortly afterwards, which was the norm then if complaints were made against a priest.’

McNab now indicated he had a question and McCreadie nodded at him to go ahead.

‘Alec McLaughlin, who was a teenager living a few doors up from the deceased at the time of her disappearance, has recently been released from Barlinnie after fifteen years for raping his partner’s three children. McLaughlin volunteered some information recently, believing that the remains were those of Mary McIntyre. He maintains that the girl was pregnant at the time of her disappearance and this in fact led to her having to disappear.’

Rhona watched McCreadie’s face as he digested that information.

‘Was there any suggestion that that might be the case during the investigation?’ McNab said.

‘No. None,’ McCreadie stated. ‘As for McLaughlin’s word on this, it’s not to be trusted. McLaughlin was a suspect but had an alibi for the time during which Mary disappeared.’

McNab came back in then. ‘McLaughlin also said he followed Karen after he heard that Mary was missing. She was going to the den and stopped when she saw Robbie McIntyre leaving there with a white bundle.’

McCreadie assumed a bemused expression. ‘McLaughlin was and I suspect still is an inveterate liar, who took great delight in being in the midst of the investigation then and wishes to be the star turn again.’

‘So he didn’t tell you any of this at the time?’ McNab persisted.

‘If he had, then it would be in the diaries,’ McCreadie said firmly. ‘However, it is clear from the diary entries that, without stating it categorically, both Karen’s mother and Mary’s mother intimated that Mary had started menstruating and thus she would have been capable of becoming pregnant.’

McCreadie searched the audience in case there were any other questions.

When there didn’t appear to be, he said, ‘Sadly, our forensic knowledge was minimal. Plus we had no sightings and no body, despite a large-scale search and an appeal to the public. Mary McIntyre had simply disappeared without trace.’ He paused. ‘But she is no longer lost, and you have the forensic knowledge we could only dream about back then to discover what happened to her, and hopefully bring her killer to justice.’