I matched it. ‘Ever go out with him? Hook up with him?’

‘No.’ Instant, definite.

‘Why not? If you fancied him . . .’ Little lean on the you. Any guy you want, bet you get.

‘No reason. Me and Chris just never happened. End of.’

Gemma was shutting down again. Something there, too.

Conway didn’t push, I didn’t push. Here’s my card, if you think of anything, all the rest of it. Conway told Houlihan to bring us Alison Muldoon. I gave Gemma a grin that was one step from a wink, as she swayed out of the door and glanced back to make sure I was watching.

Let out my breath, wiped my mouth to scrape that grin off. ‘Not our girl,’ I said.

Conway said, ‘What’s all this with one thing about Chris?’

She had had a year to get to know him. I’d had a few hours. Anything I could get was good.

No reason why I should get to know Chris. Not my case, not my vic. I was just here to bat my eyelashes, come up with the right smiles, get girls talking.

I said, ‘What’s all this about boyfriends?’

Conway came off the table, into my face, fast. ‘You questioning me?’

‘I’m asking.’

‘I ask you. Not the other way round. You go to the jacks, I get to ask whether you washed your hands if I want. You got that?’

That almost-laugh was well gone. I said, ‘I need to know how they felt about Chris. No point me talking up how lovely he was and how a guy like that deserves justice, if I’m talking to someone who hated his guts.’

Conway stared me out of it for another minute. I kept steady, thought about six girls left and how far Conway would get without me. Hoped to God she was thinking the same thing.

She eased back onto the table.

‘Alison,’ she said. ‘Alison’s petrified of bleeding everything. Me included. I’m gonna be keeping my mouth well shut, unless you fuck up. Don’t fuck up.’

Alison was like looking at Gemma shrunk. Short little thing, scrawny, shoulders curled in. Fidgety fingers, twisting at her skirt. Hard-work straight blond hair, fake tan, skinny eyebrows. No glance at the Secret Place.

This one recognised Conway, anyway. Conway got out of the way fast as Alison came through the door, tried to disappear, but Alison did a body-swerve away from her all the same. ‘Alison,’ I said, quick and smooth, to distract her. ‘I’m Stephen Moran. Thanks for coming in.’ Smile. Reassuring, this time. ‘Have a seat.’

No smile back. Alison perched the edge of her backside on the edge of the chair and stared at me. Pinched little features, gerbil, white mouse. I wanted to hold out my fingers, do tongue-clicky noises.