With everyone in deep conversation, I turn my stool slightly away from them to get a more direct one-on-one with Andriu.

‘Nice guy,’ he says, meaning Lucas.

‘Yeah he’ll do grand, for a few years anyway.’ I laugh at my own joke, lifting my glass to swallow some gin.

‘Has he money?’

‘Andriu, don’t be so rude.’

‘Well has he or hasn’t he? I’d hate to think of you arriving in Australia and discovering you had to skin crocodiles for a living.’ Andriu lifts his pint of Guinness, breaking the seal on the white collar as he swallows. Then he licks the frothy moustache from his lips. An image of Faye brushing her finger over his mouth jumps into my mind and suddenly I feel sad. What really happened between them? They were so good for one another. I want to ask Andriu but if I go down that road I may never get to the subject I really want to ask him about.

‘Did you hear from the detectives yet?’ I say, staring at him from above the rim of my glass as I take another sip of my drink.

‘Yes, actually, they called me on the phone. Thanks, by the way, for not mentioning where I was staying.’

‘And?’

‘They asked me if I knew the woman. I said no. Then they asked if you knew her. I said I didn’t know but I’d never heard you mention her name, or Faye for that matter.’

‘Did they want to meet you?’

‘They said they may need to contact me again, but…’

‘But what…?’

Andriu puts his pint down and rests his hands on his knees. He looks up at the ceiling briefly before saying, ‘Tara. Do you think Faye could have something to do with it?’

‘What?’ Why the hell is he bringing that up again?

‘It’s just… ah, nothing.’ Andriu lifts his pint and swallows a large gulp of Guinness.

‘No. Not nothing. Why did you say that, Andriu?’ I don’t like where this is going. Is Andriu suggesting Faye killed that woman? Because if he is… Faye was wonderful, Faye was kind, Faye would never hurt anyone. Could she really have changed that much? My heart is beating fast and I’m praying he gets to explain himself before someone interrupts us.

‘I shouldn’t say it, I know, but it seemed to me like she was going a bit crazy, Tara. And it seemed to get worse after that night, the night when you left the festival to be somewhere more important.’ Andriu leans in closer to me. ‘Did something happen that I don’t know about?’

My heart is racing. Why is he bringing up that night? Does he know something? Did the detective mention the ‘Cabhrui’ website to him too? I don’t know what he’s suggesting but I need to find out.

Lucas stands up. ‘Same again?’