Page 36 of Hidden Daughters (Detective Lottie Parker #15)

RAGMULLIN

Kirby knew he was on a hiding to nothing when Superintendent Farrell called him into her office. Her words flew high above his head.

No suspects.

No witnesses.

No clue.

What was he at? Was he even a detective?

Bring me results.

Her words resounded heavily through his brain as he made his way back to the incident room. He couldn’t dispute any of what she’d said.

‘I’m useless,’ he said to Martina.

‘No you’re not. You were landed in at the deep end. You just need to think what the boss would do.’

‘She’d chew my arse out for lack of results.’

‘Our prime suspect has fled the town,’ she said. ‘We have issued alerts for him and his car. McKeown is going through every bit of CCTV we can lay our hands on. All interested parties have been interviewed. What more can we do?’

He raised his shoulders, then let them drop, defeated. ‘There has to be something to throw a light on this murder. Have you got anywhere with Edie’s background?’

‘It’s a bit of a dead duck really. There’s plenty to learn about her in the almost twenty years she’s lived in Ragmullin, but before that there’s barely anything.’

‘What about her husband?’

‘She was married for a few years. Fred Butler. He’s definitely dead. Car accident when the younger boy was a baby. That seems to be when she moved here. She had lived in Galway for a time. Not much to report really.’

‘What brought her to Ragmullin?’

‘Maybe she wanted a fresh start.’

‘Did Marge Woods have anything to offer?’

‘She’s more concerned with the latest fashion trend in false eyelashes. The salon owner is due back today from her holiday in France. I’ll go have a chat with her.’

‘Do, and please come back with something to keep the super off my back.’

She laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’ll do my best.’