To Keep a Bird Singing

by Kevin Doyle

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘Why did you go?’ he pressed.

  ‘To look around the house. I’m sure that’s the place. I went looking for something I would recognise. I’m so sorry, Noelie. That man came up behind me. He hit me with something.’

  They were silent for a while. ‘I was drugged. I took one sip of tea. I should’ve known.’

  ‘I want to get out of here.’

  ‘Join the queue.’

  ‘Where are we?’

  ‘I have no idea but what worries me more is that no one knows we’re here. Who knows that we even called to Albert?’

  They made their way around their cold prison on their hands and knees. Overall, the cavern was about twelve feet wide. At the top of the incline the gap between floor and roof was no more than the width of a body; at the bottom Noelie could stand and just about touch the ceiling with raised hands. The incline didn’t extend all the way down the cavern. At the lowest point there was water. They were unable to touch the other side by reaching out and they couldn’t see anything either. When they called out their echo returned sharply.

  They huddled close against the cold. The gurgling and sucking sounds became more regular. They wondered what was causing them and figured it had to be something to do with the water at the bottom of the incline. Noelie grew more anxious. He was angry with himself too because he hadn’t followed his instinct. He had known it was a mistake to go into Llanes.

  ‘Do you think we’re still in the house? Or are we under it? Or where are we?’

  Noelie hadn’t even thought about that or that they could be somewhere else entirely. He had blacked out and had no idea for how long. Spontaneously they began to shout for help. When they stopped, Noelie felt a lot worse.

  ‘We’re so stupid,’ he said bitterly. ‘What the hell were we thinking?’ He paused and then began again. ‘Hannah would come looking for us if she knew where we were … But she doesn’t even know about the Donnellys.’

  Eventually Meabh said, ‘I can’t sit like this. It’s like we’re waiting for something to happen and what’s going to happen? If they come back it will only be to finish us off. They’ve already drugged and imprisoned us. I can’t see this ending well if we stay put.’

  She made her way down to the water and Noelie reluctantly followed. They reached the water’s edge much sooner this time.

  ‘That’s strange. I thought the water level was further down.’

  ‘It was.’

  ‘Is this place filling up? Is that what’s causing the gurgling and sucking?’

  Neither of them said anything.

  ‘I’m going to explore.’ Meabh took off her jacket and gave it to Noelie. ‘Don’t worry, I’m a good swimmer.’

  ‘Glad to hear it because I’m not.’

  She slid into the water. He heard her splashing but apart from those reassuring sounds she may as well have vanished into an abyss. He couldn’t see anything at all.

  ‘Okay?’

  Meabh’s reply echoed. ‘It’s deep.’ A moment later, ‘I’m at the far side. It’s not far. Eight or ten feet at the most. But I can’t stand.’

  There was further splashing and then a long silence. Meabh’s voice was strained when she spoke. ‘It’s eight or nine feet deep. More than I expected.’

  ‘Anything over there? Any way out?’

  ‘Nothing. There’s not even something to hang onto. I’m coming back.’

  She found where Noelie was sitting and climbed out. She shivered and he held onto her.

  ‘It’s river water, I think. It’s really cold.’

  ‘The Lee?’

  ‘It must be.’

  The incoming water forced them higher and higher up the incline. Noelie had difficulty managing the panic he was feeling.

  ‘Isn’t the Lee tidal?’ asked Meabh.

  ‘Depends on where you are on it. But yes. If we’re still at Llanes, definitely.’ He cursed again, adding, as much for his own benefit as Meabh’s, ‘We need to stay calm.’

  Another long silence followed. Meabh said, ‘I’m not dying in here.’

  ‘Great,’ said Noelie flatly. ‘Now there’s two of us.’

  She ignored him. ‘If the water’s coming in, there has to be a way out. Our best chance is to find the place. There must be a pipe or something.’

  Noelie bit back another negative comment. He was terrified and still angry that he had put himself in this situation. How had he been so stupid?

  The water level continued to rise. Meabh declared that she would dive in to get a head start on the depth. Noelie heard her get ready. She went in and there was splashing again. Then it went quiet. When he heard her call again, he was relieved.

  ‘Any luck?’

  ‘I reached the bottom but couldn’t find anything. I’ll try again.’

  Meabh was right, they had to try. Noelie scrambled around feeling along the walls and joins for anything that might indicate an opening but he found nothing. Air was getting in but where?

  She returned to the surface gasping loudly. ‘I found it. In the corner, to the right. It’s an opening, sizable too. I’m coming back.’

  She clambered out beside him. ‘It’s a chance, Noelie. Swim around a little with me. Once you are used to the cold it’s a lot easier.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You have to.’

  ‘No.’

  Meabh’s voice rose. ‘There isn’t a choice here.’

  He shook his head – not that she could see that. ‘I can’t, I’m not able to. Don’t ask me again. I can barely swim. I won’t make it.’

  There was a very long silence. They could hear water lapping just near them.

  ‘I’ll stay here in the corner. I might be able to ride out high tide. It can’t be long now.’

  ‘And what then, Noelie? Sit around some more? How long can you hold out? Low tide, high tide, how long?’

  He didn’t have an answer. Her hand touched his face. It was cold but it was welcome. Her other hand took one of his. ‘We’ll drown here if we don’t get out. Do you understand? There isn’t any choice.’

  He shook his head madly. ‘I’m not able. I can’t.’

  ‘You are able,’ she said, gripping his hand tightly.

  He pushed her away. ‘I’m not.’

  There was an even longer silence after that. He felt water at his feet and moved further up the incline. It was becoming confined.

  ‘I’ll mind you. We can do it. It’s likely to be just a length of pipe and it’ll lead us out into the river.’

  ‘You don’t know that.’

  He felt her shivering feverishly beside him. ‘You go, Meabh. You get help and I’ll hold on here. I will.’

  She cupped his cheek. ‘Okay. But I’ll be back.’

  He wanted her to go. Anything to put an end to the idea of him getting in the water. ‘Go, get help.’

  He heard her gulping volumes of air, filling her lungs again and again with oxygen. She kissed him before she went.

  ‘Going.’

  After she got into into the water he called, ‘Good luck.’ He was crying and couldn’t stop. He heard her swimming and then it went quiet.

  30

  On her second attempt, Meabh made it into the pipe. It was narrow and slimy; further through there was faint light. She reached a barrier and pushed against it. It gave a little. Out of breath, she retreated and broke to the surface once more.

  This was their only chance, she reminded herself. She filled her lungs again and again, figuring that she had one or two good efforts in her before fatigue set in. She went down again, kicking with all her strength, and entered the pipe. Pushing against the barrier, she wriggled into a narrow gap, forcing it wider with her shoulders. Panic took hold as she became stuck; she had only seconds of air left. Wriggling forcefully, she tore against something sharp. Reaching forward, her fingertips found a lip. She heaved with all her strength and the sluice gate gave way. She was through.

  She came to the surf
ace and took huge deep breaths. She was immediately carried by the river current. She went upstream which meant the tide was still arriving. She swam to the riverbank and found the steps leading to the Donnellys’ garden. Huddling there, she shivered violently. She knew she had nearly drowned. Panic coursed through her.

  There were no lights on in Llanes and the garden looked quiet. Meabh crept onto the lawn, making for the bushes against the wall with the neighbouring house. She figured the cavern was at the end of the garden but there was nothing obvious to indicate its location. She was looking at a plain, well-cared-for lawn.

  There was an odd-looking, solid square of concrete on the other side of the garden. She went over and examined it carefully. Nothing. Returning riverside she took a guess at where the escape pipe was located and found a contraption with a lever in a nearby fuchsia bush. It was very old and rusty. What direction was closed or open? In the dim moonlight the river flow looked almost stationary. She guessed and pulled the lever towards her. The mechanism screeched and she stopped immediately. She waited, afraid. No lights came on. She edged the lever towards her more and hoped it was the right choice. She felt panic again: she knew she was Noelie’s only chance

  Creeping across the lawn Meabh noticed a metal bar embedded in the grass. It looked like a handle and she tried pulling it but it wouldn’t budge. It was in the correct location, directly over where she suspected the cavern was. It had to be the entrance. She dug away the grass and soil around it and uncovered a steel plate a few inches below the surface. She tried to lift it but there seemed to be no way to manoeuvre it. Was it electrically controlled? She looked for wires in the flowerbeds but found nothing. Further up the garden, near the lily pond, she took the path leading to the house. There was an entrance at lower basement level. The door was ajar and she carefully looked in. There were tools everywhere – clippers, mowers and strimmers. Lots of garden chemicals too. The place smelled foul.

  Further in there was another door. It wasn’t locked either. Opening it, Meabh realised it led into the basement area of Llanes. She saw a table, chairs and a small stove with logs beside it. She went in. In a small room off the living area, a man was asleep on a single bed. He still had his clothes on. He snorted suddenly and shifted. His snoring resumed at a more even pitch.

  Meabh looked around. There had to be controls somewhere, but would they be so far from the underground cavern? She went through another door that took her further into the house. Looking down the dark hall she froze: black and white flagstones. She knew for sure now, this was the place where she had been assaulted. Suddenly she felt cold and terrified. She reversed, closed the door behind her and focused on helping Noelie.

  Meabh returned to where the garden tools and chemicals were stored. She saw a crowbar and took it for protection. From the doorway she examined the high wall dividing the Donnelly garden from the neighbouring property. Maybe she should try to get over it and alert whoever lived there, scream and demand that they call the cops?

  By her foot she noticed a white conduit tube. It went outside and vanished into the gravel path. Tracking it back inside the house, she passed through the area with the table and chairs and entered a small windowless room. Immediately she saw the instrument panel. It was compact and fronted with a bright tablet-size LCD screen. A digital clock ran silently in the corner. Icons flashed: closed, half, open. Making a selection, she pressed enter and ran back down the garden.

  She saw the opening in the lawn immediately: about a square metre in size near where she had gouged out the grass. As she stooped beside it she felt a draught of cold air. The water level was right up. She slipped in carefully; the water level came up to her knees. Feeling around desperately, she finally grasped Noelie’s foot. With huge difficulty, she dragged him to the opening and got him onto the grass. She pressed evenly and rhythmically on his chest. Eventually he spluttered to life. She quietened him by holding him into her chest while he coughed. The look in his eyes was dreadful.

  Meabh propped him against the fence and went back to close the entrance. While she was away, Noelie sat and shivered uncontrollably. He stared across the garden at the dark outline of Llanes.

  When Meabh returned she started trying to warm him up but realised that there was no point. ‘Unfortunately it’s back into the water for us. We must swim and this time I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll keep you afloat.’

  ‘Anything.’

  She helped Noelie down to the steps. The lid of the cavern had reclosed. The garden prison was ingenious. In normal circumstances it would never occur to anyone that this picturesque location was home to such a place.

  At the river, the tide had turned.

  ‘Go, slide in,’ urged Meabh.

  Noelie knew he had no choice and slipped in. Meabh followed. They were quickly taken by the current. The water was numbing but Meabh held Noelie. She was elated. They had escaped.

  ‘Am I really alive?’ Noelie asked as they floated downriver.

  Austerity

  31

  Lucifer was coiled around a naked light bulb. The glowing filament showed Shane’s head and Hannah’s hair floating inside the serpent’s long intestine. Noelie thrashed with fright.

  ‘Calm,’ a voice said. ‘Calm, you’re safe.’

  A cool hand moved across his forehead. He opened his eyes and saw Meabh. She smiled at him. Her hair was wet and she had let it down.

  ‘You have beautiful hair.’

  Beside her Martin said, ‘What about me?’

  ‘You’re beautiful too.’

  ‘Finally he admits it. I couldn’t get him to notice me for years, now he’s moved to poetry.’

  ‘It’s an ill wind,’ said Meabh.

  Memories rushed back – his watery grave. He remembered waiting for Meabh, then sitting at the side of Albert’s garden. It was dark and cold. There was moonlight and he could see the houses along the hillside of salubrious Sunday’s Well. Albert with his well-to-do neighbours, Albert the killer. He had nearly got them both.

  ‘Where’s Hannah? Is Hannah here?’

  Meabh looked at Martin.

  ‘I haven’t been able to contact her.’ He hesitated. ‘I went over to her place earlier. I still have my key but the place was empty. Her phone’s switched off too.’

  When Noelie and Meabh had emerged from the Lee in the early hours of the morning, they were unable to find a taxi that was prepared to take them given their sodden condition. Hannah’s place was the nearest so they walked there. Noelie didn’t have his keys any longer and they couldn’t get a reply so they had carried on to Martin’s.

  ‘What time is it now?’ Noelie asked.

  ‘Just gone 10 a.m.’

  Noelie sat up and perched on the side of the bed. ‘It’s not like Hannah not to be in contact.’ He was worried. ‘Where are my clothes?’

  ‘In the wash. They’ll be ready soon.’

  Meabh spoke. ‘We need to think carefully about what to do next. You realise what’s just happened, don’t you?’

  ‘You saved my life.’

  ‘Well, I walked us both in there. Helping to get us out was the least I could do.’

  Noelie shook his head. ‘No, I was finished. I gave up. You saved my life.’

  Meabh told Martin and Noelie how she escaped. She realised that Noelie would never have made it through the pipe. She was a very good swimmer and capable of holding her breath for quite a long time.

  ‘I was within seconds of drowning. It was terrible. I’ll never forget it.’

  She lifted up the hoodie that Martin had loaned her: there was a cut on her side where her ribcage began. Noelie winced. ‘Do you think you should get that seen to?’

  She shook her head. ‘It looks worse than it feels.’

  She noticed Noelie’s hands. They looked sore. He couldn’t remember how he’d hurt them but figured it had to be from the rough surface inside the cavern. As it filled with water, he had been forced to try and maintain his position high up on the incl
ine. His hands showed what an awful struggle that had been. He shivered again, thinking about Albert’s deathtrap.

  Meabh said she had to check out of her hotel room by noon. It was already mid-morning so she needed to head over there soon.

  ‘What time’s your flight?’

  ‘Doesn’t matter. I’m not going now. I’ll call work. I can squeeze a few more days out of them. Don’t look too happy about it.’

  Noelie apologised. ‘It’s not that. Of course I’m glad you’re staying. It’s just Hannah – where is she?’

  ‘Look, let’s try not to worry. Hannah’s very smart and resourceful. She can look after herself. Let’s get moving and see if we can track her down.’

  Martin brought them their clothes and they got dressed immediately. He offered to drive them to Meabh’s hotel. It was a short journey. Over on the quayside as they got out, and as Noelie was thanking him for all his help, Martin remembered something else.

  ‘I have other news. I’m afraid it’s not good either.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Your punk records … They’re gone.’

  ‘What? Where?’

  Martin was contrite. ‘I spent the night of the blast at Hannah’s. The few days after that I was in Kinsale. So I wasn’t about much. The landlord’s crew were in repairing the ceiling damage.’ Martin paused. ‘But I don’t think it was them. It’s only your records that are missing. I wouldn’t even have thought to look but I saw that one of my plants had dried out. I was watering it and I noticed that the suitcase with the LPs in it had been moved. Just slightly like. When I checked it, it was empty.’

  ‘Fuck.’

  ‘I’m really sorry.’

  ‘The icing on the fucking cake.’

  32

  The hotel room was plush and calm. It felt for a moment like an oasis. Noelie was reminded of Hannah. Before the crash they had taken a few city breaks together to places like Prague and Cracow. From the outset Hannah had insisted on splashing out on good hotels. ‘At my age, I’m not slumming it any more,’ she’d informed Noelie. She would’ve liked this hotel.