‘Do you take sugar, Sal?’ And there it is. The big reveal. Sally Cooper’s husband doesn’t know how many sugars she takes. I can almost see Burke’s mind flashing back to the manual, signs to look out for in a troubled marriage. This woman puts me on edge, I feel like she’s judging me. Looking for signs that all is not as it seems in the Cooper household.

‘No thanks.’

With the coffee cup warming my hands, I sit facing Burke. Tom is on my right-hand side.

‘As you know, we have interviewed Joyce McCarthy and yes, she was the woman who was at your house.’ Burke is glancing from Tom to me. Keeping her voice low like she’s telling us a secret. ‘As I told you earlier, Tom, she said she was looking for Kenny.’

My hands are shaking, nervous of what the detective is going to tell us, so I put the cup down on the table.

‘Did she say why?’ Tom puts his hand on mine and squeezes it gently.

‘Yes, she said Kenny was her son.’

Silence, both of us sitting open-mouthed, unable to respond. A thousand scenarios fly around in my head. This is unbelievable. If the woman is telling the truth there must be a reason Kenny was living with Claire, did Kenny know?

Tom speaks first. ‘But how can that be – isn’t Claire the mother?’ He sounds as confused as me.

Burke leans back into the chair, her eyes fixed on Tom.

‘Is she the killer?’ I say.

‘We don’t know that… at the moment Joyce McCarthy is just a person of interest. Someone who we believe Kenny heard arguing with his mother at the house the day of the murder. Other than that, I can’t and won’t discuss the murder investigation. All I can do is tell you that Joyce McCarthy is claiming to be Kenny’s mother.’

‘But sure, how can that be? Has she any proof?’

‘She alleges he was taken from her at birth.’

‘And is it true?’ My eyes are locked on her. Lifting the mug to my dry lips, I take a sip of coffee and listen with the intent of someone being told the winning lotto numbers before the draw.

‘We don’t yet know what’s true and what isn’t true but the reason she says she came to your house was she thought Kenny was here.’

‘I’m confused. What made her think that? How would she even know where Tom lived?’

‘I asked her that, she said she tracked him down using social media.’ Burke turns her attention to Tom. ‘Did she ever contact you?’

‘Absolutely not.’ Tom moves in the chair, pushing it back from the table. ‘I never heard from that woman.’

‘Did you know her name?’

‘What do you mean?’ Tom’s growing agitation is showing in his quivering voice.