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them both arrested.  She only got a suspended sentence, thanks to you-know-who.  And her age, of course; she was only sixteen at the time.  Her boyfriend got off pretty lightly too, thanks to Michael Riordan getting him a high-powered lawyer for his trial.  Rumor has it he later paid the boyfriend to clear off while Grainne was being treated for her addiction but I don’t know if that’s true or not.’
    ‘Rumor?’
    He smiled, ‘Everything the Riordans do ends up in the nastier type of tabloid, and probably quite a lot that they actually don’t do.  You know what the gutter press are like.’
    Kate shook her head in disbelief, ‘And you say she’s only eighteen now?’
    He nodded, ‘And she’s been here a year.  A typical case of a girl showered with money but starved of time and affection.  It seems that before her breakdown her father more or less totally ignored her, and had little part in her upbringing.  Between first building up his business and now saving the country I guess he’s never had much time for his family.’
    ‘Is that why you don’t like him?’ suggested Kate, noting the anger in his voice.
    Trevor shrugged his narrow shoulders, ‘I suppose.  You know how I feel about the duties of parenthood, and I get the idea he wasn’t around much in her childhood.  Though I must say since her breakdown he’s been pretty devoted.  In fact, he’s like a fly buzzing about my head, constantly asking for progress reports.’
    K ate thought for a moment, chewing her lower lip before asking, ‘Did you ever try and talk to her about her mother’s death?’
    Trev nodded , ‘All I got was a stream of gibberish and fantasy, which I could make no sense of.  I won’t prejudice you by talking too much about it, though.  It’s better if you meet her without preconceived ideas, in case you spot something I missed.’
    Kate frowned, ‘You’re assuming I’m going to take her case.’
    His mouth dropped and he said in amazement, ‘Aren’t you?’
    Kate’s full lips curved in a tiny smile and she looked at him from under her long lashes, ‘I think so, though if I’m honest the idea scares me to death.  But I don’t like to be taken for granted.’
    He gave an equally faint smile in return, ‘Is that why you dumped me all those years ago?  My assumption that we wanted the same things, and were going the same direction?  Did I take you for granted?’
    Kate’s smile grew warm with old affection as she replied, ‘Knowing the casual way you treat women, I’d say yes, probably.’
    This was not true but they were both willing to let it g o, knowing as they did that the reason Kate had left him was that he had getting too close to her, had been getting to know and understand her too well.  That had been quite enough to make her flee from him in something akin to panic, into the arms of another man she cared nothing for.
    ‘Thanks, Kitty,’ he said seriously, ‘If anyone can help this girl, it’s you.’
    Kate shook her head doubtfully, feeling sick with dread that she might not be able to help, and excited at the challenge ahead, all at the same time.  ‘Perhaps.  I can try, at any rate.  But it won’t be quick or easy.  She clearly had problems long before her total breakdown and we may never get to the root of them.  If there is a single root cause.  We may never even discover what triggered her “episode”, as you call it.  Unless it was simply the drugs she had taken.  You said it yourself; her behaviour prior to her breakdown sounds like a classic case of a rich, privileged child running off the rails because of lack of parental attention.’
    Trevor nodded, ‘And the promiscuity would fit in with a ttention-seeking because of her father’s neglect.  But it isn’t wise to speculate too soon.’
    ‘No, it isn’t.  Especially with her current aversion to men.  Is there any suggestion she was molested as a child?’
    Trev waved a hand in the air in frustration,