Emerging once more, she noticed that it was light. Her bedroom curtains were open about two inches and she saw the weak dawn and felt it was invading her privacy. She glanced at the alarm clock. Six fifteen. She could lie for a while in total silence and think about the night before. Not about Dan, he was gone from her now as surely as if he was dead, but about Patrick. Patrick Kelly . . . even his name gave her a thrill.

He was here, or at least she felt that he was, and at this moment that was enough for her.

She had lived in a vacuum. Now, at forty, she was finally finding out what life was all about. The love side of it anyway.

If she could just get Lizzy back to her old self life would be nearly perfect. She didn’t dare think completely perfect, because she knew that was too tall an order for anyone. But nearly perfect suited her right down to the ground.

The phone beside her bed rang.

‘Hello?’

‘Kate, this is Amanda. Louise Butler’s body has turned up.’

She took a deep breath. ‘Where?’

‘In the old quarry. Look, I don’t want to say too much over the phone. You can’t miss the place, it’s full of Panda cars. I’ll see you soon.’

Kate put down the receiver and leapt from her bed. As she showered her mind was cleared of everything but the task ahead. As always when on a case, once she had something to work on it took priority over everything. Her mind was blank now of Patrick, Lizzy, Dan. She thought only of Louise Butler. As she walked downstairs ready for work her mother was standing at the bottom with a cup of coffee for her and a lighted cigarette.

‘Five minutes won’t kill you, Katie. What’s up?’

She took the coffee gratefully and took a deep puff on the cigarette. Coughing hard, she gulped some more coffee down.

‘Louise Butler’s body has been found.’

‘Heaven help the poor child! Are you fit for all this?’

‘As fit as I’ll ever be.’

Kate gave her back the cup and pulled on her coat, the cigarette between her teeth, the smoke curling up into her eyes making her squint. She kissed her mother and went towards the door.

‘Tell Lizzy I’ll get in this evening, will you? I can’t promise I’ll be there this afternoon, but I’ll try.’

‘All right, love. You get off, and drive carefully.’

Kate kissed her again and went from the house. It was a chilly morning and she pulled the collar of her coat up around her neck.

She drove to the site of the discovery with a feeling of trepidation mixed with excitement. Please God let there be some kind of clue! To Kate’s mind it wasn’t a lot to ask.

She arrived at the quarry before Caitlin and slithered down the loose-stoned rise that led to the murder scene. When she got there she wished she’d stayed in bed.