Page 132 of The Altar Girls

‘He’s loyal but an idiot, so good luck with that. You won’t find any discrepancies.’ Connolly paused and his face lit up as though a thought had just struck him. ‘Unless Jasper is involved.’

‘Jasper has an iron-clad alibi for the last three days.’ Not totally iron-clad, but his mother had vouched that he’d been with her because they’d been snowbound.

‘Inspector, I must point out that you have nothing on which to hold my client,’ Duff said.

‘Can I remind you, Mr Duff, that your client has admitted to abducting a young boy.’

‘I didn’t abduct him,’ Connolly said petulantly.

‘Too late for denials. We have your admission on tape.’ She opened the file again and placed the final photograph before him.

‘What’s that?’

‘You tell me.’

‘Looks like rosary beads. Never seen it before in my life.’

‘It’s quite distinctive.’ She decided to lay out her thoughts. ‘Maurice, over the years, you’ve been in and out of the Dream Care nursing home in Gaddstown.’

‘So? I have legitimate reason for going in there.’ He didn’t seem surprised by her questioning changing direction.

She wished she had more concrete evidence rather than simply conjecture, but she ploughed on regardless.

‘Elderly people have faith in their religion and many of them use rosary beads.’ This reasoning sounded weak even to herself. ‘More often than not, when a resident of the home dies, a rosary is left with the body to accompany them on their final journey. A journey you prepare them for.’

‘What are you trying to say?’

‘It’s possible that you took this rosary from one of the residents and placed it in Willow Devine’s hands.’ Not a shred of evidence, but she wanted to see his reaction.

Duff saw where this was leading and blurted out, ‘That’s all conjecture. Where is your evidence?’

Good question. Forensics hadn’t returned any findings yet, but she hoped even a partial fingerprint might be found on the rosary. All that took time, however. Hopefully the search of his business premises would quickly yield results.

‘I will get the evidence,’ she conceded.

Duff’s eyes lit up. ‘You have nothing to link my client to the murders. I demand you release him.’

‘No can do. He’s been arrested for Alfie Nally’s abduction. That’s what I’m charging him with. I could offer a little leniency on that charge if Maurice admits to his involvement in the murders.’

Connolly was close to tears again. ‘How can I admit to something I had no hand in?’

With his words echoing in her brain, Lottie nodded to McKeown and they squeezed their way out of the tiny, stuffy interview room. She needed evidence.

82

Kirby still hadn’t returned with Father Maguire. Lottie concerned herself with what to do about Alfie Nally. There was no physical evidence to link him to the murders, though he had admitted to taking Bethany. Was it as innocent as he’d said, or had he had an ulterior motive? It was hard to read the boy.

After speaking with Superintendent Farrell, they decided to release him with a caution. She also needed to see if Isaac Kiernan wanted to press charges.

Despite having a million things to do, she drove over to the Kiernan house. Do one thing at a time, she told herself.

Isaac opened the door and directed her into the sitting room. Bethany was curled up asleep on an armchair. Ruth was on the couch holding Jacob. Her long hair was plaited again and wrapped around her head. It made her look angelic but did little to disguise the hardness in her eyes. Despite the pall of sadness hanging over the room, Lottie sensed a tension between the couple.

She remained standing.

‘When can we have our daughter’s body back?’ Isaac asked, almost in a whisper. The term beaten man was never more apt.

‘We need to organise her funeral,’ Ruth said. ‘It’s not good enough that you—’ She was stopped by a glance from her husband. They were both as taut as guitar strings, and Lottie wondered which of them would snap first.

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