‘I’d say you’re getting a lot of that.’

‘Some people have been helpful. And we do appreciate why others haven’t been so forthcoming. Not everybody likes the spotlight on their village.’

‘It’s more than that,’ said Nina. ‘There are people who can’t …’ Why she was tripping over the words, she wasn’t sure. She had offered similar explanations a million times before. She gathered her thoughts. ‘There are people who went through a painful time. There’s a danger you’ll remind them of months they’d rather forget. Unless you’ve had a similar experience, it’s not something you can understand.’

Liesl nodded slowly. ‘Nina’s going out with Tom Crossan, whose mam found the body. Actually, aren’t you living together up in Dublin?’

Marvelling at how Liesl was able to make living together sound like a crime, Nina ignored the question. ‘What I’m saying is you’ve got to remember people’s feelings.’

‘Believe it or not,’ said Julian, digging the toe of his desert boot into a crack in the red lino, ‘I don’t want to go around stirring up trouble. I like it here. It’s … interesting.’

‘That’s what I think. Not everybody would agree with that description, mind. Some folks might find it condescending.’

‘Point taken. I’m enjoying the countryside as well. It really is lovely, especially in this weather.’

Nina was surprised to find herself thawing. ‘Have you been over to the woods near Toomey’s Hill? They’re beautiful in the spring when all the bluebells are out, but they’re pretty special at this time of year too.’ She knocked the side of her head. ‘Oh, listen to me. You’re not here for the scenery. You were asking about Tess?’

‘Uh-huh. Are you still in touch with her, by any chance?’

This wasn’t the first time Nina had encountered the assumption that Tess must have abandoned her old friends, that they weren’t sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous for someone like her. ‘We talk all the time. But, I’ve got to tell you, it’s unlikely she’ll do an interview.’

‘All I can do is ask. Do you have her number in London?’

‘She’s not in London.’ Nina was being ground down. She could faff around for the next hour, but the chances were that if she didn’t tell Julian about Tess’s impending arrival, he would come across her anyway. Hiding wasn’t easy in Kilmitten, especially when you looked like Tess. Also, to be fair to the guy, he was trying to understand how people felt about Father Galvin’s death. Tom would be suspicious, but Tom wasn’t always right.

‘So, do you know where Tess is?’ asked Julian.

‘Right at this minute, no. But you’ll probably find she’s not far away.’

He stopped to consider the information. ‘And Tom? Is he around?’

‘Nope. You’re out of luck there.’