Page 74 of The Guilty Girl

‘It’s being taken care of. I’d appreciate it if you could call round. It’s important.’

Lottie looked at the time on the dashboard. The meeting would have to be delayed. She floored the accelerator. ‘Can you email it to me?’

‘You need to see this before anyone else is made aware of it. It concerns your son.’

‘Shit. On my way.’

Disconnecting the call, Lottie pressed the speed-dial for Sean. It rang out. She swung up the slip road, driving off the motorway. Once she was on the Ragmullin road, she never let her foot up off the accelerator. All the while her mind was churning over what Gráinne could have found.

She had a bad feeling about it.

Gráinne’s demeanour had dulled with tiredness in the hours since Lottie had left the crime scene. She was standing in the living room, where most of the destruction had occurred.

‘Gráinne, what’s so urgent?’

‘There was a bundle of jackets, sweaters and cardigans behind the couch. Clothing the kids went home without.’

‘Right.’

‘I found a black leather jacket.’ Gráinne’s eyes were penetrating as she waited for Lottie to twig.

She was at a loss as to what the SOCO meant. ‘I’m sorry, but what’s the relevance? Does it belong to the killer, perhaps?’

‘It’s your son’s.’

‘Show me.’

Gráinne opened a large paper evidence bag. Lottie peered in.

‘Gloves first,’ the SOCO ordered.

She pulled on a pair and extracted the jacket. It was Sean’s. After all she’d said, he’d still bloody left it behind him.

‘How do you know it belongs to my son?’

‘His school ID badge was in the inside pocket.’

Lottie’s tongue stuck to her roof of her mouth, her throat dry. She had been transparent about him being at the party – well, semi-transparent, because she hadn’t informed Superintendent Farrell. She’d made it clear to her team that she’d picked him up just after twelve. Now she’d definitely have to tell the superintendent.

She caught Gráinne staring. ‘What? Is there something else?’

‘I’m not sure how to …’

‘Spit it out.’ Her temper was rising, though she knew it was misplaced. Gráinne was only doing her job.

‘There was a box of condoms in the inside pocket. One is missing.’

‘I thought for a minute there you were about to tell me you’d found the murder weapon in my son’s pocket.’

Gráinne bent down to pick up another evidence bag. ‘I also found a knife.’

‘You what?’ Lottie could feel the blood physically draining from her face.

‘A Swiss Army knife.’ The SOCO held up the bag. ‘The good news is, it can’t be the murder weapon. Blade is three inches, so it’s too small.’

‘Oh, that,’ Lottie said, her shoulders sagging as the tension left her body. ‘His dad gave it to him. It’s old. I told him not to carry it around, but obviously he does. Sean was kidnapped a few years ago.’

Her spine shuddered at the memory. Sean had been traumatised, and he still carried within himself the stress and horror of what had happened.