‘Probably nothing at all,’ said Frank.
‘But it’s just best that you’re not around,’ said Joe. Shaun walked away. Frank turned around to talk to D.I. O’Connor.
Joe took the chance to search his pockets for painkillers. He had nothing. He considered his options. He couldn’t walk away in front of all these people. Then he felt someone squeeze his arm. He vaguely recognised one of the elderly women from outside the village. Joe waited for the question. He was more patient than he used to be. The intrusion had amazed him when they first moved.
‘How’s the young lad?’ asked the woman, nodding towards Shaun. Her face looked more accusing than concerned, but he suspected it had set that way years ago. The best he could do was nod through the pain, trying to let her know Shaun was doing OK. She still waited for him to speak.
‘Is there any word on the little girl at all?’ she asked.
He shook his head and murmured a ‘Mm-mm,’ his usual refuge at times like this.
The woman tutted in disgust. He had seen it all before.
‘I’ve said a prayer to St Jude,’ she said as she walked away. He frowned, irritated. He knew St Jude was the patron saint of lost causes.
He turned back to Frank who reached into his pocket and without looking, handed him some ibuprofen. Joe knocked them back with purple fizzy caffeine.
Frank turned and faced his group, which included Joe. ‘Right, we’re taking the central part of the village, from Seascapes, around by the shops, back down to the harbour and up again toward Shore’s Rock.’
About forty people moved into rows and walked slowly up to the holiday homes. In the bright afternoon, the densely packed trees cast black shadows across the drive. Joe was at the edge of the line and almost fell over a little boy crouched behind a sycamore. His eyes widened when he saw Joe.
‘I’m hiding,’ he said in a loud whisper. He put a finger up to his lips and pointed towards his parents who were packing up a station wagon in front of one of the houses.
‘Oh,’ said Joe. ‘But that might really scare your mom and dad. I’m sure they’d be real sad if they couldn’t find you.’ He looked through the trees and noticed a light on in the landing of the last house, the odd glow of a bulb in daylight. There was no car in the drive.
‘I don’t want to go home,’ said the boy sadly.
‘That’s a real pity,’ said Joe. ‘I’m gonna go over and say hi to your mom and dad. Do you wanna come?’
The boy shook his head furiously. Joe told the man next in line to him that he had to check something.
He walked up to the couple. ‘Don’t look now, but your little guy is in the trees right behind me. I’ve been sworn to secrecy.’
The parents looked at each other and rolled their eyes. ‘We’ll kill him.’
‘Have you been here all weekend?’ said Joe.
‘Yup,’ said the woman. ‘But it’s still not long enough for Owen.’
‘You didn’t happen to see anyone in that last house, did you?’ asked Joe, pointing.
‘No. You actually notice the cars coming in and out here. It’s so quiet,’ said the man.
‘Or you’d see the headlights,’ added his wife. ‘We’ve been in every night.’ She nodded towards their son.
‘OK. Just curious,’ said Joe. ‘Safe trip. Good luck getting him into the car.’
Joe rejoined the group for the walk through the village towards Shore’s Rock. Every now and then, the whistle would blow, everyone would stop and a guard would collect whatever had been found. Then the line would move along again in silence until they reached the gate to the lighthouse.
‘It’s getting dark,’ said Frank. ‘And the forest is dark enough as it is, so we’re going to have to postpone the rest of this. Thank you all for taking part.’
Richie’s group had returned earlier and he was at the station when Frank walked in.
‘Did you find anything?’ he asked.
‘Not a thing,’ said Frank. ‘Certainly nothing I think will amount to anything. What about yourself?’
‘No,’ said Richie. ‘Mind you, every scrap of rubbish that has been dropped anywhere along the way was pointed out to me. Sweet wrappers I hadn’t seen since I was a kid. Kitty Tynan spiked a used condom on a stick and waved it in my face. How far did you get?’
‘We stopped at the lighthouse.’
‘I can organise a posse to do the forest tomorrow or whenever.’
‘Check with O’Connor, but that sounds good to me.’
Frank shook his head. ‘Poor Katie will probably be back tonight, laughing at all this, mortified that the whole village was traipsing around looking for her.’
Shaun lay on the sofa in front of the TV, the remote control in his outstretched arm, speeding through the channels over and over.
‘Were you working this weekend?’ said Joe.
‘Not since Thursday night. Why?’
‘Were any of the houses booked?’
‘Just three. For the weekend.’
‘Which ones?’
‘Why are you asking?’
‘You left a light on.’
‘What?’ Shaun’s heart started to pound.
‘The one at the end. Unless someone’s in it. But I guess you wouldn’t have been working on it unless it’s being rented out.’
‘There’s no-one in it. But I didn’t leave the light on.’
‘Well, it’s on, so somebody did. Is Mrs Shanley still away?’
‘Dad, who cares?’
‘Would you mind taking a look?’
‘I’ve got other things on my mind right now.’
‘I can go.’
‘I’ll go. It’s my job. But there’s no light on.’
‘I’ll take a walk with you.’
‘Look, I’m fine. I’ll go on my own, OK?’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘Well, I’m going to have a shower first.’
‘That’s OK. Let me know when you want to go.’
Shaun rushed to his bedroom, picked up the phone and called Robert.
‘Rob, I need you to do me a big favour.’
‘No problem.’
‘No questions asked. And you can’t tell anybody.’
‘OK. What?’
‘Can you get over here and stand under my window, so I can throw you down something?’
‘Okaaay. Why? Is this about Katie? Do you know where she is?’
‘No, I don’t. It’s just I need you to sort something out for me. I’ll drop you down the keys to Seascapes and if you could go in to number fifteen, the one at the end, turn off the light and bring me back the keys.’
‘OK. Why?’
‘Mrs Shanley’s away. I left a light on on Thursday night, the next guests might be charged on the meter. I don’t want her giving out to me. I’m too fucked up about Katie to do it myself.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
‘Just don’t let my dad see you.’
‘What’s he got to do with it?’
‘You know parents.’
‘Yeah. What time?’
‘Right now.’
