Chapters (58)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Acknowledgements
- An Eastbourne Murder Mystery
- Canelo Crime
- About the Author
- Also by Sheila Bugler
‘I think no one’s as clean as O’Brien pretends to be,’ Shay said. ‘Although if he’s got any dark secrets, he’s done a damn good job of keeping them hidden. The country adores him.’
‘He married Kitty’s mother two years after Kitty drowned,’ Dee said. ‘How did he manage that if she was already married to someone else?’
‘Ireland’s no different to any other country,’ Shay said. ‘Even back then, O’Brien was well-connected. I assume he pulled a few strings and got the first marriage annulled. Word on the ground is they were seeing each other long before her husband disappeared. Although to be fair, that’s exactly the sort of thing people would say. I’ve never found anything to prove that’s true. Why? You think it’s relevant to what happened to Kitty?’
‘Probably not,’ Dee said. ‘I’m just thinking aloud. If Kitty really didn’t drown that day, then someone went to a lot of trouble to pretend she did.’
‘So what do we do now?’ Shay said.
‘You mean you’ll help me?’
He laughed.
‘Fine Gael’s current leader will be stepping down next month,’ Shay said. ‘At the moment, O’Brien’s the number one candidate to take over. If that happens, and the party win the next election – which everyone thinks they will – then he’s in line to become the country’s next Taoiseach. I don’t like the man. I think he’s a fraud. So if I can find something that proves I’m right, about him and about what happened to Kitty, that would make me a very happy man indeed.’
‘And if I’m wrong?’
‘No shame being wrong,’ Shay said. ‘You could be right too, don’t forget.’
‘I’m going to try to speak to Annie today,’ Dee said. ‘I’ll let you know how I get on.’
‘Great. In the meantime, I’ll do a bit of digging this side. Lucy Ryan’s parents are dead, but her sister’s still alive. Maybe I’ll see if she’ll talk to me.’
They said goodbye, and Dee ended the call. By now, she was on Deancross Street and she could see the gallery up ahead. When she went inside, it was clear from Claire’s frosty reception that she wasn’t too happy to see Dee back again so soon.
‘Annie’s not here,’ she said.
‘Any idea how I can get hold of her?’
‘Listen to me,’ Claire said. ‘Annie’s told me who you really are. You’re a journalist, aren’t you? If I’d known, I would never have let you anywhere near Annie. I genuinely don’t understand what you’re playing at. Don’t you think her family has already been through enough?’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’