“That’s not clear, but obviously someone did, and Kevin adds up better than most people. That’s one of the factors backing up Detective Kennedy’s theory. According to everyone we’ve talked to, Francis and Rose had kept the elopement totally under wraps, no one had a clue what they were planning. Kevin, though: he was in a privileged position. He shared a room with Francis. He could have seen something.”

My girl Mandy had kept her mouth shut. “Let’s say that’s out. There was nothing in that room to see.”

Stephen shrugged. He said, “I’m from the North Wall. I’d say the Liberties work the same way, or anyway they did back then: people live on top of each other, people talk, there’s no such thing as a secret. I’ve got to tell you, I’d be amazed if no one knew about that elopement. Amazed.”

I said, “Fair enough. We can leave that part vague. What happens next?”

Concentrating on giving his report was relaxing him a little; we were back in his comfort zone. “Kevin decides to intercept Rose before she meets Francis. Maybe he arranges to meet her or maybe he knows she’ll need to pick up her suitcase, but either way, they meet up, most likely somewhere in Number Sixteen Faithful Place. They get into an argument, he snaps, he grabs her by the throat and hits her head off the wall. From what Cooper says, that part would’ve taken no time; a few seconds, maybe. When Kevin gets his temper back, it’s too late.”

“Motive? Why would he intercept her to begin with, never mind argue with her?”

“Unknown. Everyone says Kevin was pretty attached to Francis, so it could be he didn’t want Rose taking him away. Or it could be sexual jealousy—he was just at the age to cope really badly with that. She was gorgeous, by all accounts. Maybe she’d turned Kevin down, or maybe they’d had something on the side—” Stephen suddenly remembered who he was talking to. He blushed, shut up and shot me an apprehensive look.

I remember Rosie, Kevin had said. That hair and that laugh, and the way she walked . . . I said, “The age gap was a little wide for that—we’re talking fifteen and nineteen, remember. But he could have fancied her, all right. Keep going.”