‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’ll sort something out.’

I didn’t argue. The idea of getting time off school was really appealing, and something about his tone of voice made me believe that he really could arrange it.

I looked down at the list. Eighteen names. Eight suspects. I felt a rush of excitement – I was going to do this.

I drank the last of my hot chocolate and stood up to leave. ‘How did you know I like hot chocolate?’ I asked.

‘Same way I knew you were playing a gig in Whelan’s last night,’ he said.

‘Garda Intelligence?’ I whispered.

‘The Internet.’

I laughed. For the briefest moment, a smile flashed across his otherwise serious face, but then it was gone. ‘I’ll talk to you soon,’ he said.

I stepped out into the street, where twice as many people were milling about now. My bag was heavy with the weight of the file. I folded the list and put it in there too, then made my way towards Grafton Street. I planned to go back to Hannah’s, hang with her for a little while, then get the bus to Avarna. I was glad that I’d met up with Matt Lawlor. I wasn’t nervous any more; there wasn’t room for nerves. I had to stay focused. I had a case to solve.

Chapter 3

‘How attached are you to your second kidney?’ asked Colin. He was sprawled across my bed, on my laptop, as I sat on the floor finishing off a new song.

‘Very attached,’ I said, between strums.

Colin had come over to my house as soon as I got back from Dublin. I’d had an idea for a new song during the three-hour bus ride, and wanted to get the melody down before I forgot it. Colin was used to me randomly working on music and scribbling lyrics, so he didn’t mind that I wasn’t giving him my full attention. Besides, he was busy scheming. I’d told him it was pointless, but he wouldn’t listen.