Page 77 of The Guilty Girl

‘Got it.’ He tapped something into his iPad.

‘There’s no harm having a look at Liz Flood, Jake’s mother. She arrived home early this morning saying she’d been working all night, but the bar manager at the hotel says she clocked out at twelve fifteen a.m. Where was she after that? We need to tick that box. Anyone got anything else to offer?’

Mumbled muttering greeted her question.

‘Is everyone clear on what you have to do?’

A series of nods greeted the question. It was time to wrap it up before Superintendent Farrell made an unwelcome appearance.

‘Perhaps Hannah Byrne killed Lucy, but we need to eliminate all other suspects. If someone outside of the party group murdered her, how did they gain access to the property? How did they leave? How long was Noel Glennon manning the door? Security cameras were not switched on at the house last night, so find the nearest property with them and check the footage. CCTV in this town leaves a lot to be desired, but keep searching. Scrutinise the traffic cams for the blue Punto.’

‘Should we put out an appeal for dashcam footage?’ Kirby asked.

‘We don’t have a definitive timeline, but see what you can get. And put out another appeal for anyone who was in the area after midnight to come forward. Sometimes people see things they think are irrelevant but might provide an unexpected lead.’

‘It’s a lot of back-breaking, mainly worthless work,’ McKeown muttered.

She pretended she hadn’t heard him.

‘By the way, Detective Lynch, any update on Lucy’s emails? I need to know who she had planned to spend last weekend with and if she went through with it.’

‘Gary is still working on the email address. He said something about a Tor browser and Guerrilla Mail, whatever they are.’

‘Tell him to work harder and quicker. We’re losing valuable time.’

‘The email might be nothing.’

‘And it might be everything. Did you talk to Ivy about who sent it to Lucy or where this rendezvous might have been?’

‘Ivy claims she didn’t see Lucy last weekend and she heard nothing about Lucy planning to be away. I can’t put my finger on it, but I have a feeling she’s withholding something.’

‘Keep on her back.’

‘Will do.’

‘Any sign of Lucy’s phone?’

‘Not yet.’

‘What’s the story with the McAllisters?’ Lottie said. ‘Did they refuse a family liaison officer?’

‘Yeah. Said they wanted to grieve in peace.’

‘We really need to keep a close eye on them. Why did they go to Spain for three weeks? I’m not buying the tale of Mary being depressed. Is there some scandal brewing with Albert’s business that he had to try and sort out? I need to know more about that boxer, Terry Starr, too. Take a nosy around their financials. See if there’s anything suspicious.’

Lynch raised an eyebrow. ‘What exactly am I looking for?’

‘I haven’t a clue, but you’ll know if you find it.’

‘Sure,’ Lynch said, not sounding sure at all.

‘I was just thinking …’ Kirby said.

‘That’s a dangerous activity for someone with no brain,’ McKeown sneered.

Sniggers echoed around the room.

Kirby glared. ‘What if the killer didn’t know that Lucy had asked Sarah to clean the house this morning? They might have wanted the parents to discover their daughter’s body. A message of sorts.’