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Irene Dunbar had attended an unscheduled meeting with the Health Service Executive about funding, and once that was over, she’d returned to the office. She’d been glad of the meeting, as she could concentrate on work and not on the other stuff. As she entered the main door, a disgruntled Mona came round the desk to meet her.

‘Irene, there you are. You never answered your phone. You can’t just go off like that and leave me with all this.’ She threw her arms upwards as if the roof was about to fall in on top of them.

‘All what?’

‘Kitchen staff grumbling, therapists, clients, not to mention the guards.’

Irene straightened her back, instantly on alert. ‘What did they want?’

‘The therapists need the main group room fumigated and painted. There’s mushrooms growing out of the ceiling. The cleaners refuse to do it. Say it’s a health hazard and?—’

‘That’s part of the old building.’ Irene tried to keep her voice even while her heart was beating double-time.

‘Yeah, but we give the impression on our website and our brochures that this is a refurbished state-of-the-art facility.’

‘I’ll get on to someone in the morning. What did the guards want?’

‘Asking how clients can afford the care here.’

‘What did you tell them?’ The hairs sprang up on the nape of her neck.

‘I explained about the subsidy system. That information is in the public domain, so I wasn’t telling tales, if that’s what you’re insinuating.’

‘I’m just trying to find out what the bloody guards wanted. Was it that woman again? Inspector Parker?’

‘Yes, and another fine-looking thing.’

‘Mona!’

‘Sorry. They asked about Aneta and how she got the job so quickly after arriving in Ireland.’

‘And?’

‘I mentioned we have a vetting process, but they twigged that that would take time, so I had to tell them someone must have put in a word for her.’

‘You what? Jesus, Mona, no. That’s against regulations.’

‘Me telling them, or you actually doing it?’

Irene detected the scorn lacing the receptionist’s words. ‘I suppose you told them who spoke on Aneta’s behalf.’

‘No, I didn’t, because I have no idea. It’s not written down anywhere.’

‘Good, good.’ Irene took off her gloves and tugged at a stray tendril of hair that had come loose over her ear. ‘I’ll be in my office.’ She made towards the door.

‘Oh, they also wanted to know what sparked Aneta’s outburst that day and who was in the vicinity when it happened.’

‘Suppose you told them?’

‘I told them what I knew, which wasn’t much. What’s going on? Is Cuan mixed up in these murders?’

Irene stopped. ‘This place has nothing to do with those murders. It’s a coincidence. Did the guards say something to plant that idea in your head?’

‘Not at all.’ Mona strode into her cubicle and began banging the keyboard. As Irene entered the code to leave the reception area, the other woman added, ‘I think they were on a fishing mission. They even asked why we cut the grass in January.’

‘You could be right they’re fishing, but I can tell you, this river is dry.’ With that, she left Mona to her work.

Once she was in her office, Irene flopped onto her chair. She turned her hands into fists and twisted them around her eyes. She had to stay strong, because this was going to get a whole lot worse before it got any better. She’d overcome adversity before; she would do so again. She took off her coat and got to work.