‘It’s Michael,’ she said, proving him wrong. ‘We sorted it out, but when we went down to West Cork we found ourselves a little at odds about the sergeant down there. The Doyle fella. I’m not saying Michael was in the wrong. If anything, I want Ray to come down so I can see if I’m jumping to conclusions too quickly. If Ray thinks Doyle is straight up, then Michael got it right and I was the one off-kilter.’

‘But you think you got it right,’ Tom said. ‘Or you wouldn’t have brought it up with me yesterday.’

‘Well, yeah. But better to be sure. Mary Ellen isn’t here to follow through on her allegations that Doyle tried to rape her, but if he really is a danger to women, we should be aware.’

The inspector had agreed. And so, Michael was accompanying him. Ray had been handed his golden ticket.

‘Morning, folks. Sorry I couldn’t get here quicker. I was up at the Hollands’ when Paul rang.’

Bart Healy shook the two detectives’ hands firmly. He was in full uniform, whereas everybody else in the station was down to shirtsleeves, including the visiting Dubliners. The day was overcast, but if anything the heat had become unbearably close. Oppressive. A good thunderstorm was required to break the spell and it felt like one was brewing.

‘How are they holding up?’ the inspector asked.

‘As well as can be expected. I’m trying to talk Richard out of offering a reward. He wants to put up €20,000 for information. That sort of money – we’d spend the next six months dealing with crackpots.’

Tom nodded in agreement with Bart’s assessment of the reward risk.

The sergeant sat down with them and rubbed his eyes. He had huge bags under each one, dark shadows on a pale face. Beneath the tiredness, he was a handsome man – thick, curly brown hair, a broad smile on a kind face. Young-ish, perhaps in his late thirties.

‘You’re doing a good job up here, running the show,’ the inspector said, reassuring him.

‘Well, I’m glad to see you, to be honest. We’ve had so many resources cutbacks, it’s impossible to run proper search parties for Fi. Her family and the locals are helping, but it’s not good enough.’

‘I hear it all the time. Let’s hope the Hollands are right and she’s just taken off. But let us assist you, just in case. Can you fill us in on what you know already? We’re really desperate to get to the bottom of this boyfriend business. Her mother and brother both intimated there might be somebody dodgy in the background.’

Tom thought Bart stiffened when he mentioned Fiona’s brother. He knew he was right when the other man began to speak.