They All Fall Down

by Cat Hogan

  ‘Andy, please don’t get upset. I was asking her how things were going with you two, and how nice it was to see you happy. It’s not like she threw herself at me, she simply insinuated that I could come down some night and she would show me how she liked to turn you on.’

  You are a liar, Scott, Andy thought. You have always been a competitive prick when it came to women, just like in our old college days. He would ask Jen but for now he wasn’t taking the bait.

  ‘Now I’ve heard enough, Scott. Remind me again why we are friends. You think I’m a country bumpkin, with no mind of my own and every woman I have ever been with only has me because they can’t have you. Your superiority astounds me. Ooh, are you surprised I could put a word like superiority into a sentence, Scott?’

  Scott started to chuckle – a chuckle at first and then it turned into a big booming laugh.

  ‘I love when you get indignant, Andy. It’s quite the spectacle.’

  ‘Well, stop winding me up with your nonsense then, and we’ll be fine.’

  Scott drained the last of his drink, and called for another.

  ‘This had better be a nightcap, Scott – I’m wrecked.’

  ‘Sure – actually, I really need to get back to Sal.’

  The Jameson was served quickly. Andy got the impression the barman was trying to get rid of them – it was nearly closing time in the main bar.

  ‘Are you and her back together?’

  ‘Certainly not. I blew it when she found out about Clara, but I like angry make-up sex, so who knows? She is on a high tonight and might oblige.’

  Andy just shook his head.

  Scott drained his glass. ‘OK, Andy. I must dash. We can hook up next week. I’ll drop down to you?’

  ‘Yeah, sure, just text me and we can arrange it. Thanks for dropping by tonight. I appreciate it.’

  Scott gave him a hug and told him, not for the first time that night, that he was always there for him, no matter what happened.

  ‘Ciao, Andy. See you soon.’

  Andy sat at the bar and sipped on his whiskey. It had been an eventful night to say the least. He wouldn’t mention to Jen he had spent the night at the bar with her nemesis. She had obviously fallen asleep shortly after he left. He had checked his phone a number of times and there was no message from her. She didn’t surface in the bar either. It was so out of character for her to behave like that. All this drama with her friends had hit her harder than she was letting on. He wondered about the comment she had made, about Scott attacking her in the kitchen. Had she really made a pass at him, which backfired and now she was blaming him for it? No, she wasn’t capable of that, or was she? There is no way Scott would make a pass at his girlfriend. It wouldn’t happen, or would it? As for what she said about Sharon – well, just drunk, angry, horrible crap.

  He would let it all go, and just see what she said in the sober light of day. He wanted to see her. He left the bar, and went back up to their room. When he let himself in, she was fast asleep on top of the bed, one shoe off and one shoe on.

  Bless her, she’s tiny really, he thought. It’s no wonder she got drunk so quickly. He would have a chat with her in the morning, and all would be OK.

  Fearing he would disturb her, he grabbed a couple of blankets from the wardrobe, and slept on the couch by the window.

  Chapter 30

  ‘What is it with me getting flowers from only women this week? Come on in, Jen – I’ll get the kettle on.’

  ‘Thanks, Sal.’ Jen was feeing quite sheepish.

  ‘Dan, do you want to go into the studio and draw me a picture? I’ll get some water for Butch. Leave him outside, OK? He’ll eat my brushes again.’

  ‘OK, Sal. Mam still gives out about how much Butch cost her that day.’

  They all laughed at that. Jen had been mortified over all Sal’s new brushes being eaten by her pup on a visit, and had torn into town to replace them all. She had of course bought the most expensive ones in the shop. Six years later, Sal still had most of them.

  Sal’s kitchen smelled of fresh coffee and sandalwood. The little cottage was adorable and the owner’s personality oozed from every brick.

  ‘So, how was your head the other morning, Jen?’

  ‘Really awful, Sal. Listen, about the other night –’

  ‘Jen, it’s OK. Honestly. I get it. I honestly do.’

  ‘Did it go OK for you, after?’

  ‘It was great. I sold three out of eight. Delighted with myself!’

  ‘Sal, that’s amazing. Well done. I’m so proud of you,’

  ‘And look at this, a write-up in the Indo. Whoop!’

  ‘Ah Sal, you are going to hit the big time. Don’t forget me when you’re famous.’

  Sal made her way over to the kettle. ‘So what happened with you and Andy when you left?’

  Jen took a seat beside the little Aga, and shook her head.

  ‘Sal, I was drunk and we had a massive row. I said a few things to him that I shouldn’t have, and things have been really weird since. He has been really short with me. I don’t know where he was after he left the room. He did come back that night, but he had been on the beer somewhere.’

  ‘The Jameson actually. He was with Scott, Jen. I’ll fill you in on that in a minute, but you need to tell me exactly what you said to Andy.’

  ‘Why, Sal?’

  ‘Because whatever it is you’re thinking about what Scott is capable of, I’m beginning to think you’re right. You were fishing for information about Scott the night I stayed in your place. Tell me, did you tell anyone about that night?’

  ‘Sal, what is going on? You’re scaring me now.’

  ‘Jen, start at the beginning, and tell me everything.’

  Jen didn’t know where to start really. She filled her in about the night of the dinner party when he had threatened her on the patio, over the exhibition. She also told her about Tess, and the money for the pub. She told her about telling Tess some things in the hospital and that she didn’t believe her.

  ‘Don’t mention any more of this to Tess, Jen. I don’t think she can be trusted. She and Scott seem to be very close at the mo. Makes sense really if they are in business. OK, go on.’

  She continued and told her everything. The day in the kitchen, the threats, what Livia had said to her about Sharon and everything in between. The row with Andy and how she had blurted it all out to him.

  Sal just shook her head when she was done. ‘It’s quite the tall tale, Jen. Sounds like a novel.’

  ‘Please, Sal. You have to believe me. I’m starting to feel really scared of him. I feel like it’s all coming to a head.’

  ‘I believe every word you’re telling me, Jen. All of it.’

  Sal stood at the kettle in silence for a few moments and let the news sink in for both of them.

  ‘I got to thinking after my night in your place, and the more I thought about it, the more it freaked me out. Things he had said about Sharon, the way he went out of his way to be horrible to you and to try and pickle my brain about you as a person. It was like he wanted you out of the way, and he wanted me and Andy all to himself, but I can’t figure out why. I thought maybe he was in love with Andy, but no, that doesn’t add up.’

  ‘I know, I thought that too. I think he’s just possessive of him, and doesn’t want me or Danny around. I’m scared he’s going to hurt us, Sal, and despite all that has happened Andy is totally blinded by him. It’s fair to say he’s almost brainwashed.’ Jen was so relieved she could finally talk to Sal about this.

  ‘The possessive thing I get – you should have seen him at the exhibition, he was like a guard dog with me – but I think it’s more than that. When he came back from being with Andy the night of the exhibition, he was really agitated. He was too clever to come right out and say what was on his mind, but he seemed to be furious about Andy being in two minds about travelling in January.’

  ‘What? Andy hasn’t mentioned anything to me about that damn trip in January.’


  ‘Scott is blaming you for getting your claws into him. He knew I was a bit pissed off with you, so he didn’t hold back. He was pretty mental to be honest, and it all got a bit scary.’

  ‘What happened, Sal? Please tell me he didn’t hurt you?’

  It was Sal’s turn to look scared and upset. ‘After dinner, we went back to his place. I was still on a bit of a high from the exhibition, and was having great fun. We had a few drinks. They were hopping off coke, and he was getting louder and more arrogant as the night went on. People got sick of listening to him – not his usual crowd, I expect.’

  ‘Please tell me you left with them?’

  ‘Well, no. But I did leave. The guys at the gallery had booked me a room in one of the hotels they use so I was safe enough, I knew I had somewhere to go.’

  ‘So what happened?’

  ‘He asked me to stay and have a nightcap which I did, and at this stage he was rambling about all sorts of shit. Doc, you, all of us, and Sharon too. I made my excuses and tried to leave, but he had other plans. He wouldn’t have been capable of anything like, but he got a bit heavy-handed with me. Grabbed me, pushed me on to the couch and tried to get it on with me. I pushed him off and legged it. It would be funny really, if it hadn’t been so serious. He was wasted, and all over the place – grabbed me hard enough to bruise me though.’

  She slipped her cardigan off her shoulders and both her upper arms had black-and-blue marks.

  ‘I believe you about the attack in the kitchen, Jen, and I believe he had the capacity and the desire to kill Sharon. I also think he has the same capacity to harm you. Jen, I’m frightened, and we need to do something.’

  Part of Jen’s brain had still been hoping she was being overly dramatic and wrong about how sinister he was. Now Sal was confirming all her feelings and she felt shaken.

  ‘Tess can’t be trusted, Jen. She and Scott are in contact all the time. He has her right where he wants her – her life is a mess, her marriage is over and I think he is pretty much blackmailing her with money. God knows, she needs it at the moment, but he has taken advantage of that. He is absolutely loaded, Jen, and I believe that his money is coming from drugs.’

  ‘He hasn’t been down in a while though, has he?’ Jen asked.

  ‘Here’s another thing that struck me as odd. He mentioned something in the apartment about you and I not being able to dance full of wine – “chavs in pajamas” he called us. I thought he was just talking about the weekend in his house, but now I think he was talking about the night you and I danced in your place. Did you tell him about that night?’

  ‘Of course I didn’t! I don’t think I even went into detail with Andy about the fun we had. You don’t think he was there?’

  ‘That’s exactly what I am thinking, Jen.’

  ‘But Butch would have heard. Oh! Shit, he wasn’t there.’

  They were both completely freaked out by the idea he had been watching them. And it had been raining hard that night – what kind of a maniac would creep around a house in the dark and the rain?

  ‘Jen, I think we need to go speak to Andy about this, and to the Guards.’

  ‘But where would we even start if we went to the Guards, Sal? We have no proof of anything! As yet we only have suspicions. And a few threats. Besides, Andy has gone back to work. He won’t be back till the day after tomorrow.’

  ‘OK, well, maybe you and Danny should stay here for the couple of days until he is back? I have a meeting in Waterford this evening, but will be back for nine. You can just come down yourself later on.’

  ‘Sal, are you sure we’re not letting our imaginations run wild here?’ But her gut was telling her otherwise.

  ‘Maybe, but I would rather look like a fool than be a dead fool, Jen. Let’s just play safe for a couple of days until you speak with Andy.’

  ‘OK, let’s do that.’

  ‘Jen, I’m going to have to get going here. I can’t get out of this meeting. Are you going to be OK?’

  ‘I will. I have a lot of stuff to get done today, and I want to get over to see Mam and Dad. I’ll text you later when I’m coming down.’

  She gathered up her things, called Danny and went out to find Butch. Danny came out behind her, covered in paint.

  ‘We’d better go home and get you changed before we go see Nanny, Dan.’

  Sal texted a few hours later. She was delayed and wouldn’t get home until after nine.

  Sal. Don’t worry. All is good. Dan wrecked so we will stay home. I’m fine. Hugs, and drive carefully. See you tomorrow X

  K, hon. If you’re sure. Hugs back to you X

  Jen wondered if it would just be easier to call it a day with Andy. She knew she was in love with him, but that sometimes wasn’t the be-all and end-all of things. Plenty of people in the world were meant to be together but for whatever reasons they couldn’t. He was still leaving at the end of the year as far as she was aware – he hadn’t mentioned to her he was in two minds about it so why not call it a day? Danny wouldn’t be too affected by it. They slept in separate rooms when he was at home anyway, so he would be none the wiser.

  It was all a big dramatic mess, and she felt that she had a big part to play in the making of said mess. Even if she did call it a day with Andy, her conscience wouldn’t allow her to just forget everything. She would have to tell him about this. Then again, what proof did she have? For all she knew, she had added two and two together and got ten.

  The wind had picked up considerably and she wondered how Andy was doing out on the high seas. Great – that’s all I need now, she thought. Not only do I have being murdered in my bed to worry about, I’ll spend the night worrying about him going overboard.

  Her head was beginning to hurt. She needed to get out of her head and back into her evening. Dinner needed to be finished and she had only got half the house cleaned earlier. Or, she might just let the house go to rack and ruin for one more night, and watch Disney movies with her boy. Now that sounded like a plan.

  She went into the living room and lit the fire, then went back to the kitchen. A big pot of stew sat on the stove, waiting to be reheated. Did she have anything for dessert? She opened the fridge.

  ‘Ah, I don’t believe this! Come on, Dan, we have to go out again. Jeepers tonight, will I ever get to sit down?’

  ‘What’s wrong, Mam?’ he asked.

  ‘I forgot to get milk and butter and we’re all out.’

  ‘Come on then, Mam. We can get treats for tonight.’

  ‘That’s the plan anyway, kid – treat night and DVD’s. No treats until after dinner though, OK?’

  ‘Deal. Mam, I really love you.’

  ‘Aw, pet. I really love you too.’

  Butch wanted in on the hugging action as well. He ran round then in circles and yapped until they gave him some love. She shooed him away and they ran out the door into the wind.

  Chapter 31

  ‘Mary Rose, do you not think I’m having enough woman-trouble at the moment, without you acting up? And now I’m talking out loud to myself again.’

  It was just as well the old glitch with the trawler had reared its head and made them turn for home. The wind was moderate to rough and the sea was angry. There was a real fetch to the wind tonight, and he didn’t like it. He’d had that uneasy feeling all day, as the weather began to freshen. Sometimes the most powerful tool a fisherman had was his gut. Fran had given him such a hard time about not casting off and he had never seen him so annoyed. He would have to get over it – surely now he too could feel the sea grinding under the belly of the boat. They would sleep on board tonight, and set sail at first light, if the pumps were fixed.

  He sighed for no particular reason, and his thoughts went back to Jen. He had tried a couple of times to have a chat with her over the past few days, but the moment was never really right. He hated confrontation and he felt bad over his own behaviour. He had been weird with her.

  He really wanted to have a talk about what she threw at him over Sharon�
��s death. It was funny – most of the stuff she had said to him about Scott was a repeat of what his wife used to say.

  ‘Mate, when we get back we’re going for a few pints!’ Fran called down to the engine room. ‘You want to come?’

  ‘Nah, man. I’m going to get the head down!’ he shouted up the stairwell at the voice floating down.

  ‘Your choice.’

  Andy relaxed now that they were heading for home. He was looking forward to being on his own on the boat for a while. The reality was, he was at home on the boat – fishing was in his blood. He had tried to get away from it, but had come back.

  On the other hand, it would to be good to go back to the house for the night. He wanted to text Jen but he was afraid to. Things had got intense all of a sudden, and he wondered would he be better off calling it a day? Part of him still wanted to travel and see the world but he had begun to think he’d prefer to stay here with her and Danny.

  He picked up his phone. A message from earlier. He was disappointed. It was from Scott, not Jen.