‘Did you know, Tom?’ He’s shaking his head slowly from side to side still holding a card in his hand. His face has turned green, his eyes locked open in shock. Tom didn’t know.

He makes the call immediately.

Chapter Fifty

‘What’s wrong?’ Ellen arrives in the door all flustered. We take her to the kitchen to where the cards are laid out on the table. On seeing them, she staggers.

‘Oh God… Oh God.’

‘What’s going on, Ellen?’

‘I… Oh God…’

‘Here, sit down, Ma.’ Tom pulls out a chair and Ellen drops into it. Her face pales, her eyes fill with tears.

‘I’m sorry… I’m sorry.’

‘Just tell us what happened?’ Tom sits on the chair beside her while I hover at the opposite side of the table. Ellen doesn’t know where to start, her eyes are darting from Tom to me.

‘She came to me.’

‘Who?’

‘A young woman, the week before your wedding… She told me about Kenny being born, that he was your baby, she told me.’ Ellen looks at Tom. ‘I didn’t know what to do, Tom. I didn’t want the wedding cancelled. I wanted you to marry Sally.’ Ellen lifts her eyes to look at me. ‘You were so good for him, I didn’t want it ruined.’

‘But why did you believe her? Why didn’t you tell me?’ Tom’s voice is growing in anger.

‘I know. I should have… but I just panicked.’

‘What did you do then? Why did she go away?’

‘I offered her money.’

‘You what? Did Dad know?’

‘No I never told him. I gave her money and she promised to leave you alone.’

‘You paid her off… Ma… is that what you’re saying?’

‘I didn’t know what else to do, I couldn’t let her ruin your life.’

‘Why did you think it would ruin my life?’

This sounds a bit concocted, a woman knocking on the door saying Tom was the baby’s father.

‘Why didn’t you ask for proof, Ellen?’

She lifts her head to answer me. ‘I did… I did… I told her that I didn’t believe her but…’

‘But what?’

Ellen bursts into tears. ‘Oh it just got so complicated.’

‘Okay, Ma, take a breather. Do you want some water?’

Tom nods at me to get her a glass of water. Turning the tap on, I look out the window to the empty garden to the spot where Joyce McCarthy climbed the wall.

I curse the night the senior footballers won the championship. One mistake, one stupid mistake. For the past sixteen years Ellen has lived with this, dealt with it on her own and for what? Now we’re in the middle of a murder investigation.

Tom walks over and takes the glass from my hand. He’s shaking.