Chapter 35

35

Garda Martina Brennan was on the verge of withdrawing her name from the FLO database. She had messed up on her previous assignment, and here she was with another young child throwing her anxious glances. How long could she stand it?

The doorbell went. Hopefully not reporters. Diana opened the door, and a familiar, unwelcome voice reverberated from the hall.

Sam McKeown. Probably checking up on her. He could feck right off. With that thought, she watched him walk into the sitting room and sit on the large recliner armchair. Laura's mother remained by the door, eyeing him, then turned her attention to Martina.

‘Your colleague wants to ask me some questions. Would you mind taking Aaron to the kitchen for a snack?'

Yes, I would mind , Martina wanted to say. She needed to hear what McKeown had to say first-hand. But she had no option but to take the youngster's hand and lead him from the room. She left the door ajar, hoping she'd catch the gist of the conversation.

When Martina left the room with the little boy, McKeown exhaled a soft breath, easing the tension from his body. Things were so strained between them recently that you could cut the air with a knife. He indicated for Diana to sit opposite him. The woman looked tiny, almost folded in on herself in the large armchair. Like a child. A grey pallor drained her face.

‘I'm so sorry about the death of your daughter. We are doing all we can to find whoever did this.'

‘Like what?' Her voice was just a whisper as she choked down tears. ‘Tell me what you're doing.'

‘We have a number of leads. That's why I'm here.'

‘Go on.' She rooted up her sleeve for a tissue.

‘You need to brace yourself, because you might not like what I'm about to say and I apologise in advance.'

‘Detective, just tell me what you came here to say. Nothing can be worse than finding out my daughter was murdered.' There was steel in her tone that made McKeown shiver.

‘Right. Okay.' He felt like a shit, but there was nothing for it but to blurt it out. ‘Did you know Laura was registered with a dating agency? An escort agency.'

‘What? I don't understand. Don't be silly.' Diana stretched the tissue between her hands and it ripped down the middle, sending dust motes into the air.

‘She was signed up with Right One Escorts. It's like being paid to go on a date.'

‘That's crazy. My Laura? She wasn't a prostitute.'

‘I'm sure she wasn't. It's not like that.'

‘What is it like then?' Her voice had a sharper edge to it and the tissue had disappeared back up her sleeve, leaving fragments floating to her knee.

‘The agency matches her with a client and they go on a date. No strings or anything. Usually just dinner and drinks. She'd get paid for it.'

‘And you know this how, Detective?'

‘Research. My boss, Detective Inspector Parker, is meeting the person who runs the agency as we speak.'

‘Well, I knew nothing about it. You must be mistaken.'

‘Laura never mentioned anything about it?'

‘Not a word.'

‘She never said who she might be meeting the other night?'

‘No.'

‘Any other time?'

‘Never.'

‘And you had no idea she was entertaining dates as an escort?'

‘Will you stop?' Diana hauled herself out of the chair and stood looking down at him. ‘My Laura had a little boy. She worked hard to make ends meet and I helped where I could, but hand on heart I know my own daughter, and she would never have sold herself for money. I think you should leave now, Detective.'

She seemed unnerved and despite her grief he thought she might be lying. Or hiding something. About what, he had no idea.

‘We want to find the person who killed your daughter. Please, if you know anything, you have to tell us.'

‘All I know is that my daughter is never going to walk through that door again. I have to bury her in a dark grave and I have to rear her son. Your job is to find the bastard who did this to us.'

He rose and leaned against the door while she turned her back to him at the front window. ‘Can you at least tell me who the father of your grandson is? We need to rule him out of our investigation.'

‘I can't tell you because I don't know. She didn't even have a regular boyfriend, as far as I knew. Aaron was the result of a one-night stand and Laura was four months gone before she realised she was pregnant.' Diana swirled back towards him. ‘She told me she had no idea of the name of the father and I doubt he's even aware that he has a child.'

‘Okay, that's fine. Thank you. I'm sorry for upsetting you, but one last thing. Do you know a Greg Plunkett?'

He kept his eyes on her and witnessed the little blood in her face drain away.

‘No, never heard of him. Is he… is he Aaron's father?'

‘Not that we know. Are you sure you don't know him?' McKeown asked.

‘I don't, and it'd answer you better to be out on the street, knocking on doors, finding my girl's murderer, rather than harassing her grieving mother.'

He felt he had to press further, or maybe try a different angle. ‘A man was murdered yesterday, Diana. Out at the Pine Grove development. It's that new housing estate being built by GC Construction. The murdered man was John Morgan. Have you ever heard of him?'

Diana sank into the armchair once again. ‘Someone else was murdered?' Her voice was brittle. ‘Is it the same killer? The same bastard who killed my Laura?'

‘We don't know. It might not be connected to Laura at all, but we have to explore everything.'

‘So this madman might kill someone else?'

‘We can't jump to conclusions. As I said, Mr Morgan's death probably has nothing to do with Laura's. I only wanted to know if you'd heard of him. I can show you his photo.'

He took out his phone and scrolled through. ‘This may not be pleasant to look at, but I'd appreciate it if you'd give it a quick look. Then I'll leave you in peace.'

She nodded half-heartedly. He approached, holding the phone out to her. She took it and bit her lip tightly. After a cursory glance at the photograph, she handed back the phone.

‘Sorry.'

‘You never saw him with Laura?'

‘No.'

‘She ever mention John Morgan, or the Pine Grove estate?'

Gulping loudly, Diana said, ‘Laura once talked about moving into a house with her son. But she was turned down for a mortgage because she hadn't enough saved. She may have mentioned the new houses at Pine Grove. But all that was over a year ago. Before… Anyhow, it can't mean anything, can it?' She broke down again, searching frantically for the shredded tissue.

‘I'm not sure, but thank you.' McKeown pocketed his phone. He felt like a total bollox now, and had probably crossed a line, but he was determined to get facts.

As he left her sitting there, with more questions than answers, McKeown was full sure Diana Nolan had been economical with the truth.