‘Oh?’
‘Stella rang Hanlon’s guesthouse where Johnny had been living. Mrs Hanlon has been arrested.’
‘Oh dear.’
‘It’s probably just a matter of time till they find that Johnny lived there, but used to work here.’
‘And then they’ll come here?’
‘I’d say so. We can’t do much till Johnny arrives, so we may as well relax with a cup of tea. And if you’d like to freshen up you can go up to room nine.’
‘But the Tans could already be on their way here,’ said Stella.
‘So once Johnny arrives, we need to make our move.’
‘I think so,’ said Alice.
Miss Dunne nodded decisively. ‘Right. Then that’s what we’ll do.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘Here’s the money,’ said Stella, handing over a banknote.
Alice could see that her friend was trying to sound calm, but the excitement was evident in her voice. They were in the lobby of the Mill, and Stella had just come from room nine, where Johnny’s mother was freshening up while she awaited his arrival.
‘Great,’ said Alice, taking the money and slipping it into the pocket of her overcoat. It had been Stella’s idea to speed things up by buying train tickets for Belfast while they waited for Johnny. From Belfast, Johnny and his mother would get the ferry to Scotland, but Stella had pointed out that if the police arrived in Balbriggan in pursuit of Johnny it might be better if the ticket seller at the train station hadn’t seen Miss Dunne purchasing tickets.
‘OK, I won’t be long’ said Alice.
‘Fine, I’ll go back and wait with Miss Dunne.’
Alice crossed the lobby and exited into the street. Normally she loved crisp winter weather, but today the combination of blue sky and soft November sunshine was lost on her. Instead her senses were on alert for any sign of police activity as she made for the train station. Walking briskly, she passed the shells of several buildings that had been destroyed when the Tans had torched the town in September. Apart from the sight of the burnt-out ruins – which still angered Alice, even eight weeks later – everything seemed normal.
She reached the station and made for the ticket sales window. Although there were passengers here in the hall and in the waiting room, there was only one person in the queue ahead of her. Alice tried to curb her impatience as the woman bought her ticket, slowly taking out one coin after another from her purse to pay for it.
Finally, she finished the transaction, and Alice came face to face with the ticket seller. He was Larry McCaffrey, a local man in his late twenties who was friendly and outgoing. Alice would have preferred to buy the tickets from someone who didn’t know her, but Larry greeted her by name.
‘’Morning, Alice, fit and well you’re looking.’
‘Good morning, Larry.’
‘What can I get you?’
‘Two single tickets for Belfast please.’
‘Running away with your boyfriend, are you?’ said Larry with a grin.
Alice forced herself to smile. ‘Obliging a guest at the Mill,’ she answered. ‘One adult and one child, please,’ she said, making her tone business-like as she handed over the pound note that Stella had been given by Miss Dunne.
She hoped Larry wouldn’t waste what might be precious time with more ham-fisted jokes, and to her relief she realised that he had picked up on her tone.
‘There you are,’ he said, giving her the tickets and her change without further ado.
‘Thanks, Larry,’ she answered. Then she nodded in farewell, strode towards the door and started back towards the Mill.
* * *
Johnny felt his anxiety worsening as the train pulled in to Balbriggan station. He had tried to relax as the train travelled through the sun-dappled countryside, but the stark beauty of the winter landscape had passed in a blur as his worries mounted. Supposing there was a police checkpoint at Balbriggan station and he was questioned? Supposing Mr O’Shea and Mrs Hanlon had been picked up in the crackdown after the assassination of the British Intelligence agents? Or supposing his mother had been prevented from travelling from Athlone to Balbriggan? Could she even have had second thoughts about helping him escape to Scotland in the aftermath of all the killings yesterday? She had left him once before as a baby, supposing she left him once again now?
No sooner had Johnny thought this than he felt guilty. His mother had explained why she had put him up for adoption, and had apologised from the heart for all he had suffered in St Mary’s. She was the one who had suggested a life together in Scotland, and he chided himself now for doubting her. Before he could think about it any further the train shuddered to a stop. Johnny took up his case and exited from the carriage, quickly scanning the platform as he stepped out into the November air. There were no policemen about, however, and he quickly left the station and began walking towards the Mill Hotel. He walked at a good pace, but not so swiftly as to draw attention. He was about halfway there when he spotted the local surgeon, Doctor Foley, coming in his direction. Johnny had hoped to rendezvous with his mother without bumping into anyone who knew him. Could he cross to the other side of the street and avoid Dr Foley? No, he decided, that would look odd – better to act as though everything was normal.
‘Doctor Foley,’ he said in respectful greeting as they drew level.
‘Johnny,’ the surgeon replied, a note of surprise in his voice as he took in the suitcase. ‘Coming back to work in the Mill?’
‘No, I’m just breaking my journey on the way to Dublin,’ answered Johnny, the lie tripping easily off his tongue.
‘Ah. Be careful in Dublin, it seems to be in turmoil.’
‘I will, thanks. Well, good day, Doctor Foley.’
‘Good day, Johnny.’
He nodded politely and moved on. He knew that normally it would be someone of Doctor Foley’s social standing who decided when to end an encounter. Today though he was in a hurry; if Doctor Foley found that a little strange, then too bad. Striding on before Foley could question him further, he soon came to the rear entrance of the Mill. Wanting to avoid attention, he went in through the back gate, crossed the yard and stepped through the rear door. The heated interior and the scent of food from the kitchen were reassuringly familiar, and Johnny followed the route that he had taken countless times before, bringing him to reception.
‘Hello, Miss Hopkins,’ he said.
‘Johnny!’ she answered.
‘Is Norah Dunne here?’
‘Yes, she’s in room nine.’
Johnny felt a surge of relief.
‘Alice and Stella are with her,’ added Miss Hopkins with a lowered voice. ‘They’re waiting for you.’
‘Are Alice and Stella not in school?’
‘They’ve both upset stomachs. They’re excused school.’
‘Right,’ said Johnny, trying to keep back a grin.
He left reception and took the stairs, then knocked on the door of room nine. Almost immediately the door opened, and there stood Alice, a huge smile on her face.
‘Johnny! Thank God you made it!’ she said.
She threw her arms around him, then ushered him into the room. Johnny’s spirits soared to see the smiling faces of Stella and his mother. Stella reached him first, and like Alice, gave him a hug.
‘We were so worried about you!’
‘I was worried about me!’ answered Johnny playfully.
His mother approached, and when he turned to her, Johnny could see that she had tears in her eyes. He suddenly felt a lump in his own throat, but tried to keep his emotions in check. ‘Mam,’ he said.
‘Johnny.’ she replied. Without another word she took him in her arms.
After all that he had been through, Johnny found comfort in her embrace, then after a moment they separated.
‘I hate being the bearer of bad news,’ said Stella hesitantly. ‘But there’s something you need to know, Johnny.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I tri
ed to ring you in Dublin. But the police answered the phone. Mrs Hanlon has been arrested.’
Johnny felt his mouth going dry. ‘God…’ he said. ‘And…and what about Mr O’Shea?’
‘I don’t know about him,’ answered Stella. ‘But the thing is, they’re likely to trace you back to the Mill.’
‘We all reckon it’s just a matter of time till the Tans show up,’ said Alice. ‘I’ve bought train tickets. We think you and your mam should go while the going is good.’
‘Right.’
‘But before we do, I was telling the girls about my idea to boost our chances,’ said his mother.
‘Oh? What’s that?’
His mother looked mysterious. ‘Step into the bathroom, and I’ll show you.’
* * *
‘Remember the book we got in the library about magic tricks?’ said Stella.
‘Yes,’ answered Alice.
Stella could see that her friend was bemused by her choice of topic. They were waiting for Johnny and his mother to finish in the bathroom, and Stella had been thinking about how to boost their chances of leaving Ireland undetected. ‘Misdirection was the big thing in that book,’ she said. ‘If a magician doesn’t want you to see what his left hand is doing, he’ll draw your attention to his right hand.’
‘Yes, I know what misdirection is.’
‘I think we should try and do a bit of that for Johnny and his mam.’
‘How?’
‘By thinking the way the police might think, and then misguiding them. I mean, this could all be a storm in a teacup, and maybe they’re not looking for Johnny at all.’
‘But if they are, we try to fool them?’
‘Yes. If you were a republican fleeing the country, Alice, where would you make for?’
‘Probably…America. Lots of Irish sympathisers there.’
‘Exactly. So if the Tans do get on Johnny’s trail, it would be good to make them think he’s gone there instead of Scotland.’
‘How do we do that?’
‘I don’t know yet, but we can be thinking about it. Meanwhile I have fruit and chocolate in my room. If I give them that they won’t have to buy stuff. The fewer people they show their faces to the better, till they’re out of the country.
‘Yes, that makes sense.’
‘OK, I’ll slip down and get the grub. Won’t be a minute.’
Stella left the room and went quickly down the stairs, then entered her own room and crossed to the fruit bowl. She took apples and bananas, and slipped them into a brown paper bag, before adding a large bar of chocolate that she had been saving for after hockey training. Pleased with her forward thinking, she locked the door after her and started back towards room nine.
She crossed the edge of the lobby and was about to climb the stairs when she saw a Crossley tender pulling to a halt outside the hotel. To her dismay she saw heavily armed Tans spilling out of the vehicle. She paused a moment, hoping against hope that the Mill wasn’t their destination. Then she saw the leading Tan making for the entrance. Without wasting another moment she turned on her heel and made for room nine, taking the stairs at speed.
* * *
‘When was the last time you saw Johnny Dunne?’ demanded the Tan.
He spoke with a thick Scottish accent, and had alert, probing eyes. Alice paused, as though considering. In her mother’s absence, she had come down to reception and taken charge, explaining to the raiding party that her mother wouldn’t be back until the afternoon.
‘I saw him about four weeks ago,’ she answered. ‘He came back for a mass for my friend’s granddad.’
‘And you haven’t seen him since?’ asked the Tan, his eyes boring into Alice.
The man was intimidating, but she forced herself to hold his gaze and speak calmly. ‘That’s the only time I saw him since he left at the end of September.’
‘When he worked here, where did he live?’
‘In the staff quarters on the top floor.’
‘Right, we need to search there.’
Alice feared that if they went there and found nothing they might want to search other rooms. She tried to make her objection sound reasonable. ‘Is there any point searching?’ she said. ‘He hasn’t lived here for months. Why would he come back to a place where he doesn’t work any more?’
‘Because he’s fled and he needs to hide somewhere. And he probably has friends here.’ The Tan pointed his finger at Alice. ‘Like you, maybe.’
Alice shook her head. ‘He was just an employee. He wasn’t my friend.’ Even though she was lying to protect Johnny, she still felt bad about disowning him.
‘Either way, we’re searching the place,’ said the Scot.
‘Can we keep it to the staff quarters? I don’t want to upset the guests.’
‘I don’t give a Highlanders about the guests! Now get the keys.’
‘All right,’ said Alice, raising her hands to appease the Tan, before turning to the reception desk. ‘Could I have the master key, please, Miss Hopkins?’
The receptionist held out the key, and Alice took it. She had to try to warn Johnny before the Tans finished on the top floor.
‘OK, here’s the master key,’ she said, handing it over, ‘I’ll leave you to it.’ Alice turned to walk away but had barely moved when she felt a firm grip on her arm.
‘Where do you think you’re going?’ demanded the Tan.
‘I’ve other work to do.’
‘Not now, you haven’t. You come with us.’
Alice was about to protest, but she stopped herself, fearing it might sound suspicious to argue too much. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘If you want to waste everyone’s time, let’s search the staff quarters.’
* * *
Johnny looked in the bathroom mirror, taken aback by his own reflection.
‘What do you think?’ asked his mother.
‘It feels really weird. I…I don’t look like myself.’
‘That’s the general idea.’
His mother had dyed his mop of brown hair black, and plastered it down with oil. Before leaving the chemists shop in Athlone she had acquired the dye, the oil and a pair of glasses with plain lenses, which Johnny now wore.
‘Let’s see what the others think of you,’ suggested his mother.
‘OK,’ agreed Johnny. He opened the bathroom door and steeped back into the hotel bedroom. He realised that Alice was missing, then his attention was taken by the look of shock on Stella’s face.
‘Oh my goodness!’ she cried, putting her hands to her mouth.
‘You like my new look?’
‘It’s amazing. Great work, Miss Dunne.’
‘No point working in a chemist’s if you can’t get your hands on some bits and bobs,’ she said with a smile.
‘It’s really good,’ said Stella, ‘but I’ve some bad news. The Tans arrived while you were doing the dying. Alice is downstairs dealing with them.’
Johnny felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. ‘God,’ he said. ‘What will we do now?’
‘We could brazen it out,’ said his mother. ‘They’re looking for a brown-haired boy on his own. They won’t be looking for a black-haired boy with glasses who’s travelling with his mother.’
‘I’d only try that if you have to,’ cautioned Stella. ‘Alice will do everything she can to misdirect them.’
Johnny could see that his mother wasn’t fully convinced.
‘Supposing she can’t misdirect them?’ she said.
‘Alice is pretty smart,’ answered Stella. ‘I think the best thing is to sit tight and trust her.’
‘Johnny?’ asked his mother.
Johnny bit his lip, thinking hard. His instinct was to make a break, but he knew the Tans would have the hotel surrounded. Following his mother’s suggestion would be risky, but could pay off. The authorities didn’t have a picture of him, just a description, and with his changed appearance, and travelling as part of a mother and son pairing, they might get away. Then again if they could avoid run
ning the gauntlet that would be better. And Alice was smart, maybe she could put the Tans off the scent. He hesitated another moment, trying to think straight, then made up his mind.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘let’s stay put, and trust in Alice.’
* * *
‘I told you he wouldn’t be in the hotel,’ said Alice.
The Tans had searched all of the staff quarters on the top floor of the Mill, and the Scottish sergeant leading the raid had kept his men in check, with no damage done to the room.
‘He could still be in the hotel; we’ve just ruled out the staff quarters,’ answered the Tan.
‘Look, Sergeant, I know you’ve a job to do. But we’ve a job too, and it’s to keep guests happy. Can you search the kitchen and the outhouses and wherever else you want, but not disturb our guests? Please?’
The Tan’s expression hardened. ‘Do you know why we’re looking for this fella?’
‘No.’
‘He was living in a house full of rebels.’
‘But wasn’t he just a boarder?’
‘Just a boarder? In a place that’s a hotbed of Shinners? And when we show up and make arrests, he’s vanished. That’s not suspicious?’
‘There might be a perfectly good explanation.’
‘There is. He’s involved. And twelve of our men were murdered yesterday morning. Anyone involved is going to pay for that.’
Alice felt like saying that fourteen innocent civilians in Croke Park had already paid, but she restrained herself and tried to keep her tone reasonable. ‘I understand why you’re angry, Sergeant, but let’s be realistic. Johnny Dunne is hardly being hidden by hotel guests in a place he worked in months ago.’
The Tan appeared to think about this, then he looked Alice in the eye. ‘You could be right. Then again, you could be wrong. But we’ll soon find out, won’t we?’
* * *
‘I’m getting worried,’ said Johnny. ‘If everything was OK, Alice would have come back and told us.’
Stella could understand his nervousness, and she forced herself to sound calm. ‘It’s only been a few minutes, Johnny. She’s probably still talking to the Tans.’
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