Page 137 of Three Widows

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The soft ripples on the lake were making Lottie’s head swim. The body was still in the barrel. Grainne insisted they had to wait for the state pathologist before removing it. A tent had been erected around it.

‘This is ridiculous, Boyd,’ she said, shivering with her wet jeans sticking to her legs. ‘We have to get the body out.’

Garda Thornton had found him a pair of uniform trousers in the boot of the squad car, and navy fleece jackets for both of them. The trousers were halfway up his legs, showing off bare ankles. At least he was dry, Lottie thought with another shiver.

‘I suppose so,’ he said. ‘We need to know who it is.’

‘Right. Let’s do it.’ She marched towards Grainne, fighting the growing vertigo in her head and the crushing ache across her shoulder blades. ‘Grainne, we need to release the body from the barrel.’

‘I still say wait for the state pathologist. Maybe you should call Superintendent Farrell first.’

‘My decision,’ Lottie said, hoping it was the right one.

She suited up with Boyd and instructed two SOCOs to remove the body. It wasn’t easy. They had to cut off part of the upper rim to allow it to be dragged out.

Standing to one side, half afraid to look, Lottie watched as the naked form slid into view.

The curls were long and dark. The face deathly pale.

She’d been full sure it was going to be either Helena or Orla.

It was neither.

‘What the hell?’

85

McKeown had just about finished up with his report on the Luke Bray interview when an email shot up on his screen. He read it and looked around for someone to tell. His eyes landed on Kirby.

‘Tech have succeeded in restoring some of the GPS data. Tyler Keating’s car was moved to the lock-up only four weeks ago.’

‘Really? Where was it before then?’ Kirby asked.

‘I’m checking it on Google Maps. It’s a location very close to where Helena McCaul’s mother lives.’

‘Kathleen Foley?’

‘Yep.’ McKeown rubbed his head and creaked his neck. ‘What do we have on Mrs Foley?’

‘Not much,’ Lynch piped up. ‘Retired nurse. She fostered Amy Corcoran as a child for a time. Not much else.’

‘Give me a minute to check PULSE.’ Kirby typed furiously. ‘No, she hasn’t come to our attention for anything.’

‘If Helena had something to do with Tyler’s disappearance, she could have hidden his car at her mother’s house before moving it to the lock-up,’ Lynch said.

‘Why, though? I can’t see how it fits in.’ Kirby leaned back in his chair. ‘Nothing fits at the moment.’

‘Want to do a brainstorm?’ Lynch suggested.

‘Wait until the boss gets back,’ McKeown said. ‘She’s out at Lough Cullion with Boyd. Another body.’

‘Foul play?’ Lynch and Kirby asked together.

‘If you mean is a body stuffed in a barrel and shoved into the lake foul play, then yes.’

‘Same killer?’ Kirby felt a shiver down his spine thinking of Amy’s close call. He slammed his fist on the desk. ‘Each one of these sites is different, even his methods of killing are different. We need to catch this fucker.’