The Girl Who Lied(101)

‘I only took my eyes off her for a few minutes. Molly had fallen over, so I was cleaning her knee up,’ said Fiona. ‘I came back out…and…and…she was gone.’

‘Stop it, Fiona,’ said Sean, sitting down next to his wife and putting his arm over her shoulder. ‘It’s okay. It’s not your fault.’

‘The Guards are out looking for her now,’ said Sean. ‘We’re to sit tight in case she turns up or they find her. They want us to be here for her.’

‘God, I’m so sorry,’ said Kerry. It was a totally inadequate thing to say, he knew. He could barely believe it. ‘Where’s Molly now?’

‘She’s with a friend of Fiona’s,’ said Sean. ‘Her daughter and Molly go to nursery together, so she’s looking after her.’

‘That’s not all,’ said Fiona. ‘You’d better tell him about Erin.’

‘That’s what I came over for,’ said Kerry. ‘Where is she? She didn’t open up the café this morning.’

Sean looked at Kerry for a moment. Again, something about his look told Kerry he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

‘She’s down at the station,’ said Sean.

‘Helping look for Sophie?’ said Kerry, although in his heart he knew that wasn’t the reason. Sean shifted position, searching for the right words. ‘Come on, Sean, tell me.’

‘Erin handed herself in at the station this morning. She’s confessed to pushing Roisin into the water the other night down at The Spit,’ said Sean. ‘They are probably going to be charging her with murder.’

‘Ah, Jesus! That is bullshit,’ said Kerry. He flung his arm in the air and paced over to the window. ‘Erin, arrested? Charged with Roisin’s murder? We don’t even know if Roisin is dead yet. No one’s found a body.’

‘Erin came to the station first thing this morning and made a confession,’ said Sean. ‘I don’t know the details. I’ve been taken off the case. Anyway, what with Sophie going missing, I can’t be there.’

‘How can you have a murder without a body?’ said Kerry.

‘It can happen,’ said Sean. ‘Especially, if someone is admitting to it.’

‘Erin is no more responsible for Roisin going missing than…’ he searched for an example, ‘than…Bex or Joe. Sure, you’ve got that wrong.’

‘I don’t believe it either,’ said Fiona.

‘Will you please sit down, Kerry, and stop with your pacing,’ said Sean

‘I thought she said she went to meet Roisin, but Roisin never showed up,’ said Kerry. He paced the room some more.

‘She’s changed her story,’ said Sean. ‘Said her conscience wouldn’t let her lie. Apparently, Roisin did show up. They had a row and Erin pushed Roisin into the water. For God’s sake, Kerry, sit down, will you? I can’t cope with your pacing.’

‘Like I said, bullshit,’ said Kerry as he slumped down onto the sofa. What a fucking mess. He ran the chain of events through his mind. What had possessed her to confess to murdering Roisin? As he mulled over the last few weeks, he began to find some clarity of thought.

‘She’s protecting someone,’ said Kerry, sitting up and resting his forearms on his knees. ‘You do know that, don’t you?’ Sean wouldn’t meet his gaze, but instead looked down at his shoes. ‘She’s trying to protect the child.’

Fiona reached over to Sean, squeezing his arm. ‘He knows,’ she said. ‘Kerry knows about the baby. Erin told him.’

Sean’s body tensed and Kerry could hear him taking a deep, controlled breath. ‘We were fools to think this would work,’ Sean said eventually. ‘I should never have let you and your sister go through with such a hair-brained idea.’

‘It’s a bit late for that now,’ said Kerry, unable to stop himself. ‘What’s done is done.’

‘Roisin had somehow found out,’ said Fiona to her husband. ‘She was threatening to tell everyone. She told Erin she had proof.’

‘What? And you never thought to tell me?’ Sean’s mild manner broke. Kerry wasn’t sure he had ever seen Sean cross. Usually his giant stature and soft country voice was enough to calm a situation. He didn’t need to resort to shouting and force to get folk to see his way. Today was different. ‘Why, in God’s name, did you not tell me this before?’

‘I’ve not long found out myself,’ said Fiona. ‘I didn’t want to worry you. We seemed to have it under control.’