Detective Mullins is writing down everything I say. It’s making me even more nervous. What if I say something wrong? Or get a date wrong? Or— Jesus, I’m no good for this. I wish they’d just get on with it and leave.

‘My mam got sick and I couldn’t concentrate, so I packed it in for a year. I was going to go back but…’ I don’t actually have an end to that sentence, so I leave it there.

‘Andriu Fitzpatrick. Do you know where we could find him?’

‘Is this about the body?’

‘What?’ Detective Mullins says, lifting his head from the notebook. ‘The body?’

‘Yes, the body they found at Huntley Lodge?’ Shit, I hope I haven’t said something wrong but no one was mentioning it and I think I should know.

‘Do you know anything about the body?’

‘Just what I saw on the news. But it’s years since we lived there. Why do you want to speak to us? Has the body been there that long?’

‘It is about the body, but we haven’t got a time estimate yet so we’re just talking to anyone who has lived there in the past few years.’

‘But you must have some idea.’ I can hardly believe the words coming out of my mouth. I put the coffee cup down on the table, keeping my eyes fixed on the detective. ‘I mean, it must be pretty decayed if you think it could have happened when we lived there.’

I can feel Lucas’s eyes boring a hole in the back of my head. I wonder what he’s thinking. Is he feeling sorry for me having to put up with this interrogation? Or is he worrying I might be getting dragged into something that could spoil the wedding? I hope he doesn’t think I was involved in any way.

‘At the moment, we can’t say anything until we get definitive information, but yes, I guess it’s already out there that the body is very much decayed. It has been lying there for a while. Exactly how long, we don’t know yet. So for now, we just want to talk to anyone who lived at Huntley Lodge.’ Mullins glances down at his notebook before looking back at me. ‘Can you think of anything suspicious you might have seen, anything that might help us find out what happened?’

I shake my head.

‘Andriu Fitzpatrick, do you know where he is living now?’

‘Andriu lives in London, but he’ll be back here next week sometime. He’s coming home for my wedding.’

‘Oh, you’re getting married.’

I turn my head to look at Lucas. He’s right behind me. Lucas winks at me and smiles.

‘Yes, to this man, Lucas Jones.’

‘Were you ever at Huntley Lodge?’ the detective asks, looking up at Lucas. Lucas shakes his head.