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sectarian incident, DC Monaghan?’
    ‘I’m just saying, before we go into all these theories –’ he waved a dismissive hand at Paula –‘maybe it’s something more likely. The usual story round here. The family is clearly Catholic, and they come over here and get jobs, and someone doesn’t like it.’
    Paula scowled. ‘It seems a really weird way to get that point across. What about the old staples? Petrol bombs, graffiti? Why kidnap a baby, for God’s sake?’
    ‘That’s your department.’ Gerard sat back, linking his hands behind his head.
    Paula decided to ignore him. ‘I would highly doubt if there were a sectarian motive in this case. I’ve outlined the areas where I feel we should start looking. We should also think about what she did with the bracelet.’
    Guy frowned again. ‘Bracelet?’
    ‘You know, the little name tag.’ She encircled her wrist with her fingers, remembering her own – Baby Girl Maguire . A small thing saved and treasured by her mother. Used as evidence over the years on the side of – no, she’d never have left. She loved me, she kept this .
    Guy was looking at her. She tried to pay attention. ‘I mean, the child will have had ID on him, if we can find it. It’s hospital procedure, isn’t it?’
    He nodded. ‘All right. Interesting theories, everyone. Our main resource will be our access to all databases – and of course Paula’s ability to give us a rough profile of the offender.’
    That was alarming. ‘I can only give an educated guess, you know.’
    ‘Better than nothing.’
    ‘You want me on something, boss?’ asked Fiacra Quinn. He’d taken out his white headphones for the meeting, but they dangled over the collar of his shirt.
    ‘Yes,’ said Guy. ‘You can check databases in the South for anything similar. We may also need you to do home interviews – some of the hospital’s staff live over the border, I gather, so there may be jurisdiction issues. Sergeant Hamilton will be assisting with those too. We’re talking hundreds of people.’
    He was saying ‘we’, but Paula felt they all knew DCI Corry would be running the show. ‘Will there be a TV appeal?’
    Guy rested his eyes on her. ‘Yes, but Corry wants to do it. Something about speaking woman to woman . . .’ He grimaced. ‘She’ll need your profile asap for that, by the way. That’s all, everyone. I can’t stress how little time we have here – a newborn can die within hours if not properly looked after.’ He dismissed them neatly, squaring off his briefing papers.
    Paula’s first instinct was to rush out, but he started to speak, and then so did she, and their words clashed. He smiled thinly. ‘I wondered if you felt any better.’
    ‘Yeah,’ she lied. ‘Must have been a twenty-four-hour thing.’ Twenty-four years, more like. A worm of panic twisted in her chest.
    ‘Have you got ten minutes today to talk? I know things are incredibly busy.’
    She started to say yes, then remembered today was the bloody appointment Saoirse had booked for her at the clinic. For a moment she thought about not going. But the idea of leaving it was even more frightening. ‘I have to go out for a bit. Is it important?’
    He seemed to hesitate. ‘It can wait. But where are you going? You know Corry needs the profile.’
    ‘Yes – um. It’s a lead I’m following.’ He looked at her hard and she squirmed, remembering the trouble she’d got into on the last case for working on her own. ‘Honest, it is.’
    ‘All right. Just keep me in the loop.’ He turned his attention back to the briefing sheets, scouring them for some fact they might have missed, and she crept out, feeling her secret clasped tight in her pocket.

Chapter Four
    The address on the leaflet Saoirse had given Paula turned out to be above a video shop on a dilapidated street behind the market. The whole area spoke of the shady and seedy, but the office itself had a sturdy, recently refurbished door, and a very complicated