‘Oh, I can see him all right,’ Jo says, pointing. Dan lifts her up in the air and gives her a twirl, amid a round of whoops and cheers.
Jo steadies herself against her husband’s arms. ‘It’s good to be back.’
Author’s Note
The case that brought teen suicides to the fore in Ireland was that of Phoebe Prince in Massachusetts, because it showed the pressures kids are under. But nobody could have predicted what happened after her death in 2010, or the surge of incidents involving youths who’d decided to follow the same path.
Earlier this year, I interviewed the coroner for south Kerry, Terence Casey, for the Sunday World, after five of the six cases he had for hearing in April returned suicide verdicts.
‘The worst part is there were two sixteen-year-olds,’ Terence Casey explained. ‘I could find absolutely nothing from the information gathered by the Gardaí which would lead me to understand why young people of this age could take their own life.’
‘Number one, I can’t understand how a fourteen- or sixteen-year-old child would have troubles that would force them into a situation that would take them into taking their own life.
‘What would a fourteen- or a sixteen-year-old have in their own brain that would trouble them that much to take their own life? It doesn’t solve any problems.’
Terence Casey said all the stories coming before Killarney coroner’s court were harrowing.
‘If you can envisage my coroner’s court. I’m sitting down, I’m facing the gallery. And I’m facing, on the last day, six families, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles sitting there looking for an answer. You can see them crying, the anguish, the fear, the self-inflicted blame on their faces.
‘It’s practically impossible to convey what the families go through. If the people who committed suicide could only see the anguish and the grief and the pain and the suffering left behind them, they’d think twice about doing it.’
We’re all familiar with the cases that have made national headlines. I won’t name them or go into detail here, because this is a work of fiction and it wouldn’t feel right or fair to package them with what’s supposed to be a potboiler. I will, however, use some of the things their parents said in the aftermath: ‘My heart turned to stone when I found him’ … ‘We forget what it is like to be fourteen, fifteen or sixteen. We forget how they feel about things’ … ‘We could fill the ocean with our tears.’
Tragically, in Wexford Coroner’s Court that same month, suicide accounted for ten of the fifteen deaths.
All these issues I wanted to try and explore in this book. Ultimately, I had to conclude that, when hope is lost, evil thrives.
Helplines
1lifefreephone: 1800 247 100
Aware: 1890 303 302
Console: 1800 201 890
Help in a Crisis: Text Headsup 50424
Pieta House: 01 6010000 or email [email protected]
Samaritans, 24-hour service: 1850 60 60 90
Teen Line Ireland: 1800 833 634
Acknowledgements
My name is on the book but so many people were involved in getting it to the point of publication, it’s a bit embarrassing that theirs aren’t there too. Without my husband, Brian, there’d be no time or space for this passion that is writing books, I’m very lucky he has it too.
The other Brian in my life is my editor, Brian Langan, who brought so many insights, solutions and alternative scenarios to the book that he worked wonders. Actually, that’s putting mildly what he did. Editor Cat Cobain and publisher Eoin McHugh believed in this story from the start, and I’m indebted to them too. My skilled, vibrant agent Jane Gregory is wise, kind and funny, and I’m very grateful for all her sound advice. I’m also very lucky to have made good friends with many people I’ve met in the book world – and a special thanks to Helen Gleed O’Connor, who is also an amazing publicist.
My parents, Sheila and Eamonn, are always there to help and never ask, ‘Is it finished yet?’ They help convince me chaos is normal. ‘Hi’ and thanks also to my pals on the Sunday World, especially editor Colm McGinty, and to my great friends Siobhan Carmody Collins, Carmel Wallace, Vanessa O’Loughlin and Maria Duffy, thanks for putting up with me pulling out of everything. Again!
Without Liz Byrne and her magic way with children and big smile, I’d never have got to the finish.
Finally, thanks to the inspirational, brilliant women who helped get me on this road: Selina Walker, and Cathy Kelly, and the ones who believed in the books once they were published – Orla Bleahen Melvin, and Kate Triggs. A heartfelt thanks again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Niamh O’Connor is one of Ireland’s best known crime authors. She is the true crime editor for the Sunday World, Ireland’s biggest selling Sunday newspaper. Her three novels, If I Never See You Again, Taken and Too Close For Comfort have introduced a refreshing heroine in feisty CS Jo Birmingham and two have been shortlisted for Irish Book Awards.
Also by Niamh O’Connor
Non-fiction
BLOOD TIES
Fiction
IF I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN
TAKEN
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
For more information on Niamh O’Connor and her books, see www.randomhouse.co.uk/authors/niamh-oconnor
TRANSWORLD IRELAND
An imprint of The Random House Group Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA
www.transworldbooks.co.uk
BLINK
A TRANSWORLD IRELAND BOOK: 9781848271401
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781448110711
First published in 2013 by Transworld Ireland, a division of Transworld Publishers
Copyright © Niamh O’Connor 2013
Niamh O’Connor has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Addresses for Random House Group Ltd companies outside the UK can be found at:
www.randomhouse.co.uk
The Random House Group Ltd Reg. No. 954009
Blink Page 23