Page 83 of Her Last Walk Home

‘I’ll bring you up there.’

Kirby followed George and couldn’t help feeling sympathy for one so young having so much to deal with.

The pain in her chest was like an irritating itch and Shannon wanted to scratch it like mad. She was back in the room, the tape over her mouth and her hands bound. What type of set-up was this? It was bizarre. Nothing made sense. A house, with a child, where she was some sort of servant? What was that all about? So far she hadn’t been sexually assaulted, not that she could remember, but that might change in the days ahead.

Days? What was she thinking? She couldn’t stay in this house, prison, whatever it was. She had to get out. Get home. Wouldn’t George miss her? Or would he think she was back on drugs? If so, he’d want nothing to do with her. He’d told her as much after she’d finished her stint in rehab. Don’t do it again, he’d said, or you’re on your own. And she’d kept clean, hadn’t she? But even though she hadn’t touched hard drugs or prescription pills, she was drinking too much. The thought made her yearn for a vodka and Coke. To blot out the unimaginable situation into which she’d landed. And she needed a shower. She smelled so bad. Would they allow her to bathe? She hoped so.

Her thoughts were all over the place.

Rehab. That had been so difficult, but John had made it worthwhile. He was cute and funny while being serious behind it all. He’d told her he had a gambling problem and smoked a bit of weed. He was determined get back on his feet, find a good job and make a better life for himself. That was what he’d said, she remembered now, and that was what she’d wanted too. But somehow she’d succeeded in fucking it all up.

And John? Was he really dead? Murdered? It made no sense. He’d been harmless.

She gazed into the darkness for a long time, afraid to fall asleep and knowing she couldn’t sleep anyhow. She didn’t even know if it was day or night. She was in a living nightmare.

60

McKeown had had enough of office cabin fever, so he headed to Diana Nolan’s house. He felt better suited to talk to Laura’s mother rather than asking Garda Brennan, who was as thick as two ditches since he’d broken up with her.

He almost did an about-turn when he saw Martina’s grumpy face at the door.

She brought him inside. ‘Are you checking up on me?’

He reckoned she was still sore over her last FLO mistake. ‘Don’t be silly. I need to talk to Diana.’

‘She went for a walk with her grandson. Should be back soon.’

‘How long is it since they left?’ He sat at the small kitchen table and rubbed a hand over his shaven head. He was uncomfortable being in close proximity to Martina. She was sexy as fuck and that was what he wanted to do whenever he was close to her.

‘About an hour ago,’ she said. ‘Diana can come and go as she pleases. I’m only here to support her.’

‘You don’t have to convince me. I know how the family liaison system works.’

‘What do you want with her?’ Martina stood as far away as she could in the tiny kitchen, which was still close enough to touch his elbow.

‘I need to find out if Laura was ever in rehab. It’s come up in the investigation. It seems that John Morgan and Shannon Kenny, who appears to be missing, were in rehab at the same time, in the same place.’

‘Appears to be missing? She either is or isn’t.’

‘She didn’t come home from a night out, so it’s possible she might not be missing. It’s suspicious because she was also on that escort website, same as Laura.’

‘That’s an interesting connection.’

‘It is, and she was in Cuan rehab centre last year, same as John Morgan. What makes it even more interesting is that Gordon Collins, Morgan’s employer, makes an annual donation to Cuan.’

‘You have been busy. But it’s all circumstantial, isn’t it? This Shannon might be okay.’

‘Possibly, but we have three dead in the space of a few days, cause enough to treat her disappearance as a priority. If Diana confirms that Laura was in rehab too, then we have another link.’

‘What about the woman who was found dead this morning? Any developments there?’

‘Appeals have gone out for information, but we haven’t identified her yet. Next step is to issue her death photo to the public, but I don’t think the boss is too keen on doing that. Not yet, anyhow. Would you ring Diana? I need to talk to her and get back to the office.’

With a groan, Martina called the grieving mother. ‘No answer.’

The Aroma Café was quiet, which suited Diana. Aaron happily traced a chip around the pool of ketchup on his plate while she sipped her second cup of frothy milky coffee. She’d heaped three sachets of sugar into it, hoping that the sweetness would clear her head.

A plan. She needed to come up with one, and fast. With the garda ensconced in her house and others dipping in and out asking questions about Laura, Diana knew it’d be more difficult to disappear.

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