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The emergency response teams had to park up along the road and inch their way down the riverbank carrying their equipment. They immediately got to work.

A young garda stood in front of Maura, notebook in hand, asking a barrage of questions. Time of arrival, what she’d done, when she’d noticed the body. She was physically and mentally drained and it wasn’t yet 8.30 a.m.

‘I can’t stay here much longer,’ she said. ‘Honestly. I need to get to work. I’ve no annual leave left because I took three weeks to visit my sister in Dubai and …’ She knew she was rambling, but her eyes were glued to the paramedics as they attended to the body in the water. She checked the time on her phone. ‘I really need to go. I have to shower and then change into my work clothes… This is a nightmare.’ She couldn’t halt the hysteria screeching in her voice.

‘You’re thinking of work at a time like this?’ the young garda enquired.

Maura hugged her hoodie tight to her chest. ‘I can’t process this. Is it a woman that’s dead?’

‘I just need to confirm all your details. A short statement. Then you can?—’

‘Look, I gave my details to that other guard over there. Check with him. Can’t you call me later?’

‘I suppose I?—’

‘Thank you. I’m so shocked by all this, I can’t think straight.’ Maura kept her eyes averted from the reeds where the body lay partially submerged. White-suited CSI technicians, or whatever they were called, were attempting to erect a tent on the riverbank.

Once the guard allowed her to leave, she turned and ran, hobbling in her ripped running shoe, not caring about stones getting through to her foot. Life was a whole lot worse for the poor unfortunate in the river.

3

COUNTY GALWAY

The car was warm as Lottie drove behind Boyd on their way to Connemara for his sister’s wedding the coming weekend. They’d brought both cars because he had to go home later in the week to pick up his son, who was staying with Kirby and his girlfriend, and Lottie didn’t want to be stuck in the wilds with no transport of her own. They’d decided to make a holiday out of the break away. She wondered how that would go.

She hit the hands-free phone. ‘Can we stop soon? I need to pee.’

They turned off the motorway at Ballinasloe and parked at an imposing hotel. After using the bathroom, she entered the roomy lounge bar and joined Boyd, who’d ordered coffee and sandwiches.

‘It’s no more than a two-hour drive,’ he said. ‘You should have gone to the toilet before we left.’

‘You’d think I was a child,’ she said, unable to hide a grin.

‘You act like one at times.’

She swatted his arm playfully. He was joking, but still, it rankled a little. It had been Boyd’s idea to take the time off. Lottie hadn’t been sure about being away from her family for an entire week, but they were due to arrive on Sunday, the day ofthe wedding. And if she was fully truthful with herself, she would miss her job too.

Their food and drinks arrived.

‘Grace will be delighted to see us,’ Boyd said. ‘She wants you to help her with the last-minute arrangements.’

‘I’m not sure I’ll be any use to her, but I’ll try.’ She had only met Boyd’s sister a handful of times and figured Grace wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. Then again, neither was she. ‘Have you even met Bryan yet?’

‘No, but he sounds grand on the phone. A real farmer.’

‘Whatever that means,’ she said.

‘Down-to-earth. No airs and graces. Nice man.’

‘I hope he is, because I wouldn’t like Grace to get hurt.’

‘Neither would I,’ Boyd said. ‘He seems sound anyhow.’

She picked at her sandwich, feeling uneasy. ‘I wish we’d booked a hotel for the week. I’m a bit iffy about staying with people I don’t really know.’

‘Grace would be insulted if we didn’t stay with them.’ Boyd wiped his mouth with a napkin. ‘Are you finished? We need to get back on the road. Grace said she’d have lunch ready for us.’

‘I’ll just use the bathroom again so that you won’t be cribbing at me.’