‘You got to solve the case,’ Emer said. ‘I read all about it. You don’t need to be modest, Dee. It was amazing.’

‘Well.’ Dee took a sip of wine, uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going. She might be good at taking compliments about her writing, but anything above that always made her squirm. ‘I can tell you what’s not amazing – trying to write a book.’

‘What do you mean?’

Dee frowned, trying to find the right words to explain it.

‘It’s such a different format to anything I’ve done before. It’s longer, of course. And you have to think about structure and form in a way you don’t have to do so much when you’re writing a piece for a paper or magazine.’

‘I’m sure you’ll get there,’ Emer said.

‘I hope so. And now I really am done talking about myself. I’m a journalist and I’m used to being the person asking the questions, not answering them.’

‘I’m not very good at talking about myself,’ Emer said. ‘Sorry.’

‘There’s something I wanted to ask you,’ Dee said, ‘if that’s okay?’

‘Sure.’

‘It’s about Eamon, your dad. Are you still in contact with him?’

‘I’m afraid not,’ Emer said. ‘He left us a few months after Kitty died. You know about that, right?’

Dee nodded. Her mother, who occasionally relented and answered Dee’s questions about the Dorans, had told her about it. Emer’s older sister, Kitty, had drowned when she was eleven years old.

‘He left and he never bothered to keep in touch,’ Emer said. ‘I don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.’

‘That must be hard.’ Dee thought of the relationship she’d had with her own father. He’d been a great dad, loving and interested in his only child without ever being overbearing. Dee had loved him fiercely and still missed him terribly.

‘I’ve got used to it,’ Emer said. ‘Mum says we’re better off without him, and I guess she’s right. I have a stepdad, Robert. He’s been pretty good to me.’

‘Well I’m glad to hear that.’

They were silent for a moment. Dee was searching around for something to talk about when Emer started speaking.

‘I hope you don’t mind, Dee. There’s a reason I got in touch with you. I need your help.’

Something shifted inside Dee. She’d been excited about today, looking forward to taking the first steps towards being reunited with a part of her family that she’d never known. But now it seemed the only reason Emer had contacted her was because she wanted something.

‘Of course.’ Dee took a sip of her wine. ‘Whatever I can do. Just tell me.’

‘It’s about Kitty,’ Emer said.

‘Kitty – your sister?’

Emer nodded.