She smoothed on some light foundation and blusher for her cheekbones, brushed some fresh mascara on her lashes, and combed out her short, dark red bob. By the time she had given herself a finishing squirt of Flowerbomb, she felt composed and pretty and ready to take on anything, including Mr Justice Kieran Connolly.

*

Kieran took her to Greenes restaurant, behind Hotel Isaacs in MacCurtain Street, on the north side of the River Lee. It was busy and warm, and they sat by one of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back, overlooking the courtyard, so that Katie could see that it was still raining hard.

‘You know, sometimes we need to get away and think about something else apart from law and order,’ said Kieran, picking up the menu. Katie noticed for the first time that he had a zigzag scar over his left eye. Maybe he’s a wizard. Maybe he’s Cian, the shape-shifter. Maybe he’s Conor, come back to me in a different form. No, stop thinking like that, because you’ll well up with tears if you start thinking about Conor, and make a mess of your mascara.

Kieran put down the menu, reached across the table and took hold of Katie’s wrist. ‘I know all about grief and grieving, Katie. When you lose somebody you love you never get over it, no matter what people tell you about time being the great healer. That’s total shite, if you’ll forgive me for saying so. If anything, time makes it hurt all the more. When my ma died, I felt like I’d left her abandoned on a train station platform, while my train pulled away, and all I could do was look out the window and watch her getting smaller and smaller until she disappeared into the distance.’

He beckoned the waitress, and said, ‘Let’s start with a couple of glasses of champagne. I don’t know what we’re celebrating. Maybe it’s the start of a long-lasting friendship.’

Katie couldn’t help smiling. Kieran was the first man she had met in a long time who had neither been trying to come on to her nor to belittle her.

Although they had agreed not to spend the evening talking about their work, Katie gave him a quick update on the major cases that her team was investigating. They were still front-page news, after all – the bombing at the School of Pharmacy more than any other story, but the arrest of the Lee Pusher, too.

‘And how about Justice Quinn? Are you any nearer to finding out who might have done for poor Garrett?’