Niall sits back, adjusting himself in his seat. ‘A lot of people witnessed a lot of trauma in those days,’ he says. ‘I don’t want to speak ill of my brother, but Declan has never really helped himself, if you know what I mean. Our parents did what they could to help us. We saw a counsellor for a while. Did he tell you that?’

I shake my head, genuinely surprised. Declan had made me believe they were just left to flounder – which both brothers did in their own ways.

‘I decided it wouldn’t define me. I mean, I don’t think I made that decision consciously, because I was only a child, but I made it all the same. I think I realised that life could be brutal and you had to make the most of it. Declan, he just never got past the realising life was brutal bit.’ His voice is thick with emotion as he speaks.

‘Can you tell me your memories from that day? The day you found her.’

‘Sure, you must remember it a fair bit yourself?’ he says.

I nod. ‘I remember how it all seemed so quiet. That it was like everyone forgot how to talk except to talk about Kelly. I remember seeing the grown-ups shaking their heads and crying.’

‘Do you remember how strange it was in school? We were all there, but none of us were learning. I don’t even think the teachers were even trying – they knew we were all distracted. I suppose they were, too.

‘I know that when the bell went, I just felt so fed up of being cooped up. Of all the quietness and the sadness. I just wanted to play with Declan and have an adventure, like we usually did.’ Niall’s eye contact is fleeting as if he is lost in his own thoughts. ‘I don’t think we thought it through. Well, I know we didn’t think it through.

‘No one was allowed out to play then, remember? I can only imagine how worried our ma must’ve been when we didn’t land home at the proper time. I do remember it was a total let-down,’ he says with a sad smile. ‘It was cold and rainy and once we were at the reservoir, we seemed to lose the excitement for it. We decided to give it up as a bad job, you know.’

I nod, scribbling as fast as I can in my notepad, even though my phone is recording everything he says.