Peadar said nothing, but swam with four or five strokes towards the go-car’s handle. He took hold of it, and then began to swim back towards the steps, tugging the submerged stroller after him.

Before she saw him reach the steps, Roisin went under again. Again she tried to hold her breath, pedalling her legs and flapping her arms up and down like a rain-soaked fledgling trying to fly, but this time the weight of her coat was too much for her, and she was numb with cold, and the water pulled her relentlessly down as if it were refusing to give her another chance to survive.

Her feet touched the riverbed, and her knees sagged. She made one last effort to kick herself upward, but her lungs felt as if they were going to burst apart and she took in a huge swallow of water. The pain in her chest was so intense that she let out a high-pitched bubbly scream and took in even more water. She had never imagined that drowning would hurt so much.

She sank slowly into the mud, which rose around her in billowing black clouds. As she fell back, her beret was lifted off and her long brunette hair spread out in a fan. Póg came floating down, too, his white fur barely visible in the gloom, and he settled down beside her, as if to keep her company in death.

6

Katie and Kyna were about to enter the conference room to give their media briefing when Detective Inspector Mulliken called out, ‘DS Maguire! Ma’am!’ and came hurrying along the corridor towards her.

‘What’s the story, Tony?’ she asked him. ‘I have the hungry wolves in there, waiting to be fed.’

‘Francis O’Rourke has just called me. The Lee Pusher’s been at it again.’

‘You’re not serious. Who is it this time?’

‘A young woman and her wain in a buggy this time. The wain’s been rescued but the young woman’s missing presumed drowned. We don’t yet have a name for her.’

‘Oh, God help us. Where was this?’

‘Along The Marina, about halfway between the park and the rowing club. That’s the second time now he’s pushed somebody in from there, and that makes it seven he’s pushed in altogether.’

‘Who rescued the wain?’

‘Some auld wan about eighty. They’ve taken both him and the wain to the Mercy. The paramedics said they were haunted to be alive, the both of them.’

‘What about the young woman?’

‘There’s no sign of her yet but we’ve contacted the Search and Rescue to see if they can find her body and recover it. If they can’t manage it we’ll call the Navy.’

‘Any other witnesses?’

‘None, so far as I know. Superintendent Pearse has sent Sergeant O’Farrell out there, along with half a dozen uniforms, and he’s informed Bill Phinner.’