couldnât get hold of one another when they needed to. There wasnât full radio coverageâthere werenât even enough radios. There were parts of the wild west of Ireland at that time where policing was practically a Third World operation.â
Norris was watching him thoughtfully. âHow do you know that, Mr. Sperrin?â
Sperrin gave a sudden fierce grin and glanced around at all the books. âI read, Inspector.â
The policeman flicked an amiable smile. âYouâre quite right, of course. People like your father are always hard to keep tabs on, even now. The officers looking for James thirty years ago were actually reassured by the fact that they couldnât find Saul, either. If theyâd found him and he didnât have your brother, that would have been bad. As it was, heâd simply vanished off the radar. Every line of inquiry hit a brick wall. And thereâs no wall as solid as that thrown up by one gypsy protecting another.â
This time the smile was apologetic. âBut the upshot of all this is, we canât actually prove that the body in that grave isnât your brotherâs.â
Sperrin returned the smile coldly. âOf course you can, Inspector, and both of usâ¦â He glanced at Ash by the door. âIn fact, all three of us know it. DNA. And Iâd lay good money that youâve already taken samples from the grave, and now you want a sample from either me or my mother. And you thoughtââhis head came up haughtily; for a small man he seemed to spend a lot of time looking down his nose at peopleââthat it would be easier if the suggestion came from me.â
Inspector Norris chuckled. âWell, youâve got me bang to rights there.â Ash had never heard anyone say âbang to rightsâ before. âI ask, and it sounds like Iâm asking you to disprove a suspicion; you volunteer, and it feels like youâre helping us to advance the investigation. Either way, of course, itâs in your interests that we know for sure it isnât James in that grave and we need to pursue our inquiries elsewhere. For what itâs worth, itâll also put a stop to the gossip in the village. It canât be very pleasant for your mother.â
Sperrin sighed theatrically. âInspector, if itâs any help, youâre welcome to a sample of my bodily fluids. Itâll only confirm what Iâm telling youâthat James is alive and well, and sending a card every Christmas from whatever part of the British Isles he happens to be in.â
Norris took the offer at face value and made no comment on the manner in which it was made. âThank you. Iâll arrange it. I appreciate your cooperation.â
âWhy wouldnât I cooperate?â Sperrin glowered.
Norris was on his way out of the library door when Ash reminded him of what heâd said. âThat a couple of things emerged from the preliminary examination of the body. Can you tell us what?â
The detective seemed to consider this for a moment. Whether his decision was aided by the fact that the two men had been present at the opening of the grave, or whether he knew something of Ashâs background, his expressionâcarefully, professionally blankâdid not betray. âAll right, yes, there was something. This child, this little boy, died violently. Well, thatâs not too much of a surpriseâyou donât bury people under the rhododendrons because theyâve had a heart attack or fallen off a wall. All the same, itâs stillâthank Godâa rare occurrence when a small child is shot dead.â
He paused there to watch the effect of his words on his audience. But it wasnât much help. The one who turned white was Ash, whoâd had no connection with this area until very recently. Sperrin hardly reacted at all.
Norris continued. âBut even before that he wasnâtââhe searched