‘We found footage of the Mini at various points on the route between Clontarf and Rhona’s place. See this, where the Mini turns off by Peter’s Church. We got a good shot of the driver there.’

‘Jesus,’ I said.

‘I always knew that an Irish mammy would do anything for her son but this is beyond the beyond,’ Sadie said.

‘It’s Esther? Esther killed Rhona?’ I said.

‘Wait,’ Lenihan said.

He clicked into the next photo. It showed a hooded figure in the passenger seat beside Esther Gill.

‘She drove him,’ I said. ‘She drove her son and watched while he killed Rhona.’

‘He kept his head bent most of the time so we haven’t got a good image, apart from this one. This one was taken near Gaffneys’ pub in Fairview, he looks relaxed, job done.’

The enhanced photo showed a close-up of Jeremy Gill’s blond assistant.

‘Boyband,’ I whispered.

I couldn’t believe it. I got up from the table and walked to the window and pressed my forehead against the cool of the glass and closed my eyes.

45

Lenihan and Sadie were talking about Esther’s Mini when I turned around again.

‘It’s with the Technical Bureau,’ Lenihan said. ‘They’re going over it with a fine-tooth comb. We found it parked two streets away. We reckon Esther parked it in the garage when she got back first but that it was moved from there later, just in case.’

‘Either she was confident it’d never be traced,’ Sadie said. ‘Or she didn’t want to draw attention to it by burning or dumping it somewhere.’

‘Exactly,’ Lenihan said.

‘Are they under arrest?’ I asked.

‘Esther is,’ Lenihan said. ‘She’s at this station. Gill is too. Voluntarily. Boyband, as you call him, has disappeared. That’s why I got you up here. To see if you have any idea where he might be. Cos I fucking don’t.’

‘Is Esther saying anything? Is she admitting …?’ I asked.