Hidden

by Derick Parsons

  Kate went cold all over and, revolted, said angrily, ‘That’s a monstrous accusation! And the answer is no. Not according to Grainne, anyway. I asked her and she was surprised, even amused, by the idea. And she showed no signs of distress in talking about him, no signs that she was hiding anything. Actually, lately there were hints that if anything her mother may have mistreated her in some way.’

  ‘That’s not likely, is it?’ said Morrison in surprise.

  ‘It’s unusual, if you mean sexual abuse, but hardly unknown, unfortunately. But many parents, even mothers, abuse their children in all sorts of non-sexual ways too.’

  ‘So the burglary could still have been paid for by Riordan, to find out what Grainne was saying and to protect his wife’s memory?’

  Kate sighed, ‘A Minister of State hiring a junkie to commit a burglary? And then murdering said junkie when he refused to hand over the case? All to protect his dead wife’s reputation? Now who’s going all Hollywood?’

  Morrison gave a short, humorless laugh, ‘I see your point. Could he be protecting another family member, perhaps? One still alive?’

  ‘Perhaps,’ she said dubiously, ‘but it isn’t very likely, is it? Anyway, he’s an only child and his parents are dead.’

  ‘I know,’ said Morrison heavily, ‘I’m the one clutching at straws now, aren’t I? But you know what politicians are like when it comes to scandal. The slightest thing can ruin them, and every one of them will fight like hell to look squeaky clean to the public, no matter what they’re up to in private.’

  ‘Is that some sort of dig at me?’ she asked coldly.

  ‘What?’ he asked, puzzled. ‘Oh, sorry. No, that wasn’t aimed at you. I’d forgotten all about that stupid story in the paper, to be honest. So you don’t think Riordan would go that far to protect his reputation?’

  ‘I don’t have a high opinion of politicians myself, but surely not even a politician would go to the extent of murdering someone just to maintain their public image? Besides, if his wife abused Grainne and drove her insane public sympathy would be with Michael, not against him. He’d be the victim of a domestic tragedy, not a monster. Wouldn’t he? What if she wasn’t abused, what if she just knows something she shouldn’t?’

  Morrison sighed, ‘I still think it’s all a load of crap. And I don’t think that Grainne knows any dark secrets about anyone, either. What could she know that anyone would kill to conceal? State secrets that Riordan discussed at home? Dodgy business deals that his associates will kill to keep secret? Give me a break! Life isn’t a Dan Brown novel.’

  ‘I know,’ said Kate glumly, ‘it all sounds so silly. Besides, anything Grainne revealed to her psychiatrist -or to me- is privileged information. Nothing she said would ever get to court, and the papers wouldn’t dare print rumours based on the delusions of a mental patient suspected of murdering her own mother.’

  Morrison laughed, ‘I can’t believe you’re still naive enough to think that! You of all people should know by now that these wankers will print anything if they think it’ll sell a few extra copies! But I think it’s all a lot simpler than that. Grainne was a spoilt little rich girl who got her own way too often. Maybe she was neglected, maybe she was even slapped around by her mother, though I doubt it. She just went off her head with drink and drugs and one night started a fire. It might have been a cry for attention that went wrong, or a murder attempt on her mother for real or imagined wrongs. It might even have been a suicide attempt that she chickened out of, or even an accident. But I don’t think there’s anyone else involved, or anything more to it.’

  ‘Unless none of it has anything to do with the fire,’ offered Kate, ‘Grainne was running with a wild crowd, taking drugs and sleeping around. Maybe she was sleeping with the wrong person. A politician friend of Michael whose career would be ruined if it came out he was indulging in drug and sex orgies with young girls. Or maybe she saw a supposedly respectable person involved in a drug deal or something.’

  ‘Can you hear yourself? Do you have any idea how ridiculous all this is getting?’ asked Morrison, though not unkindly, ‘And I thought I was clutching at straws! This is all nonsense, Kate.’

  ‘I know, I know! But if it’s nothing to do with Meagher, who has it got to do with? There has to be something we’re missing.’

  ‘Do you have a copy of Grainne’s file? If so I could take a look at it, see if a fresh perspective can spot something you’ve missed.’

  ‘It might help,’ said Kate reluctantly, ‘But I can’t let you read it. Patient-Doctor confidentiality, remember?’

  ‘Keep the transcripts of her conversation, then, and just give me the rest of the file. The factual stuff concerning her background and early life, and the testimony of her family. Nothing confidential. Most of it is public knowledge, anyway; I just don’t have time to collate it all myself.’

  She thought about this for a moment. ‘Okay, I think that would be permissible, though I don’t think you’ll find anything. When do you want it?’

  ‘As soon as possible. Can I call out to your place this evening?’

  ‘Yeah...no! I nearly forgot, I have my night class this evening so I won’t be home till late. I have the file with me, though, if you want to call in here and collect a copy?’

  ‘What time do you finish your night class?’

  ‘About ten.’

  ‘Fine, I’ll call round then. Where’s your office?’

  ‘There’s a sign at the bottom of my stair but you can just ask the porter at the Nassau Street entrance; he’ll give you directions.’

  ‘Okay then, see you later.’

  He hung up and Kate returned to her now cold mug of coffee, lost in thought; Meagher being in prison ruined her pat little theory, and she had nothing to replace it with. Nothing that sounded even faintly likely even to her, much less a hard-headed cop. She forced her mind back to Michael; was it possible that he had abused Grainne as a child? Having slept with the man she didn’t want to even think such a thing, but it would fit in with the girl’s behaviour patterns. She opened Grainne’s file, which was on her desk, and began browsing through it yet again, removing anything non-confidential to make a separate file for Morrison. As she worked she scanned the transcripts for any evidence against Riordan but found nothing new, nothing to suggest that Michael was anything but a reasonably good father, if slightly neglectful. Particularly following his spectacularly successful entry into politics. And spectacular was definitely the word; even in England she had been aware of his meteoric rise. He had been appointed Junior Minister only a year after first being elected to the Dail, which had to be a record, and then been promoted to full Minster of State after the next general election. Stranger still, his party had handed him a safe seat to begin with. By any standards such a rise was phenomenal, and many people considered him a certain future Taoiseach. Of course, most politicians were far from bright, and very far from competent, so a clever, capable man like Michael was bound to shine in their company, but even so this rapid rise was nothing short of incredible.

  Kate pursed her lips; really she was just stalling. The truth was that –reluctant or not- it was her duty to dig deeper into his background, to see if he had played a part in Grainne’s breakdown. But where to start? If anyone knew any dirt, and were willing to share it, it certainly wouldn’t be his immediate family. His dead wife, Therese, had had a brother called Josh, and a sister called Eimear. The brother had made little contribution to the file on Grainne, saying that he hardly knew the girl, but his sister had been more cooperative, providing most of the background on Grainne’s childhood. On impulse Kate looked up her address and rang her home number, noting that she lived in Dalkey, not far from where Kate had been brought up.

  The phone rang for what seemed a very long time, and she was about to hang up when a slightly breathless voice answered, ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hi. Is that Eimear O’Halloran?’

  ‘Yes, how may I help you?’

  ‘I’m sorry to di
sturb you, Mrs. O’Halloran, my name is Kate Bennett. I’m a psychologist working as a consultant to Dr. Jordan on your niece Grainne’s case. I was wondering if you might help me by answering a few questions?’

  ‘Oh. I see.’ There was a pause, then, ‘Bennett, did you say? You’re not the woman from that bloody awful Sunday News story yesterday, are you?’

  ‘Yes,’ replied Kate in a thin voice, ‘I am. Though since they didn’t print my name I don’t see how you made that connection.’

  ‘Oh, I get the Daily News too, and they named you in it today. Though I thought they said you were a teacher. Besides, I rang Michael last night, and he told me all about the two of you.’ She lowered her voice sympathetically, ‘It must have been awful for you, being all over the paper like that. And the pictures!’

  ‘Well, yes, it is awful,’ replied Kate slowly, wondering what the “all” was that Michael had told his dead wife’s sister, ‘and I’m trying to forget about it, to be honest. Now, would you mind answering a few questions?’

  There was a silence and then a loud sigh came down the line, ‘Well, okay, I suppose so. Just give me a moment to get my breath back first. I was working in my garden and ran back inside when I heard the phone ring.’

  ‘Sorry about that,’ said Kate a little coldly, and sounding anything but; she was not at all pleased that Michael was discussing her behind her back. And not even with his own family but with in-laws, at that.

  Eimear laughed and said dryly, ‘Don’t be. I hate gardening and I’m glad of any excuse to get away from it. But at this time of the year I have to put in some work because everything looks so dead and bedraggled. Every autumn I start thinking about emigrating somewhere sunny. Mind you, with this recession I suppose I’m not the only one dreaming of sunnier climes. What did you want to ask me about?’

  ‘Well, I’m trying to get to the root of Grainne’s aberrant behaviour, which I believe is trauma-induced, and I was wondering if perhaps you knew of any...well, any unpleasant episodes in her childhood?’

  ‘Hardly,’ came the reply, in an even dryer tone, ‘I never saw a child as spoiled as Grainne, which probably caused half her problems. Michael doted on her, and because he worked such long hours he fulfilled her every whim when he was around. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell a psychiatrist that nothing could be worse for a child.’

  ‘I see,’ said Kate, not bothering to correct the other woman as to her profession; many people made the same mistake. This was not what she needed to hear if she was ever to make any progress so she took a deep breath and said, ‘I don’t want you to become angry, so please remember that I’m trying to help Grainne, that she is my priority.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ said Eimear with a touch of grim amusement, ‘That sounds rather ominous! But fire away by all means. If I hang up you’ll know I am offended.’

  Kate steeled herself, dreading the answer, ‘Was there ever any suspicion that Grainne was abused as a child?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Eimear in a shocked tone, ‘Sexual abuse?’

  ‘Well, yes, but really any sort of abuse, beatings or form of mistreatment. By a family member or either parent.’

  ‘What a foul, filthy allegation,’ said Eimear O’Halloran softly, her voice icy with anger, ‘How dare you slander my sister like that?’

  Kate pricked up her ears, ‘I said a family member, Mrs O’Halloran. What made you think I was referring to Therese in particular?’

  ‘The way you accented the either parent!’ said Eimear angrily, before adding caustically, ‘Besides, you’d hardly be sleeping with Michael if you thought he was a child molester. I certainly don’t believe he would do such a thing, and I know him better than you.’ Then, even more caustically, ‘Or at least, longer. However, neither was my sister some sort of pervert. Quite the reverse, if anything. She was extremely attractive, of course, but rather shy and nervous with men. A bit of a prude, even. Not that you would know anything about that, of course. Do I take it then, that Michael is also a suspect?’

  ‘No one is suspected of anything,’ replied Kate, trying to be patient in spite of the jibes, ‘I’m merely trying to find out what caused Grainne’s breakdown.’

  ‘And, as usual with you people,’ said Eimear sarcastically, ‘you turned to sex as the only possible answer. Your minds run on set tracks, don’t they? Like sordid little trains. Personality problems? Why, she was abused as a child, of course! In spite of what you pretend, you lot haven’t really progressed much since Freud’s time, have you, with his disgusting theories? Fraud, more like. Well, in my opinion what you just said is an outrageous slander, and if I ever hear it repeated I shall take legal action. And my husband is a barrister, so please don’t think I’m bluffing. Therese was a very sweet girl, and Michael Riordan is one of the finest men I’ve ever met...no, I take that back, he is the finest man I’ve ever met, and any suggestion that either of them might have harmed their own daughter is as ridiculous as it is insulting. My sister wasn’t perfect but she wasn’t a child abuser either!’

  ‘Forgive me, Mrs O’Halloran,’ said Kate, struggling to keep her own temper, ‘I meant no insult to your family but you must understand that I have to explore every possibility. And if that means offending people; well, so be it. And I was talking about any sort of mistreatment; it was you who assumed I meant sexual abuse. All I’m trying to do is understand, and if I can, help your niece! And unfortunately I can’t begin to understand her until I know as much as possible about everything she has experienced in her short life.’

  Eimear breathed heavily down the phone but at last said, in a calmer tone, ‘Very well, I accept that you’re just trying to help my niece. And I suppose you can’t dig without getting your hands dirty. But you must understand that I consider your questions both impertinent and insulting.’

  ‘Good,’ said Kate, a little sharply, ‘If you’re so insulted then obviously I can strike being abused off my list of possible reasons for Grainne’s problems, yes? Your sister was a good mother?’

  There was another pause, then, ‘I didn’t say that, just that she wasn’t some sort of pervert. To be honest, I thought Therese was far too soft with the girl, spoiling her dreadfully when Michael was around.’

  ‘And when he wasn’t?’ asked Kate.

  Eimear sighed, ‘I don’t know. I don’t believe for a second that Therese abused her but…well, this sort of family history is very painful for me to relate but Therese and Grainne didn’t get on. At all. In fact, they did nothing but fight from day one. Therese suffered terrible post-natal depression and rejected the baby entirely. She kept saying that Grainne wasn’t hers, that the hospital had given her the wrong child.’

  ‘That’s not uncommon, unfortunately,’ said Kate in a gentler tone.

  ‘No,’ said the older woman uncomfortably, ‘Well, Therese was always a bit unstable, a bit neurotic, and after the baby was born… They never bonded, I’m afraid, and Therese was distant with her even as a toddler. I don’t believe she hurt her but I often thought that Grainne was starved of affection. And, of course, when she hit her teens and went off the rails their relationship broke down completely. I got the impression that she resented her mother, had a grudge against her.’

  She paused before adding, even more reluctantly, ‘I know my sister drank very heavily, so perhaps that’s all it was. She was very shy, you see, and hated the press attention and living in the limelight generally. She really wasn’t cut out to be married to a high-flier, either in the business or political world.’

  And you were, perhaps? Kate thought but did not say. It might just have been her imagination but it seemed to her that Eimear was a bit too defensive where Michael was concerned, and might have more than sisterly feelings towards him. Had she perhaps been jealous that her sister had married him? Jesus, was any woman safe from him? But she kept her mouth firmly shut, knowing that the only way to learn is by listening.

  ‘She could only face her social duties with a few drinks in her,’ continue
d Eimear unwillingly, ‘and by the time she died I think she was drinking round the clock. She never cared much for reality, poor thing, and preferred to look at life through the bottom of a wine glass. I think that’s where Grainne gets her own…weakness. That’s why I suppose it’s theoretically possible that she mistreated Grainne when Michael wasn’t around. But I really, really doubt it. She was a kind and gentle soul and just didn’t have it in her. Besides, they had a housekeeper, and after the fire the police questioned her thoroughly. She’d never seen any evidence of ill treatment, by either of them.’

  ‘Mrs. Tormney,’ noted Kate, ‘Yes, I read her report. She said that Therese paid no attention at all to Grainne, and Michael was never there. Her exact words.’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed the older woman,’ That’s why I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Grainne’s resentment can only have come from her mother’s drink problem. Actually, during her tantrums she often mentioned her mother’s drinking, calling her a drunk and an alco and... Well, other, less savory names.’

  ‘I see,’ said Kate thoughtfully, ‘But it’s still not really grounds for the kind of instability Grainne exhibited before her final breakdown.’

  ‘It was puberty!’ said Eimear firmly, ‘That’s when Grainne’s problems started. Like most kids, I suppose. She was an angel up until twelve or so. Obviously the flood of hormones affected her mind as well as her body. That’s when she started acing up.’

  ‘Well, thanks very much,’ said Kate with just the faintest touch of sarcasm, nobly refraining from pointing out that Eimear was also guilty of referring Grainne’s problems back to sex, albeit obliquely, ‘Er, at the risk of offending you further, Grainne has an uncle too, hasn’t she?’

  ‘Yes,’ came the icy reply, ‘My brother, Josh. I suppose he molested Grainne now?’ She sighed and said, ‘I know! I know! You’re just trying to help Grainne! Well, Josh only moved back here from Australia a couple of years ago. He never even set eyes on Grainne until she was thirteen or fourteen.’