by Val Collins
Jason strolled upstairs, went into the spare bedroom and shut the door.
Aoife ran after him. She yanked the door handle but nothing happened. He’d locked the door. She knocked. No answer. Both fists banging on the door, she shouted, ‘Jason, this is really serious. Let me in.’
It was no use. He didn’t care.
*
Another night with no sleep. Every fifteen minutes, Aoife checked her Twitter feed. Shortly after 7 a.m. it appeared.
At 18:07 police received an anonymous phone call stating that the body of a young woman had been found in Manor House in Dame Street. The female (who has not yet been named) was pronounced dead at the scene. The scene has been preserved for technical examination. A post-mortem will take place this morning.
The police are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen two young men running from the scene. They also believe a young woman may have witnessed the assault and are asking her to urgently contact the Gardaí at the incident room in the Pearse Street Garda Station.
Anyone who was in the Dame Street area between 17:00 and 18:30 and noticed anything suspicious is asked to contact their local Garda station or the Garda Confidential line on 1800-67—
Aoife’s phone rang. It was Laura. She had phoned several times over the last week but Aoife had ignored the calls. She picked up her phone. Her finger hovered over the answer button. Laura had betrayed her twice, once to Dan and Robert and then to Joe. Aoife disconnected the call.
That’s it. Do what you should have done in the first place. One way or the other, it ends today.
THIRTY-ONE
Aoife heard Jason in the shower and making breakfast, but she didn’t join him. What was the point? When she heard his car pull out of the drive, she ran downstairs, locked the door, checked the windows and switched on the alarm.
Maura would know what to do.
‘Hi, Aoife, I’m in A&E. I had to bring my uncle in. Complications from yesterday’s procedure. We’ve been here five hours, seen a nurse and two doctors, and he’s still lying on a trolley. Oh, there’s a doctor. I’ll see if I can grab him. Talk to you later.’
Aoife blinked back the tears. There was no immediate panic. She’d talk to Maura tonight. For now she’d go about her normal routine and try not to think about it.
Aoife had a quick shower and threw on jeans and a jumper. She pasted a smile on her face as she opened Amy’s bedroom door.
The cot was empty.
*
Jason must have come home while she was in the shower. He was ready to talk to her again. Thank God!
‘Jason?’
She ran downstairs. As she passed the alarm, she noticed it was still turned on. Jason would never come into the house, turn off the alarm and turn it on again. Had he taken Amy with him when he’d left this morning? No, if he’d gone into Amy’s room, she’d have heard him on the monitor.
‘Jason, where are you?’ She looked out the window. Jason’s car wasn’t there. Had he sneaked into the house, taken Amy, turned on the alarm and left? Oh my God! Was he taking Amy away from her? Her phone was charging in the kitchen. She raced into the room and skidded to a stop.
Robert was sitting on a kitchen chair, a sleeping Amy on his lap.
*
‘What the—’
Aoife made a dive for Amy, but Robert moved her out of reach.
‘Give her to me. How did you get in here?’
‘Your husband likes to make several trips to the car before he goes anywhere,’ Robert tutted. ‘Rooting around in the car while the door’s open. It’s not very clever.’
‘What do you want?’
‘The USB you stole.’
‘Eilis took it.’
‘I know. I hoped I was wrong, but what were the chances I’d lose a USB and the office keys the same day? I couldn’t figure out when Eilis could have gotten into my office until I ran into Ben. Did Eilis tell you about Ben? He’s opening a shop on the ground floor.’
Robert waited for a response. Aoife stared at him.
‘Well, it turns out Eilis made a big impression on Ben. So much so that he’s been looking out for her every day. I was leaving the office yesterday when he asked me if I knew her. When he explained how they met, I knew she had the USB.’
‘You killed her.’
‘I didn’t mean to. She had a stupid tape in the back pocket of her jeans. I thought it was the USB and tried to take it from her. There was a struggle. She fell. Pity, really. I always liked Eilis. She was a nice kid before you corrupted her. And boy did you corrupt her. I spent last night reading your texts. But we’re wasting time. I found the USB hidden in the plant but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you made a copy. I want it.’
‘I don’t know where Eilis hid it.’
‘I really hope you’re lying, because either I get the copy in the next three minutes or Amy here is going to have a little accident.’ He drew his nail down the side of Amy’s face. Amy whimpered in her sleep. ‘How much pain can you watch Amy take?’
Aoife took a teabag canister from the worktop and emptied its contents on the kitchen table. She handed the duplicate USB to Robert. ‘You have what you came for. Put down my daughter and get out of my house.’
‘Not yet. The three of us are going for a drive.’
‘You don’t need Amy. Leave her here. I’ll go anywhere you want.’
‘You both will. You’re driving.’
‘Where are we going?’
‘All in good time.’
Aoife hadn’t noticed the supermarket bag lying at his feet. Robert looped it over one wrist. Aoife eyed it uneasily. It was the thick plastic type. It was impossible to guess what was inside.
‘See how prepared I am?’ Robert pointed at the brand-new baby seat. ‘We couldn’t have the police stopping us, could we?’ He put Amy in the car seat, stood aside to allow Aoife strap her in and sat in the back seat beside her.
*
‘Where are we going?’
‘Follow my directions.’
They drove through the Curragh. Aoife thought they were heading for the motorway but Robert told her to take the road to Kilcullen. He directed her through Kilcullen village, across the bridge and up the hill. Almost at the top of the hill he told her to turn right. She looked for signposts but there were none. She was on an unsigned, unmarked road which could be going anywhere.
*
Forty minutes later they hit Ballymore Eustace. Aoife shuddered. Robert was keeping her on minor roads. They could have been here in half the time if they’d taken the main route. He was trying to make sure they weren’t picked up on CCTV cameras. Was there any way she could draw attention to the car? There were only three pedestrians in the village and none even glanced at her. In a matter of minutes Robert was again directing her down small country lanes, some of which were barely more than muddy tracks. It had been raining all day and one of the roads was flooded. Aoife drove straight through the middle, hoping the car would get stuck in the water, but it was too high off the ground to be affected. Aoife was concentrating on avoiding the many potholes when she saw a sign for a junction ahead. A main road. Robert told her to turn right. The signposts said they were headed for Enniscorthy. She knew this road. It used to be famous for its speed traps. She increased her speed, praying she would come across a police car.
‘One kilometre over the speed limit and I break Amy’s leg.’
‘Don’t you touch her.’
‘I don’t enjoy hurting kids. Do as you’re told and she’ll be fine.’
Aoife brought the speedometer just below the speed limit. She checked Amy in the rear-view mirror. Why was she still asleep?
‘Concentrate on the road.’
‘I need to check Amy. She should be awake by now.’
‘I gave her a sedative.’
‘What?’ Aoife jammed on the brakes and pulled the car to one side. She leaned back and touched Amy’s face.
‘There’s no need to panic. The sedative won’t do
her any harm. I told the doctor I couldn’t swallow pills so he gave me drops.’
‘But that’s meant for adults. It could kill a baby.’
‘I only gave her a tiny drop. It’s amazing it had any effect. I’ll probably have to dose her a few more times before the day’s out.’
Amy’s breathing seemed okay. ‘Don’t give her any more, please. Another dose could kill her.’
‘Drive or I’ll be forced to hurt her.’
Aoife started the car. She felt safer on a main road but where were they going? All the signposts said Enniscorthy. What was between here and Enniscorthy? She had no idea. The only time she had taken this road she was going to …
Oh my God! He was taking them up the Wicklow Mountains.
Anything could happen to them up there. She had to make sure they didn’t leave this road. Would Amy be hurt if she crashed the car? She heard a click and glanced in the mirror. Robert was undoing Amy’s restraints. He took Amy out of her seat and held her on his lap.
‘What are you doing? Put her back in the seat. That’s dangerous.’
‘Just making sure you drive carefully.’
‘If the police see, they’ll stop the car.’
‘You’re taking the next left turn. Police are never on that road.’
The road was signposted Glendalough. She was right. He was taking them up the Wicklow Mountains. Any minute he would order her to take some side trail and that would be the end. Neither she nor Amy would ever be heard of again.
THIRTY-TWO
What if she deliberately crashed into a car coming towards them? The road was barely wide enough for two cars and the turns were so sharp, it wouldn’t be difficult. And then what? She’d kill them before Robert got the chance? There had to be a better solution.
She could feel Robert’s tension increasing but he didn’t order her to pull off the road. They were now at the Wicklow Gap. The only hidden place here was by the river, but that attracted too many tourists. She glanced in the mirror. Every muscle in Robert’s body was taut, even his jaw was clenched. He was preparing to take action.
*
Now she was driving downhill. Soon they’d reach Glendalough. There was still hope. There were always tourists in Glendalough at this time of year, even in dreadful weather. She’d find some way to get help. At the bottom of the mountain road Robert told her to turn right, the opposite direction from the village. What was he doing? That road was a dead end. It led to a field which had been turned into a car park. The owner of the field charged for car parking in good weather, but now the barrier was lifted and there was only one other parked car. It was empty.
‘Out we get,’ Robert said. He allowed Aoife to put on Amy’s jacket but kept one hand on her leg the entire time. He rooted in the shopping bag and removed something black, threw the bag on the car seat and turned his back. Aoife reached across Amy to grab it. Robert turned, yanked the bag away and threw it on the ground. There was a loud clank. Whatever was in the bag was heavy. When he turned his back again, Aoife reached for Amy. Robert’s hand clamped on Amy’s neck.
‘One twist is all it would take. Get over here.’
Aoife crossed the car and stood beside the passenger door. The side mirror was at an odd angle. Robert had been watching her the whole time. He turned his back again, but he was now facing Amy. The discarded shopping bag lay on the ground between them. If she bent down to grab it, Robert would notice. She slipped off a runner and flattened the bag with her foot. She could feel two items. Something big and a small bottle. The sedative. She’d have no chance of grabbing whatever the big thing was but she could make sure her child wasn’t drugged again. She put one foot between the large object and the bottle and used the ball of her foot to ease the bottle from the bag. When the bottle rolled onto the ground she hid it under her heel.
‘Got it,’ Robert said triumphantly and laughed at Aoife’s horrified expression. She had been concentrating so hard on getting the bottle she hadn’t noticed him take Amy from her car seat. The thing Robert had been fiddling with for the last five minutes was a baby sling. Her daughter was now clamped to Robert’s body. He picked up the discarded bag. ‘We’re going this way,’ he said, pointing towards the lake. ‘Remember, we’re just an ordinary family getting some fresh air. One word to anybody and Amy will suffer.’
Aoife followed, leaving the bottle clearly visible on the ground. Thank God there were no kids around.
When they reached the lake, Robert directed her towards the path to the miner’s village. They walked for a few moments, then Robert stopped. ‘We’re turning back.’
They headed for the mountain path. It was a steep climb, and even at the height of the tourist season, most people preferred a gentle walk by the lakes. Who would come this way in the rain? They reached the top, and Robert pointed to the right. A few minutes later, he stopped.
‘This way,’ he said, and they retraced their steps.
Amy was beginning to stir. A sleeping child presented no problem for Robert, but what would he do if Amy started screaming? Why were they traipsing back and forth across the top of the mountain?
‘You have no idea where we’re going, do you?’
‘Of course not,’ Robert snapped. ‘Do you think I make a habit of killing people?’
THIRTY-THREE
Aoife had to grab Robert’s arm to stay upright. Of course she had known he was planning to kill her, but hearing it said out loud was still a shock.
‘Why do you want to kill me? I’ve never done anything to you.’
‘Not yet. What were you planning to do with the USB?’
‘You have it now. There’s no need to kill me.’
‘Well, I can hardly let you go. I’d be on the run for the rest of my life.’
‘I won’t tell anyone, I swear. There’s no proof against you. If I had proof I would have gone to the police already, wouldn’t I?’
‘You would have found proof eventually. Now you won’t have the chance.’
‘I swear I will never come near you ever again. I don’t care what you’ve done. All I care about is keeping Amy safe and staying alive.’
‘Oh well!’ He held out his arms, palms upward. ‘Why didn’t you say so earlier? We can all go home now.’
‘Please, please don’t hurt Amy. She’s not any danger to you.’
‘I told you, I don’t want to hurt any child. Hell, I don’t want to hurt you, but you left me no choice. It’s too late for deals, Aoife. If you had just moved on when Dad fired you, everything would have been okay, but you couldn’t mind your own business, could you?’
‘So now you’re doing Dan’s dirty work? You’re the one who’ll end up in prison, you know. Nobody will be able to prove Dan had anything to do with this.’
‘I’m doing the dirty work because Dad hasn’t the stomach for it. He’s all talk. I mean I’m fond of the guy, but he has no guts. It took me ages to talk him into stealing. Of course, the way things turned out, it would have been better for us all if he’d refused.’
They had reached a section of the mountain where there was a sheer drop straight down to the lake. ‘This is perfect. Walk to the edge and jump.’
*
‘What? No!’
Robert took several steps backwards. ‘Look, I’ve thought about this. It will be quick and you won’t feel a thing.’
‘You’re insane. I’m not jumping.’
Robert opened the shopping bag and removed a long, sharp carving knife. Aoife felt her legs weaken. ‘Concentrate,’ she muttered to herself. This was it. He would attack her with the knife and she would have one chance to save herself and Amy. She set her feet apart. Every muscle tensed as she prepared to fight. She doubted she could take the knife from Robert. Even if she could, Amy might be hurt in the struggle. She’d have to try knocking him on his back. If he dropped the knife she could use it to free Amy. Then she might be able to run for help. Oh God! That was an awful lot of “ifs,” but what other choice had she?
Robert didn’t budge. He held the knife to Amy’s neck.
‘No!’ Aoife screamed and charged towards him.
‘One step closer and she dies.’
Aoife froze.
‘You jump, she lives. It’s that simple.’
*
‘You think I’d trust you to take care of my child?’
‘You don’t have a choice. I can see I’m not the ideal childminder, but what good would it do me if Amy dies? I need people to think you left your child in the car, came up here and killed yourself. Some questions will be asked, of course, but I’m working on a plan to make it look like you murdered Eilis. Hopefully the police will think you killed yourself in a fit of remorse. There’s no getting around the fact that there will be a huge fuss, but it won’t compare to the media circus there will be if a baby dies.’
Amy stirred and Robert rummaged in the bag for the sedative. ‘Fuck, it must have fallen out. We need to get this over before she wakes. Better if she doesn’t see her mother die, don’t you think?’
There was a rustling in the overgrowth and Aoife jerked her head in the direction of the noise.
‘It’s just animals, and even if someone comes by, it won’t help you. Say or do anything to raise their suspicions and I’ll fling Amy over the side. That should cause enough of a distraction to allow me to escape.’
*
Aoife had been trying to stay calm, but the realisation that she was helpless was too much.
‘You—’ She used the back of her hand to wipe the tears from her face. ‘You can’t—please, I—’
Even through eyes blurred by tears, Aoife could see her pleas were having no effect.
‘Now there’s no need for that. Come on, you’ve delayed long enough. Jump or I’ll stick the knife in Amy’s throat, throw you over the edge and Amy after you. Either way you die, but whether Amy dies or not is in your hands.’
She’d have to jump. Oh my God!
‘You’d kill me and leave a little girl without a mother just for money?’
‘I’m not doing this for money. I’d give the money back, if I had it and it would fix anything. I’m doing this to stay out of prison.’ He pressed the knife against Amy’s neck. Aoife took a step backwards and Robert removed the knife. ‘I knew you were a good mother. Off you go.’