It was his face – she knew immediately what he had planned. His expression wasn’t angry, or even gentle. He wasn’t going to rage at her. He wasn’t going to pretend to be nice.

He was resolute.

He stood in front of her.

‘I thought you’d fight a bit more,’ he said. He sounded disappointed. ‘Look, I have to do this. I didn’t want to, not so soon. But I have no choice.’

‘Please,’ she said, starting to shake violently. ‘I won’t tell anybody. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll never tell.’

But she knew it was pointless. He wouldn’t give her the chance to prove herself. He pinned her to the bed with his knees and placed his hands on her throat even as she kept meekly protesting. Then she started to shout. And fight. No. It wouldn’t happen to her again. She couldn’t let it.

Something bad was coming.

CHAPTER 22

Tom stared at the bedroom ceiling, its white paint cast in a green-grey hue by the dull morning light and wet leaves dancing on the tree branches outside. He watched as a long-legged spider skilfully made its way towards the lightshade, stopping every so often to hang acrobatically from two or three legs.

It was still raining – the heat wave well and truly fractured. He listened to the welcome tap tap of the drops on the windowpane, the trickling sounds from the drainpipe, and felt relief. The high temperatures had made everything about this investigation feel feverish. The cool, calming rain would slow things down, give them time to think.

The spider was dangling precariously from a long silver thread now, his legs working overtime as he spun. Just as well Louise wasn’t here to see the poisonous beast descending towards their bed. She’d have a heart attack.

He reached over to his mobile and dialled his wife’s number. She answered with a breathless, ‘Missing me, are you?’

‘I want to say yes, but it sounds suspiciously like you’re making love to another man. What are you doing? I thought you’d be in bed still.’

‘I’m running on the beach.’

‘At 7 a.m., in the rain?’

‘We’re staying with my parents, Tom. They go to bed at 9 every night. Maria is going out of her mind with boredom. Anyway it’s only a drizzle. Maybe we should move to south Wicklow. Enjoy some of this clean living.’

‘I’d miss all our nights clubbing and the easy access to hard drugs. How are your folks?’

‘At Mass. They go every morning now. Hedging their bets with the big guy. Don’t know why – they’re in the full of their health. It will be a while before we inherit the mansion.’

Tom smiled, thinking of the tiny bungalow his in-laws owned.

‘Have you spoken to Sean?’ Louise panted.

‘Yes, about work stuff. Why?’