She already knew the 999 call had come in at five twenty-five that morning. Which meant Clodagh had been on the beach earlier than that.

‘I don’t know exactly,’ Clodagh said. ‘But it was early. Sunrise, whatever time that is. I hadn’t been able to sleep so I decided to get up and go for a walk. Having the beach right outside, it seemed a shame not to make the most of it.’ She gave Rachel a small smile. ‘It was beautiful. The sea was so calm and everything was very silent and peaceful. I remember feeling… happy, I guess. It sort of surprised me. These last few years haven’t been easy. Well, you know what happened, right?’

‘I can’t imagine how you get past something like that,’ Rachel said. ‘It must be tough.’

‘Some of the others have been better at it,’ Clodagh said. ‘We’ve all had counselling. The airline provided lots of support in the first few years. And Adam’s been amazing, of course. He’s been the glue that’s held us all together. He’s helped everyone, especially the victims’ families. Because it’s so much worse for them. People talk about how lucky we were to survive. And they’re right. We are lucky. None of us ever take that for granted.’

‘But you lost someone too,’ Rachel said.

‘Most of us lost people we love,’ Clodagh said. ‘I’m no different to the others in that respect.’

She stopped speaking, as if the shared loss experienced by all of them was impossible to explain to someone who hadn’t experienced it.

‘You mentioned counselling,’ Rachel said. ‘Did it help?’

‘A little, I guess. But the thing is, it never goes away. It gets stuck inside your head and becomes a part of you. Even though I don’t remember anything about the crash itself, I have flashbacks and nightmares. I dream my sister’s screaming, begging me to save her. And I want to do that, more than anything, but there’s nothing I can do.’

Rachel was starting to regret sending Ade away. She had a way with people that Rachel could only envy. In a situation like this, questioning a potential suspect who was also traumatised and needed careful handling, Ade always knew what questions to ask to get the best results. Rachel, on the other hand, found these interviews excruciating, constantly worrying she would say or do the wrong thing.

‘I’m sorry,’ Clodagh said. ‘Most days I try not to think about it. But after seeing Nick this morning, I can’t help it.’

‘You said it was sunrise when you found him,’ Rachel said. ‘Are you sure about that?’

‘Positive.’ Clodagh frowned. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘The 999 call came through at twenty-five past five,’ Rachel said. ‘That’s – what? – half an hour after sunrise. What did you do between finding the body and making the call?’