The longer they talked about it the more bizarre it sounded. Tanner told them that he would ask the Chief Constable whether it should be made public.

‘I suspect the answer will be yes,’ he said. ‘The media vultures are aware that the skeletal remains are being subjected to DNA analysis and the pressure will be on us to announce the findings.’

‘Then if it’s all right with you, sir, I’ll put in a call to Giles Keegan before I leave for the hospital,’ James said. ‘The guy deserves to know before it’s out there. The fact that he and his team never found the missing baby still bothers him.’

The ex-copper could barely contain himself when James told him.

‘I can’t believe it,’ he said. ‘Are you absolutely sure?’

‘The lab techs are convinced based on DNA analysis of the bones,’ James replied. ‘Megan Roth never actually went missing. Her name was unofficially changed to Charlotte Bateman and the baby she replaced was put into a box and buried in the cellar.’

‘That was never something we considered at the time,’ Keegan said. ‘It’s fucking extraordinary. And sick.’

‘Did you ever see the Batemans with their baby?’ James asked him.

‘Several times, but only from a distance, and she was either in her cot or wrapped in a blanket in Mary’s arms.’

‘And what about their house? Was it searched?’

‘Of course, along with the homes of a number of other people. As soon as they returned from Sunderland we went in and they didn’t have a problem with it. But we found nothing. And the couple didn’t do anything to arouse my suspicion. They were upset and confused over what had happened to Simon and Amanda Roth and I didn’t get the impression it was an act.’

James then took him into his confidence in respect of William Nash. Keegan had heard about the crash and had jumped to the obvious conclusion that the handyman was in the frame for the Oaktree Farm killings.

‘There’s more to it than that, Giles,’ James said. ‘The guy drove into the wall deliberately.’

‘Jesus.’

James then told him about the unfinished suicide note. He felt that Keegan deserved to know since he’d been so helpful during the investigation.

‘This gets more surreal by the day,’ Keegan said. ‘Could it possibly be true that he really does know what happened all those years ago?’

‘I’m hoping he does,’ James said. ‘And I’m also hoping he can tell us what led to the Christmas Eve carnage and who was responsible.’

‘Be sure to let me know then, James. And I do appreciate you keeping me informed. It almost makes me feel like I’m part of the team again.’

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE