No Safe Place(Detective Lottie Parker #4)(14)

‘It can’t be Elizabeth.’ Anna appeared resolute in her conviction as she folded her arms and sniffed back more tears. ‘She never goes there.’

‘I’m sorry, Anna, I know this is hard for you, but we have reason to believe it may be your daughter. And we need you to formally confirm her identity.’

‘I told you she was missing. No one believed me.’ The woman’s voice was almost inaudible before it rose an octave. ‘You said you couldn’t look for her because you had to wait forty-eight hours. Well, it’s over forty-eight hours since I last saw her. You can start searching now.’ She unfolded her arms and tore the oilcloth with her nail. Worried the hole larger and dug her finger into the wood of the table.

Lottie stared at Boyd. Come on, she pleaded silently. Time to work some more of his charm.

‘Anna,’ he said softly. ‘We think we’ve found Elizabeth’s body. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

She nodded, and more tears fell from her eyes.

‘Please let me call someone to come and sit with you,’ Lottie said.

‘I’ll be fine. Do you want to ask questions about Elizabeth? Go on. Ask me. Better to do it now. Then you’ll know you’ve made a mistake.’

‘We can do that another time,’ Boyd said quickly.

Anna thumped the table. ‘Ask me now. Before it hits me properly.’

‘If you’re sure?’ Lottie said.

The woman nodded.

Lottie lowered her voice, speaking as softly as she could. ‘Tell us about your daughter. What was she like? Her friends and—’

‘I told that nice young Garda O’Donoghue everything.’

‘We need to discover her last movements. Had her mood changed recently?’

‘She was the same as usual. On the go. Flitting here and there. She never sits still for two minutes. Always has to be doing something. Do you have children, Inspector?’

‘I do,’ Lottie said. Anna’s description of Elizabeth reminded her of her own Chloe. ‘Three teenagers. Well, Katie is twenty now.’

‘You know what it’s like then. Racing in and out of the house. Changing her clothes a dozen times a day. Out at nightclubs. She goes jogging on Saturday and Sunday mornings. At Rochfort Gardens. During the week, she has to drag herself to the station for the early commuter train.’

Lottie thought this was a world removed from Katie’s. ‘Did she have many friends?’

‘She has a few. No one close comes to mind. She hangs out with Carol O’Grady, even though I don’t approve. Not that I’m a snob or anything.’

‘You don’t like Carol?’

Anna didn’t answer the question. She said, ‘Elizabeth is an only child, so it’s mostly just me and her.’

‘Boyfriend?’ Boyd asked.

Anna was silent for a moment before she lifted her head. She looked directly at him.

‘She had her heart broken a year ago. She was sure he was the one for her. All talk of getting married and looking for a mortgage and the like. No ring ever appeared, though, and then he disappeared from the scene.’

‘Disappeared?’ Lottie raised a quizzical eyebrow.

‘Not like that. He worked in a bank in Dublin and was transferred to a Munich branch. Upped and left my girl with a shattered heart. The bastard. Sorry, I only use bad language where Matt Mullin is concerned.’

Lottie heard Boyd scribble the name in his notebook. She said, ‘Did the break-up affect her badly?’

‘Very. She started going out with her girlfriends every night. Even on work nights. She’d never done that before. Heartbroken, my poor pet.’ Anna wiped away the tears that were dripping down her chin.

Lottie reached out and gripped her hand. ‘This Matt guy, is he still in Munich?’

Anna drew back as if Lottie had pinched her. ‘Do you think he could be back in town? Do you think he’s involved somehow? Did that bastard kill my girl?’ Anger rapidly replacing heartache.

‘We don’t know anything yet,’ Lottie said. ‘Is he originally from Ragmullin?’

‘Yes. He lived on the old Dublin road. I’m sure you can find his address.’

‘You gave Garda O’Donoghue a list of Elizabeth’s friends. I don’t recall this Matt being on it.’

‘He’s not a friend. I’ve been trying to forget about him since he dumped my girl. Last Valentine’s Day. Can you believe it? She thought he was wining and dining her to present her with a diamond. Some kick in the teeth he presented her with that night.’

‘That’s awful,’ Lottie said. ‘I’ll definitely contact him.’

‘Do that.’ Anna was dry-eyed now, glaring. Lottie realised that shock was setting in.

‘Did she date anyone after Matt?’

Anna shook her head. ‘No. I’d have known.’

‘Could she have been dating without telling you?’

‘Like I said, I’d have known.’

‘Sunday night last. Did she do anything different?’

‘She was the same as always.’

‘But can you tell me what she did that night?’ Lottie knew she appeared heartless, but she had to continue with the questions while Anna was prepared to talk.