‘No one knows what happened to her. She went to bed one night, and the following morning when her mother went to wake her up, she was gone. The Guards had all sorts of theories at the time. Their favourite one was that Lucy’s dad killed her and then hid the body. It was bullshit, of course, and they were never able to prove it. But unfortunately, the story stuck. As if the family hadn’t already gone through enough, they then had to deal with all the gossip and nasty rumours that started up.’

Emer stopped speaking, clearly upset. Dee didn’t blame her. Graham Reed had been the victim of a similar campaign to destroy his reputation, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

‘I assume Kitty was questioned after Lucy disappeared?’ Dee said.

‘Of course,’ Emer said. ‘Everyone who knew her was questioned. For all the good it did. They never found her, and after a while they stopped caring.’

‘You said Lucy’s father believed Kitty knew what had happened to Lucy?’

‘He was convinced of it,’ Emer said.

‘Maybe it was his way of deflecting the attention away from himself,’ Dee said.

‘I don’t think so,’ Emer said. ‘He didn’t kill Lucy. It was the press, more than anyone else, who tried to prove that he had. As far as the Guards were concerned, Kitty didn’t disappear. She drowned. Her own mother saw her going into the water that day.’

‘What about you?’ Dee asked. ‘What do you think?’

‘The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the two things are connected. Which is why it’s so important we find out who that woman in the pub really is. If she’s Kitty, then she might be able to tell us what happened to Lucy.’

‘If she’s Kitty.’

‘I know.’ Emer sighed. ‘Lucy’s family never recovered, you know. Her parents lived out the rest of their lives never knowing what had happened to her… It was a living hell for them.’

‘Is that what it’s been like for you?’ Dee asked.

‘Of course.’

‘And if I find out that the woman in the pub isn’t Kitty?’ Dee said. ‘What then? Do you think you’ll be able to finally accept that she really did drown?’

‘I’m not stupid,’ Emer said. ‘I know there’s almost no chance that woman is Kitty. But I have to know for sure.’

Dee thought of Ella. When Dee first got to know her, Ella was living under an assumed identity. Hiding from someone she believed wanted to hurt her. Waking up each day terrified of being found out. If someone had faked Kitty’s drowning and smuggled her out of Ireland, then they must have had a very good reason for doing it.

‘Have you found anything more about her?’ Emer asked.

‘Not yet.’