Page 23 of The Guilty Girl

‘That’s what she said.’

Lottie parked that information. ‘Let’s back up a little. Did you and Lucy have an argument last night?’

‘Well, she invited me to her party, but then she acted like she’d made a mistake or something. She made fun of me in front of her friends.’

‘What happened when she made fun of you?’

Hannah ignored the question. ‘How did she die?’ she asked earnestly, and Lottie felt sad at the intense saucer-like eyes.

‘The exact cause of death won’t be confirmed until the state pathologist conducts a post-mortem. All I can say is that Lucy suffered a serious assault. It’s likely she was murdered,’ Lottie added for maximum effect, to see how the girl reacted. Unfair of her? She thought it was necessary or they’d be going round in circles all day.

Hannah sat stock still for a moment, before slipping from the chair in a faint. Babs was too late to catch her, and she slid under the table.

‘Look what you’ve done to my daughter!’ Babs sobbed as she knelt on the floor and held her. ‘How could you be so cruel?’

While they awaited the doctor’s arrival, Hannah woke up cradled in her mother’s arms. Kirby had got bottled water while Lottie fetched a T-shirt from her locker for the girl to change into.

Babs glanced up at them. ‘Please, give us some privacy.’

Lottie and Kirby left them alone.

‘What do you think?’ Lottie leaned against the wall with one foot up against it, the other taking her weight. She crossed her arms, feeling drained.

‘She doesn’t look strong enough to have carried out such a frenzied assault,’ Kirby said, tapping his shirt pocket for a cigar that he couldn’t smoke indoors. ‘There was a lot of blood in the living room. Whoever killed Lucy wounded her there, then chased her through the kitchen and up the stairs, where they finished what they’d started. That takes stamina.’

‘Blood spatter analysis will confirm if it’s all Lucy’s blood. But what if Hannah was high on whatever pill she took? She might have exceeded her normal energy levels. Plus she is an athlete.’

‘If the DNA from the blood on her hands is a match to Lucy, that’s game over. Drugged or not.’

Lottie shook her head thoughtfully. ‘It doesn’t sit well with me, Kirby. A DNA hit will only prove she was present when the assault occurred, or even afterwards. It could be from earlier in the night. It doesn’t mean she actually killed her friend.’

‘Do you believe they were friends?’

‘It seems a bit of an anomaly for Lucy to invite Hannah and then treat her badly.’ Lottie pushed away from the wall and paced in small circles. ‘Unless Lucy wanted her there to humiliate her in front of their peers.’

‘That might have caused Hannah to flip out.’

‘Ivy mentioned that Hannah and Lucy had an argument. We need to get all those kids interviewed. Someone who was there has to know what actually happened.’

‘If she gets a solicitor, we won’t get anything else out of her.’

‘We need to find out how and when she got home. She claims she can’t remember much, but she dropped her clothing in the basement. Why do that if she wasn’t guilty?’

‘But if she was guilty, she’d have washed the clothes and the towel, or thrown them in a street bin. It’s all a bit odd if you ask me, boss.’

‘We need the DNA analysis fast-tracked. Get onto the lab and impress on them that we need the results in order to arrest the murderer of a teenage girl.’

‘Will do.’

‘And prepare a search warrant for the Byrnes’ flat. We have probable cause. We need to find rock-solid evidence. The post-mortem should help too. If Hannah really is under the influence of drugs, we can’t interview her further.’

‘Okay. I’ll organise a drug test,’ Kirby said.

‘I want that Glennon man brought in.’

‘Who?’

‘Athletics coach, PE teacher guy. It’s not sitting well with me that he was present at a teenage party, especially with the parents away. Why would he put his career in jeopardy like that?’ Lottie couldn’t get her head around it. ‘Something smells off, Kirby. Find out who the DJ is and bring him in. And we need to talk to Cormac O’Flaherty. Get the details for me.’