From time to time, she intervened. When Tom spoke about seeing Helen Minogue, she gasped. When Conor spoke about this not turning out the way he’d expected, she wanted to pick up one of the ugly ornaments and throw it at him. ‘Is that a fact?’ she snapped. ‘It’s a bit late for regrets now.’

He didn’t reply.

What have I done? she thought. Why did I bring Nina here?

Nina was oddly composed. Her lips trembled. She fidgeted with her rings. But there were no histrionics. Her tears were silent, her comments brief. ‘The poor man,’ she said, and ‘I never would have known. Never.’

Tess worried that Nina had gone into shock. Proper shock where your throat closes over, your blood pressure plummets and your limbs lose all feeling. She should be talking about her mother. She should be making noise. Tess turned towards her and reached out a hand. Nina took it, squeezed and gave a nervous smile. ‘I’m okay,’ she whispered.

When Tom and Conor had finished, she said simply, ‘What happens now?’

Before either had an opportunity to answer, Tess rushed in. ‘Does anything have to happen?’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Conor.

‘Why not let it rest? What do you know for sure? Nothing. You think Helen was seeing the priest. But Hannah Galvin is how old? She could have got it wrong. And Tom reckons he saw Helen. So what? He was a child. And he’d been drinking. It’s all mights and maybes. I’ve said from the start that there was nothing to be gained by resurrecting this. We’re talking about something that happened half a lifetime ago. Let it stay there.’

Tom’s head jerked up, but he said nothing.

‘It doesn’t make sense,’ continued Tess. ‘Helen’s a good person. You know that. I met her yesterday at the funeral. We were talking about Nina. She asked me about Daisy. I can’t believe she’d hurt someone and be able to keep it to herself.’

‘People do,’ said Conor. ‘It happens all the time. If it didn’t, every crime would be solved.’