‘My team will be as discreet as possible,’ he said. ‘They’re aware that he’s picking the children up and that other children will be present. They’ll have informed the school and have liaison officers in place. The children will be looked after, so try not to worry. I know that sounds impossible.’

‘Thank you,’ I said.

‘Elizabeth, I have to ask, have you had any reason at all to suspect Michael before now? Have you witnessed any behaviour that might have indicated a violent nature? His relationship with your daughter?’

I shook my head. No matter how I ran it through my head, I couldn’t say that until a few minutes ago I’d ever considered him capable of hurting anyone. He was as gentle as Laura had been. But did everyone have their limit? Did everyone have a breaking point in the right circumstances? Were we all capable of horrendous crimes if pushed far enough?

‘And he’s the only person you can think of who’d have had access to your home, to your photographs? Who would have known the intimate details of how Laura died and about the flowers. Someone who’d have known about her classmates.’

‘I think so,’ I muttered, becoming aware of Cliona shifting awkwardly in her seat.

‘Elizabeth …’ she began, but we were interrupted by the ringing of DI Bradley’s phone.

He answered it, his eyes on me as he spoke.

‘Right, well that’s enough for an arrest in itself. Oh … okay. Good. Good. Get him booked in and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Any mention or sign of her? No? Okay. Right. See you soon.’

I felt as if the air had been pulled from my lungs and I gripped Cliona’s hand tightly.

‘Michael O’Neill’s in police custody now, Elizabeth. And I’m sorry to have to tell you, my team have uncovered some evidence that appears to link him directly to Rachel Walker.’

I didn’t think my heart could break any more. Oh, Michael, I thought, what have you done?

Chapter Fifty

Rachel

‘What do you mean, you’ve not told me the truth?’ I asked Michael.

He raised an eyebrow. ‘What do you think I mean? You’re a smart woman; you must have figured it out by now. I’ve been lying to you all this time. People like to write me off as stupid. But I’m not a stupid man.’

He stood up again, walked back and forth across the classroom. He still had the knife in his hand and I couldn’t help but flinch each time he came close to me.

He crouched down beside me. ‘Don’t be scared, Rachel. I’ll be gentle,’ he said before pulling himself to standing and walking back across the room.

He seemed to be thinking and I heard him laugh before he turned to look at me again.