Kenny stopped and turned to face her. ‘No. Everything all right, Maisie?’

‘Yes, I’m sure it is. But in case you do see him, can I give you my phone number?’

He nodded and immediately looked perturbed. ‘Of course. I have some paper in the van.’ She followed him to it and he opened the door, rummaged, then handed her a pen and paper. ‘Kids.’

She scribbled down her number and handed it to him. ‘If you see him …’

‘I’ll radio it in and Mary in the depot will buzz you.’

She nodded. ‘And if you can catch him, tell him his ma wants him home.’ She was trying not to cry.

‘If I can catch him, trust me, I’ll bring him home meself.’

‘Thanks, Kenny.’

‘What did Kenny want?’ Bridie asked, when Maisie stepped back into the house.

Maisie was impressed, she seemed a little sharper than she had in days. ‘Nothing.’

‘So what were you talking to him about?’ Bridie said.

‘I was trying to talk him out of murdering Jake,’ Maisie said.

Bridie giggled. ‘I’ve never known a dog to like a postman like your Danny, Jesus, they hated him but then again didn’t we all?’

It had been a long while since Bridie had mentioned Danny. The doctor had said she was trying a new tablet on her, but as Maisie had filled the prescription only the previous day, she felt it wasn’t possible that it could have had such a profound effect in less than twenty-four hours. Still, Bridie did seem more like her old self.

‘That was Fred Brennan here this morning,’ Bridie said.

Maisie was shocked she remembered. ‘It was, Ma.’

‘I don’t like him here, Maisie.’

‘Don’t worry, Ma, he won’t be coming around for long,’ Maisie said, and a little piece of her ached. I can never take my eye off the kids again. I’m all they have.

‘Did I miss Jeremy again, Maisie?’

‘Yes, Ma. He’s very busy in school.’

‘It’s unlike him not to say goodbye to his grammy.’

‘I didn’t want him to wake you.’

‘I miss him,’ she said. ‘You’ll tell him that, won’t you, Maisie?’

‘Yeah, Ma. I’ll tell him.’

‘Just in case I forget. Am I going to Lynn’s, love?’

‘She’s picking you up any minute, Ma.’

‘Good. You look like you need a bit of peace, love,’ Bridie said.

Maisie felt as if she’d been thumped. She led Bridie to her chair, then made an excuse to leave the room and went into the kitchen to wait for Lynn, trying to make sense of this new crazy world, a world in which her mother made sense and her son was nowhere to be found.

Dave