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McKeown had had enough of office cabin fever, so he headed to Diana Nolan’s house. He felt better suited to talk to Laura’s mother rather than asking Garda Brennan, who was as thick as two ditches since he’d broken up with her.

He almost did an about-turn when he saw Martina’s grumpy face at the door.

She brought him inside. ‘Are you checking up on me?’

He reckoned she was still sore over her last FLO mistake. ‘Don’t be silly. I need to talk to Diana.’

‘She went for a walk with her grandson. Should be back soon.’

‘How long is it since they left?’ He sat at the small kitchen table and rubbed a hand over his shaven head. He was uncomfortable being in close proximity to Martina. She was sexy as fuck and that was what he wanted to do whenever he was close to her.

‘About an hour ago,’ she said. ‘Diana can come and go as she pleases. I’m only here to support her.’

‘You don’t have to convince me. I know how the family liaison system works.’

‘What do you want with her?’ Martina stood as far away as she could in the tiny kitchen, which was still close enough to touch his elbow.

‘I need to find out if Laura was ever in rehab. It’s come up in the investigation. It seems that John Morgan and Shannon Kenny, who appears to be missing, were in rehab at the same time, in the same place.’

‘Appears to be missing? She either is or isn’t.’

‘She didn’t come home from a night out, so it’s possible she might not be missing. It’s suspicious because she was also on that escort website, same as Laura.’

‘That’s an interesting connection.’

‘It is, and she was in Cuan rehab centre last year, same as John Morgan. What makes it even more interesting is that Gordon Collins, Morgan’s employer, makes an annual donation to Cuan.’

‘You have been busy. But it’s all circumstantial, isn’t it? This Shannon might be okay.’

‘Possibly, but we have three dead in the space of a few days, cause enough to treat her disappearance as a priority. If Diana confirms that Laura was in rehab too, then we have another link.’

‘What about the woman who was found dead this morning? Any developments there?’

‘Appeals have gone out for information, but we haven’t identified her yet. Next step is to issue her death photo to the public, but I don’t think the boss is too keen on doing that. Not yet, anyhow. Would you ring Diana? I need to talk to her and get back to the office.’

With a groan, Martina called the grieving mother. ‘No answer.’

The Aroma Café was quiet, which suited Diana. Aaron happily traced a chip around the pool of ketchup on his plate while she sipped her second cup of frothy milky coffee. She’d heaped three sachets of sugar into it, hoping that the sweetness would clear her head.

A plan. She needed to come up with one, and fast. With the garda ensconced in her house and others dipping in and out asking questions about Laura, Diana knew it’d be more difficult to disappear.

‘When is my mam coming home?’ Aaron interrupted her futile thoughts.

‘I told you, sweetheart, she’s gone to stay with the angels. She’s happy in heaven.’

‘Is she not happy here with me?’

‘She is… was. But she wants to be able to look down on you from the clouds and care for you with the angels.’

‘Why can’t she care for me here?’

How did one convince a little boy his mother was dead? Diana was at a loss to find the right words while her own heart was shattered. The image of angels and fluffy clouds would not satisfy her grandson for long. ‘I don’t know, honey. Please eat your chippies and let me think.’

‘Think about what?’

‘Stuff.’

‘I want to go home and play with my toys.’

‘Soon. You have to eat all your chippies first.’

Her phone vibrated on the table and skittered away from her hand. Martina. Again. Could she not allow her a little time to herself? She could feck right off.

‘Would you like to go on holiday with me, Aaron?’

‘To the seaside?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Can Mam come too?’

Diana groaned. This would be so much more difficult than she had imagined. There was no way she was waiting around for the guards to pin Laura’s murder on her. She needed to go home for their passports. That was when it hit her. Aaron didn’t have a passport.