‘I don’t need to put up with this shit,’ Adam said. ‘I’m sorry about Nick, Tara. Truly sorry. But if you think I had anything to do with what happened to him, you’re more messed up than I thought. And that’s saying something, believe me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to do something constructive and find out how much longer the police are planning to keep us cooped up in here.’

He pushed past Tara and stormed out of the room.

‘I’m going to make sure he’s not trying to wriggle out of this,’ Tara muttered, hurrying after him.

Finally alone, Clodagh took her phone out and opened her text messages, scrolling to the one she’d received last night from Nick.

Meet me outside now. We need to talk.

They’d only spoken about it once. Six months after the crash, when the rumours first started. She’d gone to visit him, desperate to hold on to the tiny pieces of her life she could still have some control over. She’d needed to know if any of it had been her fault. Because she’d lost all her memories from the day of the crash. All she had instead was a persistent feeling of dread. The sense that something bad had happened in the airport that afternoon. The creeping fear that all those deaths were because of her. But he’d told her that wasn’t what had happened. They’d never spoken of it again and, in the intervening years, she’d let herself believe he’d forgotten that conversation had ever taken place. Until last night.

She read the text message again. Sent at 9:47 p.m. Was that before or after Adam had rowed with Nick? She needed to know what Nick had really said. Because Tara was right. Whatever they’d rowed about, it wasn’t Bella.

She opened the door and looked along the corridor. Adam was on his way back. As he drew closer, she saw that he was looking calmer now, back in control.

‘The manager’s going to see if he can get one of the detectives to tell Tara what’s going on,’ Adam said. ‘Poor thing’s in a bit of a state. I didn’t realise things with her and Nick were that serious.’

‘I think she was trying to make a proper go of it this time,’ Clodagh said. ‘But you know Tara, she changes her mind so often. Who knows what was really going on between them?’

‘Do you think he was killed?’ Adam asked.

‘I don’t know what to think, Adam.’

‘I’m sorry, darling.’ He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Clodagh knew he was trying to comfort her, but the weight of his arm made her feel hot and uncomfortable. ‘I didn’t mean to imply you knew anything. I know this is terrible for you.’