‘And this may be hard to believe but … it’s not as if the job means that much to me.’

‘Please,’ said Nina, ‘you don’t have to say that.’

‘I do because it’s true.’

Tess didn’t doubt him. She thought back to their conversation in the graveyard and his seemingly flippant comments about promotion. She wondered if this was what he’d wanted to tell her last night. She was tempted to ask about Vanessa, but this wasn’t the right time. ‘Take care,’ she said. It sounded silly. Her thoughts had turned to mush, though, and she wasn’t able to come up with anything more appropriate.

Tom patted Conor on his bad shoulder. ‘I’m going to try and get some sleep,’ he said. ‘We can talk again tomorrow.’

Chapter 45

After the rain, the sky had cleared, and the morning had a bright crystalline quality. Had they been travelling west for any other reason, Nina would have enjoyed the journey. Conor was driving. She was beside him. Tess was in the back, wearing large sunglasses, like a visiting movie star.

Nina had surprised herself by getting a couple of hours’ sleep. Tess had stayed with her, flapping around like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Her presence had been a useful distraction. If Nina was on her own, if she stopped to think, who knew where her brain would take her? As it was, her head was heavy and her mouth felt as if it was filled with gravel. The others didn’t understand her muted reaction. They expected more fury, more tears.

There would be plenty of time for those.

She’d called her mother to say she was on her way to Kilmitten. ‘Something’s come up,’ she’d said, ‘and I want to have a word with you.’

‘Aren’t you at work?’ her mam had replied.

Nina had lied, saying the school had been forced to close for a couple of days because the heating was broken.

Both Conor and Tess had asked again if she was sure about confronting her mother. Conor in particular believed she should take more time. Nina didn’t agree. She had encouraged him to pursue the case. Helped him. Running away now would be wrong. She’d been timid about many things, but this was different. She needed to find out what had happened, and delaying wouldn’t change that. She’d been relieved to discover that her father was in Cork meeting old medical friends. She’d also told Conor and Tess that, while she appreciated their support, she didn’t want an audience. They’d agreed to wait in the car.

As they passed Portlaoise, Conor turned on the radio for the eleven o’clock news. The newsreader told them that plans for a cabinet reshuffle were shrouded in confusion following the sudden resignation of rural and regional affairs minister Tom Crossan.

‘Oh,’ said Nina.