James’ eyes are wide, but his mouth is a firm line. ‘I’m afraid not, mate,’ he says. ‘Not just yet.’

‘Look, is this some kind of wind-up? Because if it is I thought we were too old for this kind of crap now.’

‘It’s not a wind-up,’ says Matt.

‘Then what the fuck?’

‘You know.’

‘No, Matt, I really fucking don’t. I know I’m dirty and pissed off, but that’s about it.’

‘You said you wouldn’t come down to Rutmoor on your own without us.’

‘Yeah, and what’s your point?’

‘You lied.’

‘Eh?’

‘Last year, you did come down. And don’t try to deny it, because I had a tracking device on your car. I’ve got your whole route, including the dates and times, saved on my laptop.’

Now Matt sees something in Tim’s face. A narrowing of the eye, maybe a slight tensing of the jaw. It’s gone as quickly as it comes, but it was there. Part of Matt’s job as an investigative journalist is to find out whether or not people are telling the truth, and he’s learned to look out for the signs.

‘You put a tracking device on my car?’ Tim’s voice is neutral. His face is an expressionless mask.

‘I had to,’ says Matt. ‘I had to know for sure.’

‘Matt, this is ridiculous.’

‘I had to know for sure, and once I got that GPS tracker back I did. Of course that wasn’t quite enough; I ended up coming down here myself and speaking to some people anyway, just to be on the safe side. You’re careful, but you’re not careful enough. I spoke to three different people who were able to give me a description that matched yours. That, coupled with everything I suspected from before…’

‘Matt, please, please listen to me.’ Tim’s voice is high and thin, and Matt can hear real fear in it now. ‘Whatever you think I’ve done, it’s not true. Yes, okay, I did come down here last summer. You got me. It’s the first time I’ve been down on my own, and to be honest I felt embarrassed admitting it to you guys. But I felt like I needed to come.’

‘Why?’

‘I just needed—’ Tim’s voice cracks and he closes his eyes for a second, breathing rapidly. ‘I just needed to see the place where it all happened, to have some alone time here. I still get nightmares about that weekend, and I thought—’

‘You’re lying. I can tell you’re lying.’ Matt’s heart is thumping hard in his chest. Despite the litres of water he’s drunk over the last several miles, his mouth feels dry. ‘Your dad would be proud of you, you know that?’