‘No,’ Nel admitted.‘But it was a bronze Commodore station wagon, so not a common colour.My understanding is that they brought Ryan in for questioning on the back of that eyewitness report, but apparently the fishermen had been drinking and there were some inconsistencies in what they said …’
‘And how do you know the ring was missing when her body was found?’
‘They brought me in for questioning again.They went over and over it.“How certain are you she was wearing the ring?Could you be mistaken?Maybe it was a different ring.”Over and over.But I wasn’t mistaken.’She shook her head and sighed.‘And then the whole thing just got dropped.The coronial report called it an accidental death, and that was that.’
Jimmy drained his glass.‘Another one?’
A few minutes later he returned with the drinks and some menus.The barmaid wandered over and picked up the empty glasses, giving them a half-hearted smile.Jimmy’s eyes tracked her as she walked to the bar then out the back, doors swinging behind her.The young couple had gone.
‘Do you think you could get a look at the case file?’Nel asked.
He looked out the window into the darkness.‘I don’t know,’ he said eventually.‘It’s possible, but I’d need approval from Frisk.I can definitely look up Ryan’s record though, see if there’s anything DV-related.’
‘Frisk?’Nel’s skin prickled at the name.‘He’s still around?’
‘He’s the region commander for Mount Clare LAC now.’
She narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar acronym.
‘Local Area Command,’ Jimmy explained.
She nodded.They sat in silence for a few minutes.
‘You know you get a little furrow in your brow when you’re thinking?’she said.
He scoffed.‘I do not.’
‘Yeah you do.’She laughed.‘So whatareyou thinking?’
He rolled his eyes.‘I was thinking about the pregnancy.You think the baby was definitely Ryan’s?’
‘Yeah, I do.She was completely infatuated with him.It was like no one else existed.’
‘Do you think she knew she was pregnant?’
Nel nodded.‘She’d probably done a test.And even if she hadn’t, she would have missed a few periods so she must have suspected it.This could explain why she was talking with Ryan in his car earlier that week, and why she was wearing his ring again.’
Jimmy stared at the table, the thinking crease between his eyes.‘Maybe she met Ryan after you left the lighthouse that night to tell him she wanted to keep the baby.’
Nel nodded.‘If he didn’t want her to keep it, they might have argued.He might have got angry.’She paused.‘I wonder if Geoff and Faye knew about the pregnancy.It would have come up in the post-mortem, surely.’
‘The autopsy report will be in the case file,’ Jimmy said, staring at the woodgrain table.He looked up.‘I’m going to ask Frisk if I can review the file.We need to know if the pregnancy came out in the original investigation.If it didn’t, it’s significant new information.It might be enough to reopen the case.’He sat back and reached for a menu.‘They do great fish tacos here,’ he said as two men came through the door.
Nel looked up and froze.‘Shit.’
Jimmy turned to follow her eyeline and his face lit up.‘That’s Trent Donohue!’
‘You know him?’
‘I played soccer with him,’ he said, catching Trent’s eye.
Trent raised a hand, then said something to his friend.They walked over.Nel swallowed as they approached, her mouth suddenly dry.
Trent gave her a quick nod then turned to Jimmy.‘Mate!’he said warmly, shaking his hand.
‘I didn’t know you were back in town,’ Jimmy said.
‘I’ve only been back for a month or so.I’m doing some freelancing for theChronicle.Jimmy, this is—’
