The bathrooms were just behind where Jack was sitting, so I could pretend I was heading there. I said hello as I passed, and he looked up from his paper and sat back on his stool.

“How are ye doing now?”

I crossed my arms. “Not too bad. Hopefully we’re on our way back to normality.”

“Aye. With a bit of luck.” He returned to the racing pages.

I made to walk on and then stopped as if something had just occurred to me. “Oh, did you get to speak to the sergeant, by the way?”

He turned and frowned, one hand resting on the counter. “What about?”

I said discreetly, “About the man who died. Giving him and his wife and brother a lift back that night. There might be nothing, but you might be able to tell him something.”

Jack clicked his teeth. “Aye. I’ve been meaning to, but I haven’t had a chance. The car gave up the ghost, electrics all went in it on Saturday afternoon on the way to Clonmany and I had to get towed. A wile handling, so it was.” His eyes narrowed. “But do you know something? There was something strange about that. I remembered it after I was talking to you.”

I leaned in, holding my breath. “Strange about what?”

“About that night. That fare.” He closed over the paper. “That man came back over to me just as I was turning the car, the man that died.”

“What for?” Jesus, I thought. Had Bob asked this man to drive him somewhere? Had this taxi driver been the person who had driven him up to Mamore, to his death?

But no. “He wanted a light. He’d noticed the lighter on the dashboard and knew I smoked.” Jack shook his head disgustedly. “I can’t give the feckin’ things up.”

“Go on,” I said patiently.

“He said he was the exact same. Couldn’t chuck the damn things. So, we had a fag together.” Jack looked guilty. “I know I shouldn’t have, but it was pissing down out of the heavens, so I let him sit in the car and we had a wee chat.”

“Can you remember what about?”

He nodded. “That was the strange thing … with what happened afterwards, I mean.” He stopped and looked off into the distance. “Aye, it was strange.”

Just at that moment, Tony came over with Jack’s pot of tea and there was the usual toing and froing with payment and change, and by the time it was all finished I was ready to scream.

When Tony had finally departed, I took a deep breath. “What was strange, Jack?” I asked.

“Aye, well, that man was bitten by a snake … That’s right, isn’t it?”

I nodded impatiently. This we knew. And yes, we knew this was strange. But it was hardly news at this point. “Yes?”