‘Well I kind of remember hearing about her in the news when she went missing but I don’t know her. I never knew her.’

‘So why is your number on her phone?’ The words echo loudly from the small man standing in the corner of the room. Detective Mullins has jumped in with a ludicrous remark, rendering me speechless. Did he just say my phone number was in her phone? Did I hear right? That can’t be. I didn’t know that woman. I never met her. What’s he talking about? Is this a trick? I look away from Detective Mullins and back to Siobhan Lee.

‘What did he say?’

‘He said your mobile phone number was found on Avril Ryan’s phone.’

‘But I never met that woman! I didn’t know her from Adam; that can’t be. Are you sure it’s my number?’ My head is going to burst. I feel like a huge boulder is pressing down on it.

‘Tell us how you knew Avril Ryan, Tara,’ Siobhan says in a soft voice. I recognise that technique from the television. Speaking like they understand: we know your pain, we know you didn’t mean to kill her. They won’t fool me. I remember Faye’s warning. Be careful what you say, they’re professional at getting information out of people.

‘I didn’t know her, I never met her and I never spoke to her.’

‘So why is your number in her phone?’

‘I don’t have an answer for that. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s a mistake or maybe someone gave it to her. But I didn’t give it to her. I never met that woman. Ever.’ I can hear the fear in my voice. It’s disguised as anger. My mind is racing. How did they know it was my number? I don’t remember giving them my number.

‘How do you know it’s my number?’

‘Simple, we rang it yesterday and you answered,’ Detective Mullins says.

‘But Avril Ryan went missing three years ago. Maybe someone else had that number back then.’ I’m trying to figure out in my head how this could have happened but Mullins’s smug expression tells me they have covered all angles before coming here to confront me. He just shakes his head.

‘It’s your number, Tara. What was Avril Ryan doing with your number?’

‘You’ll have to ask her,’ I say, regretting my smartness as soon as the words leave my mouth. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that but I’m completely in shock here. I do not know how this happened. And it was so long ago.’