Page 175 of The Guilty Girl

Seated on the floor, back to back in their own mess, hands and feet bound, mouths gagged, were Albert and Mary McAllister.

Rushing forward, she pulled the gag from Mary’s mouth while Kirby worked on Albert. Mary was unconscious. Lottie glanced at Albert. His eyes were open and bloodshot.

Kirby slit the ropes and caught Mary as she collapsed forward. The uniformed garda was on the radio calling for an ambulance.

Lottie hunkered down in front of Albert. ‘Who did this to you?’

‘T-Terry. I d-don’t understand. I treated him like a son; why would he do this to us? Is Mary okay?’

‘She’s passed out. Might be dehydration. Ambulance is on its way. Did Terry say why he took you?’

‘He said he wanted to talk in private. He drove around back roads for ages, talking shite, and wouldn’t tell me anything useful, but he knew his way around this place.’

She figured Terry coached the young gang of drug pushers within the barracks walls. Why else would Oscar Jones be camping out in the officers’ quarters? Sharon Flood had come here too, to plead for her family.

‘How did he overpower two of you?’

‘He wasn’t alone. Another man joined him.’

‘Noel Glennon?’

‘I don’t know who he was.’

‘Was there a woman with them? Or Ivy Jones?’ Lottie remembered Cormac’s reluctance to name the female Lucy had been so frightened of. And Ivy was still missing.

‘Ivy? No. I miss my daughter. Did … did Terry kill her?’

‘I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.’

Lynch and Garda Lei arrived, followed by McKeown and Garda Brennan. The pantry was suddenly too tight for all of them.

‘We found nothing,’ Lynch said.

Sirens blared in the distance.

Lottie stood. ‘Make room for the paramedics.’

‘Inspector,’ Albert said, ‘find the bastards. I’ll look after Mary.’

She had a mountain of questions for them, but he was right.

‘Lei, you stay with them, and don’t fall asleep. Accompany them to the hospital and stand guard.’

‘Got it. I’m sorry, about Ivy. You know …’

‘Later.’ She holstered her gun, then stepped out of the pantry with her three detectives behind her.

‘Where to now?’ Kirby asked.

‘The boxing club?’ Lynch offered.

‘Industrial estate is too public.’ Lottie shook her head. ‘Where is he?’

‘What about Noel Glennon’s house?’ Kirby said.

‘There was no one there when I sent uniforms yesterday after I’d talked to Sarah Robson.’

‘What about Richie Harrison?’ Lynch said. ‘Ivy could have left home to go to him. Or maybe he took her? But he has a pregnant wife and—’