‘Sorry?’ Was she the one who reported him to the police? He remembers how he left the shop and got into his car. He was alone. His heart is beating fast. He left the shop alone.

‘Mind yesterday evening. Yous left together.’

‘We didna … Jill. Yes, I bumped into her in the shop.’ He needs to sound calm and show none of the fury he feels. Treat it as a joke. ‘We didn’t leave together.’ He tries to laugh.

‘Ah. Did you not?’ She turns and walks into the next aisle, where he hears her voice. ‘Are you wanting any vodka?’

‘What?’

‘Ah. OK then.’

‘Fuckssake,’ Niall says and leaves the shop.

21

As they eat their mince and tatties that night Lauren feels so exhausted she could drop head first on to her plate. This afternoon was a struggle. She almost fell asleep at her desk. The thought of Ann-Marie has kept her awake. She says to Niall, ‘Maybe I could make some posters? Do they have a photo of Ann-Marie or I could draw a picture?’

‘No.’ Niall shakes his head. ‘Don’t worry. No, no. They’re doing posters.’ He doesn’t know this for certain yet, but he is sure someone will soon. ‘I think, love, just between you and me, it’s best we don’t get too involved.’

‘Dad?’

‘Look. You know what they’re like round here, they’re all at it, gabbing away about us—’

‘Dad! She could be … she could be …’ She looks down at her plate, willing the tears to shrink back into her eyes, wanting to knock it to the floor.

‘The police know what they’re doing, love, OK? I’m just thinking about us as a family, what’s best for us. What’s best for you. C’mon, toots, eh? C’mon. You look like you’re about to pass out and it’s only half past six.’

Lauren’s head swims as she looks at the peas embedded in the hill of mince. She remembers Maisie’s words and the way that woman sat on their sofa close to where she is sitting now, and the way she has vanished. Like a ghost. She remembers Vairi said Christine would come back to protect her. She remembers the circle of stones she made for Ann-Marie on the beach when she was little. Lauren tries to imagine the woman as Christine, even though she looks both too young and too haggard, and it’s hard. She steals a long look at her father, watching his jaw work the meat. Then she gets up to go to bed. She feels sick with exhaustion.

‘That’s it. You did well to go to school today. You need to keep warm. I’ll put some more coal in the boiler.’

As she gets up, her legs feel wobbly. ‘Have people told her boyfriend?’ she asks at the foot of the stairs.