‘Shame on him – putting that poor girl’s family through all this again. Have they not suffered enough?’ his ma says, her voice soft.

But she’s agitated. He can see that.

She gets up and walks to the sink to run herself a glass of water from the tap. She holds the glass to her forehead as if trying to cool herself down.

‘But if he didn’t do it?’ Declan says.

Just as his ma gives him a warning glance, Declan hears the thump of a fist on the table, feels the vibration of the impact, sees the plates and cutlery shift as if they are startled, too.

‘For Christ’s sake, Declan, the dogs on the street know he did it. He didn’t get put away for nothing,’ his da says.

Niall says nothing. Just lifts his glass of milk and takes a long drink from it.

‘I hope you’re not going to talk to her again,’ his ma says. ‘Don’t be stirring things up. There are a lot of painful memories there, son.’

‘Really?’ he asks, unable to keep the sarcastic tone from his voice. ‘Of everyone, I think I might be aware of that.’

‘Don’t you dare speak to your mother like that!’ his da barks. ‘Sauntering in here like the layabout you are, taking whatever your mother will give you – and don’t think I don’t notice. Because I do. I’m not stupid. And then talking back to her. You’ve a cheek, Declan.’

‘Frankie,’ his ma urges. ‘Don’t be getting upset. Your blood pressure.’

‘Then tell this buck eejit here he hasn’t the first notion. Talking to Ingrid bloody Devlin! She’d sell her granny for a good story. And who is it she works for again? The Chronicle, is it? That Ryan Murray is editor there … I thought he’d more sense. Stupid bastard.’

Declan watches as his ma rests her hand on his da’s shoulder. His heart is in his mouth because he knows this could go one of two ways. The soft touch of her hand will calm his father into submission, or it will enrage him further. He doesn’t want to feel responsible for what might happen.

‘Message heard,’ he says. ‘It wasn’t on purpose, you know. We just bumped into each other. It’s not like I can tell her anything, anyway. Not anything new.’

His father settles down, appeased by his response. Even if he hasn’t exactly told the truth. Yes, their meeting was accidental, but he does know things about that night, things he hasn’t dared to speak to anyone about. Not even Niall.

But he won’t antagonise things further. He’ll just finish his dinner and go home. He already has twenty pounds from his mother stashed in his pocket, thankfully. He doesn’t need to ask her now.