“He should be buried here, in Inishowen,” Mary said quietly. “This is where he died. He belongs here.” She rubbed her sleeve against her cheek.

Amanda’s eyes were blazing. “What are you talking about? Bob was murdered here. He has no relationship with this place. He’d never been here in his life and the first time he comes to this godforsaken place he ends up dead. Why the hell would we leave him here?”

“He’d be with someone who loves him.” Mary looked down. She was swaying and I wondered if she was about to faint. “You don’t love him.”

“I’m his wife. I have children with him. It doesn’t matter a damn what I think of him.” Amanda shook her head in disgust. “He had tons of tarts. Don’t delude yourself you were special …”

Hal and the poor morgue assistant stared at the floor, clearly mortified.

Molloy turned to me. “Ben, can you help us here? Who has custody of a body in circumstances like these?”

Molloy knew the answer to this, he was just seeking confirmation, so I gave it. It was clearly why I’d been invited along. “The personal representative. So, either the executor if the deceased has made a will, or the administrator if they haven’t. The personal representative has custody of the body until burial or cremation.”

“There is no will,” Amanda said firmly. Her jaw was set.

I looked at Molloy. “Mr Jameson’s wife would be his personal representative if he hadn’t made a will.”

Mary’s legs buckled, and she slid down the wall and put her head in her hands. Hal and the porter went back into the morgue. Hal must have been asked to transfer the body back to Galway or wherever Bob Jameson was to be buried.

Footsteps sounded and Derek Jameson appeared, looking startled. He glanced warily from one face to the other. “What’s going on?”

“She’s finally lost it,” Amanda said, pointing to the slumped and weeping Mary.

“Mary?” Derek said gently as he leaned over her.

She looked up at him. “Can I at least see him?” When there was no response from him, a semblance of hope appeared in her eyes. “Could we at least have the funeral here? He can be buried or cremated wherever you want. Just something, please.”

“You’re completely deranged,” Amanda spat. “Do you know that? Deranged.”

And with that, Mary rose to her feet. Anger seemed to give her energy, though her voice was calm. “You didn’t care about him. All you cared about was money, a big house and a big car and fancy things.”

Amanda’s features rearranged themselves into a smile. “That was all he cared about either, you fool.”

There was a shocked silence. The last taboo, speaking ill of the dead. Mary shook her head and turned to Derek, a pleading look in her eyes.