‘Without a murmur. Mind you there was never any trouble over her rent, I’ll say that. Not like some.’

Brady had busied himself during the conversation in moving around the room, checking all drawers and cupboards. Now he turned and shook his head. ‘Clean as a whistle.’

‘Which means that when she left, she must have taken everything with her.’ Miller turned to Mrs Kilroy. ‘Did you see her go?’

‘Last time I saw her was about half ten. She knocked on the door and told me she’d some rubbish to burn. Asked if she could put it in the central heating furnace in the cellar.’

‘Have you been down there since?’

‘No need. It has an automatic stoking system. Only needs checking every two days.’

‘I see.’ Miller walked across to the window and pulled back the curtains. ‘Let’s go back to when you last saw her. Did she seem worried or agitated?’

Mrs Kilroy shook her head quickly. ‘She was just the same as she always was.’

‘And yet she killed herself less than three hours later.’

‘God have mercy on her.’ There was genuine horror in Mrs Kilroy’s voice and she crossed herself quickly.

‘What else can you tell me about her? I understand she’d been a tenant of yours for about three months.’

‘That’s right. She arrived on the doorstep one afternoon with a couple of suitcases. As it happened, I had a vacancy and she offered a month’s rent in advance in lieu of references.’

‘What did you think of her?’

Mrs Kilroy shrugged. ‘She didn’t really fit in. Too much of the lady for a district like this. I never asked questions, I always mind my own business, but if anyone had a story to tell it was her.’

‘Father Ryan doesn’t seem to think Joanna Martin was her real name.’

‘I shouldn’t be surprised.’

‘What did she do for a living?’

‘She paid her rent on time and never caused any trouble. Whatever she did was her own business. One thing – she had an easel set up in here. Used to paint in oils. I once asked her if she was a student, but she said it was only a hobby.’

‘Did she go out much – at night, for instance?’

‘She could have been out all night and every night as far as I was concerned. All my lodgers have their own keys.’ She shrugged. ‘More often than not I’m out myself.’

‘Did anyone ever call for her?’

‘Not that I noticed. She kept herself to herself. The only outstanding thing I do remember is that sometimes she looked really ill. I had to help her up the stairs one day. I wanted to call the doctor, but she said it was just her monthly. I saw her later that afternoon and she looked fine.’