‘A cool cloth for the boy and a tot for you,’ the woman said, handing a damp cloth in through the window to Maura. Meanwhile, her husband unscrewed the van’s petrol cap and, began to top up the tank from a large enamel jug. Maura was so grateful as she laid the cool cloth on Harry’s brow, but she couldn’t say so, words were beyond her.

‘Here, knock this back, quick,’ said Tommy and, taking the glass, she did just that.

The cloth helped to take the burning heat out of Harry’s forehead and body and Maura wiped it around the back of his neck, down his chest and across the back of his neck again, then she dipped her head and looked out of the window at the old woman.

‘God bless you,’ she said. She wanted to ask how did they know they would be passing? There were no phone lines on this remote road. How did she know what they needed? The woman took one look at Harry and, reaching in, pressed something into Maura’s hand. It was a whittled wooden cross.

‘For the boy,’ she said, watching as Maura put the cross in Harry’s hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

‘Thank you,’ Maura said again.

‘God speed,’ said the woman, ‘and don’t be worrying any more; when this is over, you will be in the place where so many are needing your help right now. ’Tis an awful burden you have to carry.’

Maura’s mouth dropped open and the only sounds in the van were those of Harry’s laboured breathing and the petrol filling up the tank.

‘I knew Kitty,’ said the woman. ‘I sent a potion for her when she was here. Sure, the midwife did her best for her, she was a good woman. No one could have done more.’

Maura grasped her fingers and squeezed them tightly. She had asked Maeve so often about what had happened with Kitty. She had delivered her baby in the convent laundry, hidden from view, and following the birth had been taken from there to Liam and Maeve, to give her time to recover and stop the police in Liverpool from making any connection between the murder of the priest and their unmarried, pregnant daughter.

‘Kathleen is waiting for you back at home, ’twill all be over soon. Ye can’t run forever, Kitty told me to tell ye, “Go back, he made a mistake, don’t make him live with it until till the end of his days”.’ She inclined her head towards Tommy.