Page 140 of Three Widows

‘You worked with her and have a kitchen that seems to have been designed by Éilis Lawlor. Both are now dead. We have another injured woman and two missing.’

‘Who?’

‘Orla Keating is one. She is also a member at SunUp. You treated her and her husband, Tyler. Then there’s Helena McCaul, who runs the herbal shop where you buy your vitamins. Everything leads back to you and Owen.’

‘And now Owen is dead. Did I do something to cause this to happen?’

‘You tell me.’

Lottie wondered at his self-absorption. His husband was dead. Was Frankie Bardon the killer? She shivered and looked around for Boyd, who was conspicuous by his absence. She heard him on the phone in the other room. At least he was close by.

‘I see that look on your face, Inspector. That’s why you asked where I was earlier. You think I’m a murderer.’

‘Everyone is a suspect until they’re not.’

‘Yeah. Tell that to the innocent guys on death row. I think I better stop talking to you now. I want to call Madelene Bowen, my solicitor.’

Lottie felt her eyebrow rise in surprise, but hoped he didn’t notice it. ‘Make the call. Then you’re coming to the station with us to answer a few more questions. Formally.’

‘I need to shower and change. Can I meet you there?’

‘We’ll wait here.’

She watched him amble off, bowing his head under the low lintel. Glancing around the kitchen, she noticed no sign of newly purchased groceries on the worktop. Hadn’t he said he was about to prepare dinner? She had no idea what idli was. She opened the refrigerator. It was sparse. On the counter, she saw his phone. She tapped the screen and exhaled as it opened without the need for a PIN or finger ID. The notes app. A grocery list. She looked around again and noticed a plastic shopping bag bulging with fresh supplies. Shit.

87

Lynch decided McKeown might be too intimidating to face Mrs Foley, and Kirby was wired, ready to snap, so she dragged Garda Lei along with her. She was half sorry after the five-minute drive, because he talked non-stop about being assaulted in Herbal Heaven. God, you’d think no one had ever been injured in the line of duty, the way he went on about it. Did he think he was some sort of hero? Was she being too harsh? He was young and inexperienced and more used to being on his bicycle patrols. She should be more charitable.

He was still talking. ‘I could have concussion, though I hope not. Could I apply for compensation, do you think?’

‘Lei, I’ll be applying for compo if you don’t quit moaning.’

‘I wasn’t moaning… Oh, was I? Sorry. Didn’t mean to. You know the way it is.’

‘I don’t, but I want you to observe in silence as I do the talking with Mrs Foley.’

‘Sure. No problem at all. I’m not one to talk too much normally. Am I?’

Instead of answering him, Lynch hid an eye-roll and rang the doorbell.

‘Wonder where Tyler Keating’s car was stored, seeing as the GPS placed it somewhere close by,’ she said.

‘God only knows,’ Lei said. ‘Garden could do with the run of a lawnmower.’

Did he not know when to shut up? The lime-green door opened after she pressed the bell a second time.

‘Mrs Foley? I’m Detective Maria Lynch and this is Garda Lei. Can we come in for a moment?’

‘Have you located Helena? I can’t stop worrying about her. Come in.’

In the living room, Lynch found the lack of space overwhelming. She glanced at Garda Lei, silently urging him with her eyes not to mention the mess.

‘Nice room,’ he said.

Kathleen lifted a basket of laundry from the couch. ‘It’s hard to keep on top of things in a large house. Too big for me. I’m thinking of selling it.’

‘Really?’ Lei said. ‘It’s gorgeous.’

---