No Safe Place(Detective Lottie Parker #4)(106)

Ninety-Two





Lottie watched as Boyd digested the information.

‘Okay, so we don’t know which brother it was,’ he said. ‘Maguire won’t tell and he says he’s never raised it with whichever one it was over the last ten years. That doesn’t make sense.’

‘Dealing with covering up for the fire tainted his judgement. So he says. I was lucky to get that much out of him.’

‘And there’s no mention in the file of either brother meeting her that day?’

‘Not a dicky bird.’

‘We better get them in.’

‘Wait, Boyd. There may be no connection to Lynn’s case but if we do that, and he’s the one who’s taken Mollie and Grace, he might never tell us where they are. We need a strategy.’

He let out a sigh. His hands were trembling and sweat bubbled on his brow. She reached over but he folded his arms.

He said, ‘We’ve searched the town high up and low down for Mollie, without a result.’

‘What about Rochfort Gardens? That’s where the girls ran.’

‘There are acres out there.’

‘Exactly. And an old house and all those ridiculous follies.’

Boyd got on the phone and organised a search team and the garda helicopter.

‘Where else?’ he said as he hung up.

‘The train station and surrounding areas have already been searched. Including the old buildings. So that’s out.’

‘What about that terrace of dilapidated houses where Donal O’Donnell lives?’

‘Another possibility,’ she said.

Boyd lifted the phone to organise that search.

‘Just a minute.’ Lottie halted him. He was moving too fast. They needed to think. ‘We don’t want to spook anyone. Maybe we should get Donal out of there first.’

‘How can we do that without causing suspicion?’

‘I’ll say we have new evidence on Lynn and need him to identify something.’

‘He might’ve been in on it.’

She paused. She hadn’t considered that.

‘Makes sense. A family thing. Hiding the possibility that Lynn got pregnant with a traveller.’

Once she’d said the words, Lottie realised something.

‘Shit, Boyd. What happened to her baby?’





Ninety-Three





When Donal O’Donnell refused to come to the station. Lottie decided to go to him.

In the car, her phone rang.

‘Is that Inspector Lottie Parker?’

‘Yes. Who’s this?’

‘Keelan. Keelan O’Donnell.’

‘What can I do for you?’

‘You never contacted me.’

‘Sorry. Things are hectic.’ And that was putting it mildly, Lottie thought. ‘What’s up?’

‘It’s Cillian. I don’t know where he is. And …’

‘And?’

‘Things are bad at home. Very bad, the last few months. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I think he’s up to something.’

‘Something?’ Lottie rolled her eyes over at Boyd. ‘Like what?’

‘I think he’s seeing someone else. Look, the reason … I’m scared, Inspector. He’s become a bit violent. I’m terrified he’ll do something to me, to Saoirse.’

‘Keelan, I’m on my way to your father-in-law’s place. Why don’t you meet me there?’



* * *



The television was on, the sound muted. The candle on the dresser in front of Lynn’s photograph remained unlit. Donal sat at the table with his hands clenched in fists. Opposite him, Lottie sat with Boyd.

‘Mr O’Donnell. Donal. Can you tell us about the day Lynn disappeared?’

‘Jesus. Now you’ve found her body, all you have are questions. It’s all in the file. I’m sure it’s a big fat file. You can’t miss it.’ He pulled the newspaper towards him and began to fold it.

‘We have new information.’

‘You have her body.’

‘We believe Lynn got off the train this day ten years ago and was met by her brother. Did she come home? Did something happen? A family row because she was in love with a traveller? Something like that, huh?’

The paper-folding exercise halted, his hand in the air. ‘What makes you say that?’

‘Remember I told you about the ring the pathologist found inside Lynn’s body?’

‘What about it?’

‘It was given to Lynn by Paddy McWard.’

His lip curled up to his nose. ‘That piece of scum. I wouldn’t let him near my sons, never mind my daughter.’

‘But he was near your daughter. According to Paddy, they were in love. Probably would’ve run off together to get married if someone hadn’t stopped that happening.’

She recoiled as Donal spat on the kitchen floor. ‘He wasn’t near my girl.’

Deciding offence was the best option, she said, ‘I have reason to believe one of her brothers picked her up from the train. Did they come back here? A big row broke out. Then what?’