I’m like a human crutch, said Betty, as she tipped him into the back seat.

Cushla laughed. I’ll bring him home later.

Is it very sore? she asked Davy as she took off.

I’ll live, miss.

He entered the classroom with his head down, the way he always did, but the others treated him like a conquering hero, leading him across the floor. Jonathan pulled his chair out for him and chatted to him the way he did with the other boys. Cushla caught Davy’s eye and winked.

Right, she said. The News.

No one put a hand up.

Jonathan? she said.

Nothing juicy.

There must be something.

The police closed off a road out our way, one of the boys said, a child who lived a few miles out of town.

There must have been an incident, said Jonathan. It’ll be on a bulletin later.

At break time, the children helped Davy out to the playground, two of them carrying his chair. Cushla went to the staffroom. Gerry was sitting on the windowsill with tea for her.

How’s the wee lad?

Limping, said Cushla. The others are being nice to him. He doesn’t know what to make of all the attention.

What are you going to do for the summer?

Help in the bar. Take my ma to Killarney for a few days. What about you?

I’m going to France with some of the boys. You should think about it.

Gerry Devlin, you hardly want me away with you and your mates, she said.

You’re decent craic, when you’re not moping about with a face on you. And I need to get you away from lover boy, whoever the fuck he is.

That’s all sorted out now.

You dumped him?

No. But it’s going to be OK.

Cushla dropped Davy home, tooting her horn and telling Betty through the open window she was in a rush. She left them on the footpath, waving. On the way back to town, she parked across her driveway and ran inside to change her clothes. In the kitchen, the teapot was as she had left it that morning and nothing on the worktop hinted at dinner. She took the stairs two at a time and began pushing doors open, afraid of finding her mother bleeding or passed out in bed or bath, but the house was empty. Gina had been to the hairdresser’s yesterday and usually did her gin run in the morning, when the off-licence was quiet. Where could she be?