And when the doubts crept in again, Laura reminded herself that she’d left him a voice message. He knew she was a detective. Their serial killer was selective and had a particular methodology. Even if her madcap notion was correct, Laura wouldn’t find anything out on this trip. But at least she could say her day had been productive.

She walked along the side of the house, peering in windows as she went. Everything looked normal inside, cosy and welcoming. She could imagine living here. At the very last window, she thought she saw something inside the house. She cupped her hands to the glass and peered in. She hoped she wouldn’t cause too much alarm if anyone inside caught her gazing through the glass.

She didn’t hear him approach until it was too late.

The blow, when it landed, was completely unexpected. Just a blinding pain, then darkness as Laura collapsed to the ground.

She was still clutching her mobile phone, set up as a caution with Ray’s number on the screen so she could dial fast if anything happened. She’d known he would answer straight away. Even as she’d told herself that nothing untoward was going to happen, she’d been prepared in case it did.

The phone crashed to the ground, its screen shattering.

CHAPTER 29

They’d made no progress with Carney. He wouldn’t even confirm that he’d had knowledge of Bart Healy and Fiona Holland’s relationship.

‘Vincent,’ Tom said, almost pleading. ‘I know Bart is your friend. I know you are loyal to him. I don’t want to hurt Bart. But I need to find out if he knows where Fiona has gone. You said, didn’t you, that your mother told you it was wrong to hurt girls?’

Carney picked at the skin around his thumb.

‘Yeah. Not right. No gentleman would hurt a lady.’

‘Somebody might have hurt Fiona, Vincent. We’re worried she might have been taken somewhere and held against her will. Alone, frightened, maybe in pain. She will want to come home. Do you know she has a little baby? His name is Cían. He needs his mammy. Fiona is a lady. It’s wrong, isn’t it, if somebody has hurt her?’

Carney shook his head.

‘Nope.’

‘Nope what?’

‘Fiona is not a lady. She uses bad language. She says fuck. All the time. Ladies don’t swear.’

Tom sucked in his cheeks.

‘What do you mean, “All the time”? Have you heard her use the word lately?’

‘Haven’t seen her lately. I don’t go near Fiona.’

‘And Bart, he never told you about any of his other girlfriends? Did he ever mention Mary Ellen? Or Treasa? Pauline?’

Carney put his thumb in his mouth and sucked it, shaking his head.

The inspector sat back. This was torture.