Tears roll down Stephanie’s face as she tries to reason with him. ‘Hollie could be impossible,’ she says desolately. ‘We both know that. You didn’t do anything wrong. You couldn’t have known anything like this would happen.’

*

When I get out to the car, Emerson’s sitting in the driving seat. ‘You told them?’

I nod. ‘They’re devastated. Heartbroken.’ How can they be anything else, when in the last few minutes, their entire lives have been shattered? ‘We have to find out what happened.’ Experience has taught me that when you’re faced with such a pointless, tragic death, with a broken, grieving family, you have to focus on finding answers.

Niamh

I know before anyone tells me. Hollie isn’t coming back.

From my window, I see the single police car pass slowly through the village, the unmarked van directly behind it sending a chill rippling through me.

I’ve seen one before.

It’s the kind of van they send when someone’s died.

Chapter Twelve

Elise

It’s Ida Jones who tells me, later that evening, that the police have found Hollie’s body.

‘I’m so terribly sorry to be calling you, Elise.’ Ida sounds distressed. ‘But I thought you’d want to know, what with her and young Niamh being so close. It’s such a tragedy.’

‘No …’ Shock hits me, followed by a rushing in my ears. As Ida goes on talking, I interrupt. ‘Wait … I can’t take this in.’

‘Such a terrible thing …’ Ida’s voice trembles. ‘To think of that poor young girl …’

‘I have to go.’ My hands are shaking. ‘I’m sorry, Ida. I need to tell Niamh.’

In a daze, I go to find Niamh. She’s upstairs, lying on her bed with her iPad in front of her, earphones plugged in, but when she sees me, she takes them out.

‘Niamh? Honey?’

Whether it’s the honey, or the tone of my voice, I can tell from the way she stiffens, she knows something’s very wrong. As her eyes meet mine, I contemplate the enormity of what I’m about to tell her, saying it as gently as I can. ‘The police have found Hollie.’

I watch her eyes widen as my words sink in; her gasp of shock followed by denial. ‘Is she OK?’

But I’m shaking my head. ‘Niamh … She isn’t. I don’t know what happened …’ Going over to the bed, I sit next to her, the words sticking in my throat. ‘I’m so sorry. Hollie’s dead.’