‘Just perfect,’ she mumbled, and it was a minute or two before she let Marjorie’s hand go. Grace felt sick with grief but she stood there, head swimming, heart sinking.

When it was time for the kids to see the body, Juliet arrived accompanied by Ryan. Bernard, Stephen and Jeffrey lagged behind.

‘She rocks,’ Ryan said. Juliet stood frozen, arms planted by her sides, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Davey put his hands on Juliet’s shoulders. She leaned back on him and stared at her mother for what seemed like the longest time, then she nodded to herself and Ryan whispered to Grace. ‘What’s she nodding at?’ Grace didn’t know and wondered if it had something to do with the drugs. She shrugged. They all waited for Juliet to absorb the scene.

‘I just want to go home,’ she said.

‘I have to stay here for the wake, and we can’t leave you alone,’ Davey said.

‘I’ll stay with her,’ Ryan said.

Davey looked to Grace for permission. Grace knelt down on the floor and looked up at her niece. ‘Are you sure, Bunny?’

‘Don’t call me Bunny.’

Grace looked from Juliet to Davey.

‘Rabbit’s gone, she doesn’t want to be Bunny anymore,’ he said by way of explanation.

‘Oh.’ She held onto her niece’s hands. ‘It’s your choice.’

‘I want to go home.’

‘OK.’ She looked to Davey and nodded. ‘It’s OK.’

Ryan shrugged. ‘See, it’s fine.’

‘Lenny’s on the way, he can drop them off before the wake starts.’

Davey scrambled for money in his pockets. He handed Ryan a fifty-euro note. ‘Get pizza, and I want my change.’

‘Score,’ Ryan said, before placing his hands on Juliet’s shoulders and steering her back into the sitting room.

Davey’s phone rang as he entered the kitchen.

‘Francie?’ He listened and his face paled a little. ‘You’re joking.’

He listened again before saying thanks and hanging up.

‘What’s that about?’ Grace said.

‘Rabbit’s death is all over the radio.’

Marjorie had been minding her own business and washing dishes up to this point. She stopped and turned around.

‘It came from a tweet from a family account,’ Davey said.

Molly entered the kitchen and looked to Davey and Marjorie. ‘What’s this?’

‘Whose account?’ Grace said.

‘Ryan’s.’

Grace felt her knees go weak for the second time in two days. ‘Oh Jesus.’

‘What did he do?’ She needed a chair or she risked sinking onto the ground and into a ball.

‘Davey?’ Molly said.

Davey found the tweet on his phone and read it out. ‘ “Atheist and journalist Rabbit Hayes died today.” ’

‘Ah, why did he have to say she’s an atheist?’ Molly asked, sounding annoyed.

‘And?’ Grace said.

‘There’s a hashtag.’

‘What’s a hashtag?’ Molly asked.

‘Well, it’s more of a punchline, really,’ Davey said.

‘A punchline?’ Molly’s voice rose an octave.