Page 6 of The Altar Girls

‘You’ve been here two years, but you mentioned that Mrs Coyne stopped working for the priests five years ago.’

‘Am I being interrogated, Inspector?’

‘A young child was found dead on church grounds, so yes, I will have to question everyone until I get answers. Tell me what you know about Mrs Coyne.’

‘Like I said, she acts as chaperone for the choir. It gives her something to do. Since her stroke, she calls up to the house regularly. She gets confused easily and at times believes she is still employed by us. One of my colleagues here, Father Pearse, filled me in about her circumstances.’

Lottie trudged on, regretting not having accepted his offer of tea. Despite the warmth of the sacristy, her hands and feet were numb. ‘How long have you been in charge of the choir?’

‘Since I arrived. I did it in my last parish too. Natural for me to establish it here.’

‘Is it all children?’

‘Yes. It’s a children’s choir.’

‘What age group?’

‘Eight to twelve.’

‘Can I have the parents’ contact details? I assume it’s the parents you liaise with?’

‘You assume correctly. I’ll have to ask their permission before I give you their details.’

She was about to argue but knew he was within his rights to refuse, despite a little girl being found murdered.

‘Why do you do it?’

‘Do what? Teach choir?’

‘Be a priest?’

‘That’s an odd question.’

‘Humour me.’ She was thinking of her friend Father Joe Burke. He had previously helped her on a murder case that had resulted in finding her missing young brother’s bones. Father Joe was currently on an extended sabbatical. ‘Was it a vision from God or a bolt of lightning from the heavens?’ She heard Kirby shuffle his feet. She hadn’t noticed him return. So what if she sounded bitchy. Father Maguire was really pulling her chain. Why, though?

He laughed then, and it reached his eyes. He brushed his luxuriant dark hair away from his eyes with slim fingers.

‘Why did you become a guard?’

‘My father was a guard.’ Now she was humouring him. Feck.

‘I could say my father was a priest and you wouldn’t believe me.’

‘Was he?’ Pull the other one, she thought.

‘Yes, he was. And my mother was his housekeeper. I was the dirty secret.’

She tried to pick her chin up off the floor. ‘Seriously?’

‘Seriously.’

‘I’d have thought you’d run a million miles from the Church if that was the case.’

‘Oh, I tried. The hatred and shame went hand in hand with my calling. But I couldn’t fight it. Some force from above drew me into the Church, and here I am.’

‘Is there anything at all you can tell me to help this investigation?’

‘Naomi was a sweet girl, with a beautiful voice. She was a little shy, but nothing stands out to mark her as a target for a killer. I’m sorry, but it’s hard to think straight. Can I contact you if I think of anything that might help?’