‘Only because nothing happened.’ Fergus glowered. ‘She told her buddy – Sergeant Healy. He made the right noises but all he did was go out and have a little chat with Vincent. He claimed the dirty sod didn’t know what he was doing. Then Fiona dropped it altogether. So, I thumped Carney. I only did what anybody would’ve done.’

‘Did he go near Fiona again?’ Tom asked. ‘Or any of the other girls in the village?’

Fergus shook his head.

‘No. It seemed like he’d learned his lesson. I didn’t hear about him harassing anybody in the village after, anyway. Why are you raking all this up? Do you think he has something to do with her going missing? Shit – he’s not your serial killer, is he?’

Tom shook his head. They were poking at a wasp’s nest here. Now they’d introduced Carney into the equation, keeping Richard and Fergus Holland away from the man was going to pose a challenge.

‘We’re just going to talk to him,’ the inspector said. ‘Rule him off our list. How come your parents didn’t know about any of this?’

‘Why do you think? Fi didn’t tell them anything about her life outside the house. She wouldn’t have told them about the baby if she wasn’t growing a great big massive belly on her. Fi was one thing for Mammy and Daddy and another thing out in the big, bad world.’

‘But you were trying to protect her,’ Tom remarked.

‘Didn’t succeed, did I? He has her, doesn’t he? The serial killer. She’s probably dead now. We may as well just accept it. Fiona’s …’

Fergus’ voice broke. Tom’s heart went out to him.

‘Fiona’s gone. My sister is dead.’

CHAPTER 23

Fergus walked Tom and Ray back out to their car.

‘By the way, your lot were on looking for a list of all our employees,’ he said. ‘I’ll email it. What do you want it for?’

‘We want to gather the names of all those who know Fiona closely or would have had reason to interact with her,’ Tom answered.

‘None of them up here know her. She never did anything for the business.’

‘Still. She’s the boss’ daughter.’

‘S’pose. Here, I’ll write you out directions for Carney’s place. It’s impossible to find if you don’t know what road to take.’

Fergus scratched some notes on the back of a leaflet picked up at the door of the garden centre. Tom accepted the paper gratefully and offered his hand. The young man looked at it like it was a strange object, then shook it, his grip firm.

He stood by the truckload of fertiliser bags outside, watching them as they got into the car.

‘He’s an oddball, that one,’ Ray said. ‘Are we going or what? Fergus still has his beady little eyes on us.’