Page 47 of The Guilty Girl

‘It’s fine.’ Lynch held up a hand in surrender. ‘I can handle him.’

‘You sure?’

‘Honestly, it’s okay.’

‘Good to hear.’ Lottie wasn’t sure how long Lynch could keep control for, but she couldn’t afford to lose McKeown yet. He had skills that others on her team hadn’t, so it was imperative to keep things calm until they found Lucy McAllister’s killer. ‘Did you get into Lucy’s laptop?’

‘Gary broke the password for me.’

‘And?’ Lottie couldn’t hide her impatience. She had to meet Lucy’s parents soon, and she’d love to have something positive to report to them at a time of inevitable shock and grief.

‘I’m trawling through her social media accounts. So help me, if I see another selfie, I’ll cry. That girl loved herself.’

‘They all do at that age,’ Lottie said, thinking of her daughters, though she didn’t think it held true for Hannah Byrne. ‘Any clues as to why someone might want Lucy dead?’

‘No, but I found something in her emails. It seems she’d planned to meet someone last weekend. Don’t know who. Gary is trying to trace the email user. It’s a bit weird.’

‘Explain.’

‘It says, “Meet at Lagh Café, 19.00, Saturday. Bring a sexy nightie.” That location doesn’t exist, and whoever she was conversing with used an anonymous account. Someone who feared discovery, perhaps?’

‘Damn. Did Lucy reply?’

‘Just to say “I’ll be there.”’

‘Wherever there is. Have a word with Ivy Jones. She’s Lucy’s best friend and she might know about this.’

‘Will do.’

‘Print out the email for me, and any others you find like that one. I’m expecting the McAllisters back any minute.’

‘Rather you than me.’

‘Thanks a bunch,’ Lottie said drily.

23

Lottie checked in on Hannah and was surprised to find her mother absent. A uniformed officer was standing guard outside the door, so there was no way the girl could make a run for it. Not that she seemed to be in any fit state to walk, let alone run.

‘Apologies for the psychiatrist’s delay,’ Lottie said. ‘Outside my control. We can’t continue until the evaluation deems you fit for interview.’

‘Why do I even need it?’

‘The doctor has taken blood samples, which should determine if you were drugged with …’ She paused. She didn’t want to frighten the girl. ‘The psychiatrist needs to find out if your faculties are impaired from whatever drug you took.’

Hannah chipped away at her cracked nails. ‘And if I’m unfit for questioning, what happens then?’

‘You may have to go into hospital for observation.’

‘I just want to go home. I feel rotten.’

‘Where is your mother?’

‘She went to check on Olly. She’ll be back as soon as she can.’

‘Do you want anything to eat or drink?’

‘Someone brought me a bottle of water.’