by Linda Coles
“I wasn’t expecting to see you again today,” she said as he bent to give her a peck on the cheek, brother and sister love.
“I wasn’t sure I’d make it, what with the garage.” He pulled over the single chair, the same one where he’d spent the night only recently.
“You look tired,” she said. “You should pull up a bed.”
“I am tired,” he said, “but I’m not planning on stopping here overnight.”
“Visiting time is nearly over anyway,” she said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
“I know, but there’s something I wanted to tell you. I didn’t want to say on the phone, so I thought I’d pop over in person.”
“Oh?”
“The child, the baby. He’s safely in care. I thought you’d want to know.”
“How do you know?”
“Let’s just say I met a woman earlier on today. She knew all about it.”
Brocc watched as the colour drained from Bronagh’s face, she’d be wondering what woman.
“You all right, Bron?” he asked
“Yes. Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” she said, gathering herself and forcing a smile across her face.
“Because you just lost all your colour. I’m guessing you’re wondering who the woman is?”
Bronagh didn’t say anything for a moment before finally adding, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s bull and you know it,” said Brocc. “But just to put your mind at ease, the woman has nothing to do with whatever it is you’re doing. She’s just an innocent bystander. Like me really.”
“Where did you see this woman?”
“I’m not telling you anything else until you start telling me what’s going on. I just came to tell you that the boy was safe.”
“Well that’s good news the boy is safe, but I’m concerned now there’s somebody else involved. And that is risky.”
“Involved in what Bron?”
“I’ve told you Brocc, you wouldn’t understand. I’m not telling so stop at me. There’s too much at stake, so please don’t push me any more.” Her eyes held a warning he should leave it alone but that was against his nature.
“Is anyone likely to get hurt, or another child abandoned, perhaps?”
“On the contrary. Nobody is going to be abandoned. Nobody is going to get hurt, but if more people find out that could all change pretty quick. So, whatever you know, whatever you’ve seen, Brocc Bowen, you’ve got to promise me you won’t tell a living soul.”
“Oh, Bronagh, this doesn’t sit right with me.”
“I don’t care where it sits. You’ve got to promise me you keep this to yourself, and whoever this woman is, you don’t tell her anything that you think you know. Leave it to me.”
“Well, answer this,” he said. “Is what you’re doing illegal?”
Bronagh readjusted herself in the bed and thought for a moment before answering. Technically, it was all pretty much illegal, but the outcome really wasn’t.
The look on her face as she thought the answer through told Brocc what he needed. “I guess you’re not going to tell me, so is there anything I can do to help?”
“I appreciate the offer, Brocc, but no, you’ve done enough, thank you. Whoever this woman is, she can’t get involved. There’s too much at stake.”
“So you keep saying. That’s all you say.”
“And that’s all I can say.”
Brocc glanced at the clock. Visiting time was over. All around him, people kissed their loved ones goodbye and wished them well. Brocc stood to go. “Is there anything I can do for you, for the shop, maybe?” he said, bending to peck her on the cheek once more.
“I don’t think so. I’m hoping to be out tomorrow. I’ll give you a ring and let you know when I know, though I could just get in a taxi. I’m sure you’ve got things to be going on with.” A taxi would cost a small fortune.
“I’ll come and get you. You just let me know.” He waved lightly, grey fingers stained with years of grease moving through the air in an affectionate manner. Bronagh lay back and watched him leave, the smile falling from her face. While it was good that the child was safe, she wasn’t pleased at how things were turning out. The woman, whoever she was, had inserted herself into something that didn’t concern her and Bronagh could only hope she wasn’t going to be a problem. She picked up her phone. All she could do was let the others know that there was someone local, on the periphery, on the outside.
And they were looking in.
Chapter 51
Chrissy was sitting on the edge of her bed wondering about what she’d heard. It sounded like the barman had been in trouble in the past for assault, though no charges were ever laid against him. Whomever he’d hit had had a change of heart, frightened of repercussions, perhaps. Just who was this barman, Ethan Duffy? He didn’t look the violent type.
“Damn! I should have asked her about the ANPR cameras on the van. Can I even I ring back?”
“Should you ring her back?” said Adam, surprising her. She hadn’t realised he was standing in the bedroom doorway behind her.
“A missed opportunity is all. I could kick myself,” she said.
He walked into the room, serious written all over his handsome face.
“Why don’t you tell me what you’re really up to. And I mean all of it.” She’d been rumbled. Adam knew her too well, which was only a good thing. “I’m guessing that call,” he said, pointing to her phone, “has got to do with Flynn and his missing parents?”
“Yes. I’ve just been talking to Bridget. Remember, the blonde that got us out of France?”
Adam smiled at the memory of meeting the woman. Unique didn’t cover it. Neither did interesting. “How could anyone forget Bridget?” said Adam with a slight smirk. She’d be close to many men’s dreams, though in reality they’d find a very different person underneath compared to what their own dreams contained. “So, what does Bridget have to say?” Chrissy took a long, lung-emptying breath and said, “Here goes, long story short: when I just asked you to pull in at that house earlier? I saw the barman from the pub in a van that I’ve seen knocking about, and at the castle, and I’m suspicious of it, that’s all.”
“And I assume you think he or the van is somehow connected?”
“I think there’s something going on, yes. I’ve not got to the bottom of it yet, but Bridget’s done a quick search and the guy’s got a sheet, several assault charges. And they’ve all been dropped. That in itself is odd, though I’m not sure how that links to the missing pair. There must be more behind it, I can feel it.”
Adam sat down next to her. “I thought you were going to have a break, have a holiday, some time out,” he said, showing the start of frustration again. It wasn’t the first time he’d raised it.
“I am. But this is important. A young child’s been abandoned. His parents have run off amidst some strange goings-on and I intend to find out what’s happening. I’m not entirely sure quite how much effort the Guards are putting into the case since Flynn is now ‘safely’ in the system.”
“So, in true Chrissy form, you take it on yourself.” He sounded defeated. Maybe he knew he was. It wasn’t a battle worth fighting, he’d never win this one, he knew Chrissy all too well. Tell her to stop and she dug her heels in. Plus, her day job was as a private investigator, so he knew she’d be sensible about her own involvement and safety.
“Yes, in a nutshell.”
He stood. “Well, call her back and ask your question. Then will you come and help me in the kitchen? You can keep me topped up with wine.”
“I can do that,” she said, dialling Bridget’s number again. It went straight to voicemail, so she left a brief message, hoping she had a little virtual credit left to afford Bridget’s headspace. Chrissy headed back to the kitchen and slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans.
Julie had gone to bed. Richard was buried in his book and the house was quiet as the two sipped wine in the
kitchen, waiting for the beef hash to cook. Adam hadn’t asked any more awkward questions and Chrissy was grateful for an understanding husband, though she was painfully aware she should focus on the rest of their holiday instead of working a case, paid or not. Adam would only stay cool about it for so long and she’d noticed his frustration peeking through.
“So, tomorrow we might have two patients in tow,” said Adam. “Richard’s still not up to moving very far and if Julie is no better, she’ll want to stay in bed. If that’s the case, what you fancy doing tomorrow?”
Thinking quickly, she asked, “Are you up for horse riding?” Adam’s head shot up. He looked horrified and Chrissy couldn’t help but laugh. The last time they had been horse riding, he hadn’t quite mastered the rise and fall of the saddle hitting his undercarriage when it came to trotting, and he’d hardly walked for a week.
“How about mountain bikes instead?” he suggested. “I feel safer on a bike than a horse.”
It was a good compromise. “You’re on.” It was the least she could do. “But if Julie is feeling better tomorrow, I’m not sure she’s ever been on a mountain bike. In fact, I’m not sure she’s been on a bike since she was a child.”
“You never forget how to ride. Plus the fresh air will do her good. We don’t need to go far or too fast so let’s see how she is when she wakes up.” At that moment Chrissy’s phone vibrated in her back pocket and she glanced at Adam. It was Bridget.
“I’ll take this on the deck,” she said, nodding towards the living room, indicating that Richard could easily overhear.
Chapter 52
Chrissy slipped outside the back door into the cold, wishing she’d grabbed her jacket from the peg first off. It was dark now, hardly any light visible as waves crashed away in the distance. A stiff breeze whipped by, and she hoped that Bridget would be her usual brief self. Once she’d got the information she so desperately needed.
“I hope you’ve got a good memory because I’m not sending this through. No trace from me, not on this, you understand.” All business.
“I get it. What is it?”
“It seems your man changed his name some time ago, quite legitimately I might add, to Ethan Duffy from Nathan Jones. So, Ethan, Nathan, not much difference there. Jones, Duffy, obviously nothing alike, but he did that all legal and above board. Plenty of people change their names every day.”
“Right.”
“Okay. While he might look cute, he’s not my favourite kind of man, but then anyone that is involved in domestic violence disgusts me. I’d like to kick the shit out of him with my heavy boots on.”
“Ah. Not good, not cool.”
“Apparently there were numerous call-outs to the property, usually by the neighbours. Things often got heated and items could be heard crashing about, but charges were always dropped.”
“So where was all this? Dublin or Doolin?”
“In Manchester actually. Your boy is not a local to where you are. I’m assuming you are still in Doolin?”
Chrissy had no idea how Bridget knew where she was right there and then and at a guess would have said it was something to do with her own mobile phone. But Manchester? That’s the second person from Manchester she’d come across this week.
“So he’s not really Irish.”
“No,” she said. “If he sounds Irish, he’s likely got a fake accent along with his change of name.”
“Right. Do have an address for me?”
“I do and it’s easy to remember: 1, Rooska,” and she spelt it, “Lisdoonvarna. Small cottage, tiny village; perfect for hiding, I’d say.”
“Hiding from what though. He works in the local pub, it’s hardly hiding.”
“The guy’s got to earn money, he’s got to keep himself somehow. Maybe he changed his name after those assault charges. Maybe he doesn’t want anybody knowing his background.”
“Makes sense I suppose. And the ANPR, any joy there?” The van’s reg plate picked up on the night Lorcan and Ciara disappeared would be more valuable than gold at this point.
“Before I tell you, tell me more. The part you’re keeping from me.”
It seemed Adam wasn’t the only one interested. She had no choice but to fill her in if she wanted the information. She brought Bridget up to speed.
“And you think Duffy is somehow connected. Well, this guy doesn’t deserve my adoration of his curls now I know more about him. After I’ve kicked his head in, I’d like to finish him off with my boxing gloves.” There was a certain chill in the woman’s voice that Chrissy wondered about. She didn’t doubt her intentions.
“Steady on Bridget. I thought you didn’t like violence?”
“Anyone that beats his wife deserves far more than I could give them.” Then, like flicking a switch, Bridget changed tack. “Anyway, I can tell you the cameras pinged that plate at various locations on the way south that night, but ultimately the pings stopped at Cork since there’s nothing much else at the end of the M8 but ocean. Having said that, the same plate has been on the move back up to Dublin and across to Holyhead, Liverpool included. It’s been getting around quite a bit in the last few days.”
“That’s a puzzle then. I wonder what’s at Cork?”
“Besides water? A day or two’s rest from my tracking. Just watch yourself, Chrissy. Anyone that can beat their wife needs a serious talking to.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Chrissy. “I don’t know anything about where Lorcan and Ciara have gone but this Duffy guy seems to keep popping up. It’s too much of a coincidence to ignore.
“Just look after yourself and you didn’t get any of this from me.”
“No problem there, and thanks again, you’ve been really helpful.”
Bridget had already gone.
Chrissy went back inside and, sitting at the kitchen table, watched Adam make a salad. It seemed too cold for lettuce. She reached for one of the throws that was lying about and draped it around her shoulders while she warmed back up. A long drink of red wine helped to warm her insides as she watched Adam chop tomatoes.
“I’m guessing that was Bridget? Anything useful?”
“Everything Bridget tells you is useful in some way,” she said. “It’s just sometimes you don’t know quite where the pieces all fit in and I can’t take advantage of her generosity as much as I’d like. I have to kind of earn my rewards from her or hope she’s feeling benevolent. But it’s starting to take shape in my mind now. I need to do a bit more digging.”
“Will your digging wait till after dinner?”
Chrissy looked up at her husband and put the disappearance of two people and an abandoned baby to the back of her mind for a moment. “It can wait until after dinner,” she said, noticing the warning note. But she needed to nip out, follow up on what Bridget had told her. The address wasn’t far away.
“How would you feel if I popped out for an hour later, though?” She was tempted to wince at his response before he’d even given it.
“Well, if you’re going to do that, you’d better hold fire on that red wine you’ve been knocking back,” he said. “And jot the address down, just in case.”
Chapter 53
Chrissy drank water over dinner and said very little while she mulled over what she’d learnt in the last hour or so, leaving Richard and Adam to talk men’s stuff. Julie stayed in bed fast asleep and Chrissy hoped she’d sleep through and not be wide awake at 3 am. Since she’d not long ago eaten afternoon tea, her own appetite was almost nil and she picked at her food, which didn’t go unnoticed by Adam. A sandwich would have done her. Eventually she made her apologies and waited for them both to finish. Then she gathered cutlery and crockery and loaded the dishwasher, clearing away. It was only fair since Adam had cooked. She glanced at the clock. It was coming up to 8 pm and she was anxious to make her trip out. She had two destinations in mind.
“Can I get you boys a coffee?” she enquired, hoping to settle them in the living room like you might two young children.
/> “Please,” said Adam.
“I’ll bring it through,” she said. “Richard?”
“Not for me, thanks. I’m going to have a brandy. Join me, Adam?”
“Just a small one,” he said. “It would be rude not to since you offered,” he added cheerily, and the two men headed off into the living room like old pals. Mission accomplished. It was good to see them getting on so well. Richard, like Julie, seemed to be mellowing a little around the edges. Neither were as stiff and uptight as they were at home in their big house. Chrissy knew a lot of it was for show, keeping up appearances. She knew her sister was as down to earth as she was inside, though needed to relax and be the real Julie, the one that was starting to shine through again. With Richard’s continued support, the shoe shops were having a positive effect on both of them and with plans to expand online, she could see Richard taking that aspect over in a career change.
She busied herself making a coffee for Adam and took it through, and when the kitchen was all cleared away, she went to their room to collect the car keys. As she breezed back through, she kept away from Richard, hoping he didn’t ask any questions. He appeared to be back engrossed in his book, a brandy by his side. Whatever it was he was reading he was certainly enjoying it. Adam nodded at her furtively, a warning in his eyes to stay safe at all times, and she nodded back. Grabbing her jacket from by the back door, she quietly left the house and headed out into the dark. As the car unlocked itself the interior glow was the only light showing her the way. It was pitch black otherwise.
Judging by Google Maps, Lisdoonvarna was local, so not far away, which fitted with the fact that Ethan was a barman in Doolin. Being local was ideal when finishing a late shift, he wouldn’t want a long drive home at midnight.