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‘We need to trace Edie Butler’s last movements,’ he said, ‘in order to get a handle on whether she went with someone willingly or unwillingly. Last known sighting was around three thirty on Friday, when she left her place of work.’

Martina filled in the team on her interview with Marge Woods at Happy Hair.

Garda Lei informed them of his find in the river: what could be a tote bag from the salon.

McKeown found his voice before Kirby could comment. ‘There’s no CCTV along that stretch of river. There is a camera on the opposite side of the fruit and veg shop, but guess what?’

‘It doesn’t work?’ Kirby said.

‘Bingo. So that’s a dead end. We are still checking out other businesses in the vicinity, though none are located close to theriver. SOCOs are still on site, and a couple of them have gone to Edie’s apartment to do a sweep there.’

‘What about Robert Hayes’s house?’ Martina asked.

Kirby caught her eye. ‘I asked Grainne to call round there. Hope he admits the SOCOs without need for a warrant.’

‘Why do you want to search there?’ McKeown asked.

Kirby said, ‘I thought I saw what looked like blood spatter on the kitchen counter and tiles.’

‘There were no visible wounds on Edie’s body,’ McKeown pointed out.

‘I’ll follow up with the assistant state pathologist,’ Kirby said, ‘and see what she has to say.’

‘Yeah, do that.’ McKeown was now as adamant as Kirby about who was in charge. Martina ducked her head from the incoming fire.

Kirby puffed out his chest like a turkey cock. ‘You need to work on whatever CCTV footage is available from around the town.’

‘I’ve already had a glimpse at what we’ve got so far. It picks up Edie at various locations, all on her route to Miller’s Road, where she lived. It seems she went straight home.’

‘There’s a carwash down the road from her apartment. Maybe check their cameras, if they have any.’

‘They’ve no CCTV there and none at the apartments. We’re canvassing her neighbours, and if any have doorbell cameras we will gather that footage. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.’

‘Where is the last place we have sight of her?’

‘Walking by the greyhound stadium at three forty. It’s about a ten-minute brisk walk from the salon to Miller’s Road.’

‘We can assume she reached home, because her handbag was found on the floor there,’ Martina said.

McKeown gave one of his derisive snorts. ‘Maybe she left it there that morning. You heard Garda Lei. The remnants of a totebag were found at the scene. Did you ask this Marge woman if Edie had a handbag or a tote bag?’

‘Did you see her with either bag on the CCTV?’ Martina asked.

McKeown fiddled with his iPad. ‘She has a handbag strung over her shoulder. No tote bag.’

‘Then she got home. Got inside her front door,’ Kirby said. ‘So did she drop the handbag then, or was she about to leave when someone came to the door?’

‘Perhaps she was just untidy,’ McKeown said.

Martina shook her head. ‘I don’t buy that. Her home was neat as a new pin. No, it was dropped there and she had no time to pick it back up. Someone surprised her.’

‘Did she let them in? Or leave with them?’ Kirby tapped his shirt pocket.

‘Is there a back door?’ McKeown asked.

‘Yes,’ Martina said. ‘I went to the kitchen with Noel to fetch the bag. She could have grabbed the tote and left that way.’

‘Doesn’t matter which way she left, we have no eyes on her after three forty. But someone out there knows where she went.’ McKeown slammed the cover of his iPad shut.