Swallow noted Carmody’s use of the present tense when referring to Alice Flannery. Either he did not realise she was dead, or he was even smarter than he thought. It was impossible to tell.

‘But she wasn’t interested.’

‘Nah. All she wants is book readin’ and the like. Straight away home after work. I asked her to come for a walk down be the canal, and she nearly took me head off. Fiery and all that. That’s Miss Flannery for ye.’

‘But you wouldn’t take no for an answer, Michael. Wasn’t that it?’

Carmody shook his head.

‘I wasn’t goin’ to waste me time or go knockin’ on a door where I wasn’t wanted. I didn’t bother.’

He was giving his version of events effortlessly. In all probability, Swallow guessed, the young man was telling the truth. But he decided to press on.

‘I don’t think that’s so, Michael. I think you wanted Alice to be your girl. And when she said no and no again, you decided to punish her.’

‘Punish her?’ Carmody seemed genuinely puzzled. ‘Wha’ de ya mean?’

‘I mean that you waited for her on the way home from work and killed her. And that’s why you cleared off out of Dublin and ended up here.’

Carmody shook his head violently.

‘Ah Jesus, no. Are you tellin’ me that somewan killed Alice? Sure she wouldn’t hurt a fly. Why would anywan want to do tha’?’

Swallow put on his angriest tone.

‘Don’t give me that sort of bullshit. You know damned well that she’s dead. That’s why you left Dublin so bloody fast. You weren’t happy about being given the push. She put you down, insulted your pride, so you decided to teach her a lesson. Isn’t that what happened?’

Carmody made the sign of the cross on himself.

‘I swear, Misther Swalla’, you’re wrong, wrong, wrong entirely. I didn’t know about anythin’ happenin’ to Alice. I went on the batter after leavin’ work with the few quid I had. Drank me way aroun’ Dublin for the best part of a week, and the next I knew I was on the packet on me way to Liverpool. I have a brother there. I swear it. I’m not proud to say it, but I’m a bit doubtful how I ended up on that boat or who put me there.’

Either he really was telling the truth or he was a world-class actor, Swallow reckoned. A little more pressure might tell him which.

‘That’s very convenient, Michael. You just got mouldy drunk and you can’t remember anything. The judge won’t be impressed with that story. He’s heard it too often before.’