‘All right, so,’ Liv heard herself saying, but she knew, she just wanted to see if Eddie had said anything to any of his mates about when he’d be back in Ballycove. She knew how pathetic that was, even as she thought it, but she couldn’t help it. She’d gone back over that last day with him in her mind a thousand times. They’d rowed or they’d had words; it was as close to having an argument as Eddie got. He was, she realised now, far too passive-aggressive to actually have a good old clearing-of-the-air barney with anyone. He’d stomped off and why? All because of Anya. And that just made Liv feel even more miserable.

There was only one thing for it. That evening, she plastered on a tonne of make-up before they headed off to Flannelly’s.

‘Maybe we should ring Pete and ask him to join us?’ Maya said as they were driving towards the village.

‘No. I don’t think that would be a great idea at the moment.’

‘Still not over Anya?’ Maya didn’t sound convinced.

‘Not that, so much – we had a bit of a bicker at each other today.’

‘You and Pete?’ Maya glanced across at her. ‘But you two never argue.’

‘Nearly never, it turns out. I just snapped at him over nothing and he took the hump. I’m sure we’ll be pals again before you know it, but I’m really not in the mood for him tonight.’ She was glad to be getting out of the car and so avoiding any more scrutiny from Maya. It was just too much to think about the state of her friendship with Pete on top of the worry of things with Eddie.

‘Fine so, I get you all to myself.’ Then Maya put her hand on the door to push it in. ‘Just the one?’

‘Absolutely.’ It was more than enough time to waste in this place.

The pub was emptier than it had been the last evening she’d been in here. Yet somehow, all the regulars seemed to be here, still sitting on the same stools, as if they’d never left, just grown older and wider where they sat. Behind the bar, Nick Flannelly was wiping glasses; his eyebrow raised just a fraction when he spotted the Latimer sisters arriving in the door for a drink. Maya dropped the prizes on the bar and Liv wondered for a moment if she hadn’t had to pull Nick Flannelly out of a scrape or two already with the law.

‘Well, ladies, what can I get you?’ Nick was the owner’s son, the sort of kid who served up drink and false welcome with ease and then fault-finding fast remarks on each customer after they’d left the pub. Liv had never liked him and she was certain the feeling was mutual.