Page 138 of The Altar Girls

She felt Garda Lei’s eyes on her as he answered. ‘A forensically aware person?’

‘That’s everybody nowadays.’ She pointed. ‘I’ve been meaning to go up along that path. Someone mentioned it during the investigation.’ She peered at the curved tarmac path that disappeared into snow-laden trees. Wasn’t it Jacinta Nally who’d said something about Alfie riding his bike there?

‘It was searched after Willow’s body was found. I followed some young lads around here on bikes during the summer. Little feckers. Bane of my life, they are. Will I take a look? I don’t mind. I can—’

‘SOCOs have been all over it,’ she said. Then it struck her that a few minutes without Lei’s incessant chatter would be sublime. ‘Yes, maybe you should…’ The crunch of footsteps behind them made her swing around. ‘The very man.’

‘I heard you were looking for me.’ Father Maguire was wrapped up in a padded jacket with a beanie hat pulled down over his ears. ‘Father Pearse just phoned.’

‘We need to talk,’ she said. ‘Garda Lei, head up the path and report back to me on anything I need to know.’

Lei trudged off, and Maguire said, ‘Let’s go inside, Inspector.’

The church was only a few degrees warmer than outside, but Lottie welcomed it. They sat in the last pew. He’d taken off his hat and his hair fell across his dark eyes. Studying his face, she felt a tickle of apprehension in her throat.

‘Inspector? How can I help you?’ His voice, though low, shattered the silence.

‘Sorry, I was miles away.’

She gulped down the thoughts spreading like fungus through her brain. She should be interviewing him under caution at the station, but then again, he might open up in his familiar surroundings. The formalities could follow. An army of little hairs stood to attention on the nape of her neck.

‘Care to tell me about Ruth Kiernan?’

His brow furrowed into a V. ‘What about Ruth?’

‘You seemed interested in the welfare of her children.’

‘As any charitable and Christian person would be.’

‘Come on, Father. Ruth used to live in Sligo, but when her husband was arrested, she moved to Ragmullin. Did she follow you here?’

‘Hey, what are you implying?’

‘Answer the question.’

‘I don’t have to answer you, but the truth is, I don’t know why she came here.’

‘Really?’

‘Inspector, I don’t know how that woman’s mind works. I doubt she does either. She claims to be religious, but I have knowledge that she may have harmed her own children.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘A childcare worker asked me to keep an eye on the family.’

‘Julian Bradley?’

‘That’s him.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’

‘I didn’t want to betray a confidence.’

‘Two little girls have been murdered. You should have told me.’

‘I’m sorry.’ He fidgeted with his hands and Lottie wondered what else he might be keeping from her.

‘I need all the information I can get. Some of it might be useless, but buried in there might be the key to everything.’