Girl Targeted

by Val Collins

  ‘He told you this?’

  ‘Yes. I had to keep him distracted while Laura grabbed Amy, so I talked to him about what happened and he admitted everything.’

  ‘Did he admit killing Delia?’

  ‘He—’ She glanced at Laura and could almost see the deep half moons where Laura’s nails were digging into her hand. ‘Not directly. He said something about it not costing much to hire a killer. I asked why he hadn’t paid someone to kill me, but he said the only killer he knew left the country recently.’

  ‘He admitted hiring someone to kill Delia but said that person had now left the country?’

  ‘Not exactly. I was only half listening to him because I was focused on Laura and Amy, but that was my general impression.’

  ‘We interviewed him this afternoon. He admitted everything except killing Delia. It’s odd he keeps denying that. One extra murder won’t make any difference to his sentence.’

  ‘I got the impression he felt some connection to Ellen. He mentioned he would like to meet her. Maybe he doesn’t want her to know he killed her mother. Maybe he doesn’t want Dan to know it either.’

  ‘Mmm. Hard to know with these types. Their minds don’t work like yours and mine. We’ll investigate it, of course. If he’s lying, we’ll figure it out soon enough.’

  The detective asked some more questions, then interviewed Laura. He assured them Robert was in custody and that Dan was under investigation for fraud.

  ‘One of my colleagues interviewed him this morning. He said it only took one question and the guy spilled his guts. Named three accomplices in the civil service already. That’s one hell of a conspiracy you uncovered.’

  ‘You’ll tell Detective Moloney that I made the anonymous call about Joe? None of it was true, but I thought he was planning to kill me and I wanted him locked up so I’d be safe.’

  ‘I’ll tell him, but you’ll have to include it in your formal statement. Don’t forget you have to make formal statements as soon as possible.’

  They both promised to call to the station the following day.

  The door shut, and Laura and Aoife sighed audibly.

  Laura’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I hadn’t planned to say that. Maybe I shouldn’t have lied, but I remembered you could have let Robert kill me. All your problems would have been over, but you saved my life when he tried to run me down, and again yesterday, you risked your own life to save me and Amy.’

  ‘I’m so—’

  ‘Goodbye.’

  ‘Aoife—’

  ‘There isn’t anything else to say, Laura. Bye.’

  Aoife took the bus home. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed for a week. It was a pity she couldn’t do that without seeing Jason.

  *

  The minute she opened the front door, Jason bounded into the hall. She wasn’t up to more apologies. ‘Jason, I can’t talk right—’

  ‘Why is Niall phoning you?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You left your mobile here. Niall phoned. How did he get your number?’

  ‘I gave it to him.’

  ‘You gave your number to Niall?’

  ‘He was doing something for me.’ She headed for their bedroom. ‘It’s not important now.’

  ‘How could it not be important?’ She could hear Jason running up the stairs behind her. ‘You gave your number to another man. What’s going on between you two?’

  ‘Nothing. I told you he was doing something—’ Aoife turned to face him. ‘What is this? Earlier it was “Aoife, I’m so sorry” and “Aoife, are you all right?” Now it’s “who are you meeting behind my back?” I’m not doing this any more. You don’t own me, Jason. I can speak to anybody I want.’

  ‘But—’

  Aoife sank down on the top step. ‘We can’t go on like this. I didn’t want to say anything today, but maybe it’s best to get it over with. I don’t think we have a future.’

  ‘But—but—I didn’t mean—’ Jason slumped against the bannister. ‘It’s because I didn’t listen to you, isn’t it? If I had known—’ He paused. ‘What can I say? It was my job to protect you and Amy, and I nearly let you die. I don’t blame you for hating me.’

  ‘I don’t hate you. I just think we’re not suited. We didn’t have time to get to know each other before my parents died. Their deaths changed me. I was terrified on my own. I couldn’t rely on relatives I barely recognised, and when you offered to take care of everything, I was so desperate for something solid to hang on to, I clung to you. I couldn’t cope with anyone or anything, and I thought you were helping me. It took a long time to understand you were controlling me. Controlling who I saw, what I did, how much money I had. You don’t trust me at all. And you lied to me.’

  ‘I didn’t—’

  ‘You told me you only followed me when I was pregnant. It was you in Stephen’s Green, wasn’t it?’

  Jason opened his mouth, then clamped it shut.

  Aoife nodded. ‘I knew there was something familiar about you. And you were watching me when Laura and I took the kids to the canal too, weren’t you?’

  ‘Oh, Aoife!’

  Aoife almost melted. She hadn’t seen Jason look this wretched since the day he’d told her about his father. But she couldn’t back down now. It would be the worst thing for both of them. It would be a disaster for Amy, who would grow up thinking her father had the right to control her mother. ‘The person you fell in love with isn’t the real me. I don’t want to lose you, but I’d be better off on my own than with a husband who tries to control my every move.’

  ‘I—’

  ‘Or one who manipulates me.’

  ‘I didn’t—’

  ‘You did, and you think it’s such a natural way to behave, you assumed I was doing the same. That’s why you thought I was lying when I said someone was trying to kill me. You even believed I talked Laura into lying about a car running me down. If you knew me at all, you’d know I would never even think of doing anything like that.’

  ‘I’ll change. I’ll—’

  ‘I hope you do change, but I’m not sure you can. I think it’s best you move out.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘You have to leave, Jason. In a few months we can meet up and see if there’s any future for us, but for now I need to be alone.’

  *

  Aoife was preparing Amy’s bottles when the doorbell rang. She ignored it the first three times. On the fourth ring she charged to the front door.

  ‘Sorry. I know you probably aren’t in the mood for company, but we have to talk.’

  ‘Not now, Maura. I’ll phone you next week.’

  ‘Now,’ Maura said, pushing past her and heading for the kitchen.

  Aoife followed. Maura pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. Aoife stood, arms folded, waiting for her to speak.

  ‘Jason told me everything. I know he can be a prat at times but he loves you and Amy.’

  ‘Does he?’

  ‘You know he does. How can you consider breaking up your family? Jason needs you and you need him. Amy needs him.’

  ‘Does she?’

  ‘Is that all you’re going to say? Talk to me.’

  ‘There’s nothing I can tell you that you don’t already know. Jason needs somebody he can control. I need someone who doesn’t want to control me. Amy needs to grow up around a healthy relationship.’

  ‘You were happy until all this DCA business started.’

  ‘I wasn’t. I tried to convince myself I was. I tried to convince myself Jason was looking out for me. I tried to convince myself you were looking out for me. None of it was true.’

  ‘That’s not fair, Aoife. I always looked out for you. You’re like my own daughter.’

  ‘No, I’m your son’s wife. You’re a good person, Maura, and I don’t blame you for wanting the best for your son, but you knew Jason was trying to isolate me. He didn’t want me to have any friends or see anyone other than you and him. You knew he was cont
rolling my access to money. You knew he picked a fight with me so I wouldn’t look into our finances. If you had any real concern for me, you would have told me what was going on.’

  ‘I did my best to help you both. I thought if you had your own income and a life outside the home, Jason’s control over you would be limited. That’s why I told him if he didn’t let you work, I’d take Amy two days a week. I gave him a choice, either you spent two days in an office where he knew exactly where you were, or you had two days entirely to yourself to do anything or see anyone you wanted. I knew he’d never risk that. And when I realised how much control he had over your finances, I encouraged you to pursue journalism.’

  ‘And when he talked me into having Amy so I’d be tied to the house, it didn’t occur to you that mightn’t be the best reason to have a child? You didn’t think your grandchild deserved a father who wanted her for herself, not as an anchor to tie down his wife?’

  ‘Jason always wanted children. His insecurity made him encourage you to have a child as soon as possible, but you wanted a family too, Aoife. You told me that. Jason pretended he wanted four kids so he could talk you into having a second child immediately. He could sense you were drifting away and he was desperate to rein you in. But once you’d given up work, he’d never have mentioned the subject again. You would have had the family you both wanted. Don’t turn Jason into a monster. Or me. We both love Amy, and I meant it when I said you were like my own daughter.’

  ‘Really? You wouldn’t have interfered if I’d been your own daughter? Would you stand by and watch Amy in a relationship with a man who controlled her? Of course not.’

  Maura sighed. ‘You seemed happy. In the beginning you were grateful Jason took care of everything. I thought he’d finally found someone who didn’t mind the way he was. Don’t blame Jason for being insecure. He didn’t choose his father, and I didn’t do enough to help him when his dad deserted us. He’s not perfect, Aoife, but I’m absolutely positive he loves you and I think you love him. At least go to a marriage counsellor. Don’t give up without trying.’

  How would marriage counselling help? But—didn’t she owe it to Amy to at least try? Maybe Jason could learn to accept her as she really was. Maybe if he went to a therapist, their marriage could be saved. Maybe they both needed to go into therapy. The last few days had been horrific. They’d changed her. Maybe they changed Jason as well. Maura was right. Maybe her family could be saved after all.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Three Weeks Later

  Aoife paid for her second cappuccino and returned to the small table in the middle of the shopping plaza. She checked her phone. Still no message. If Irene didn’t get here soon, she’d have to leave. She couldn’t be late for her first marriage counselling session.

  Part of her hoped Irene wouldn’t turn up. She wasn’t at all sure she was doing the right thing. But if she had been right to lie to the police, why couldn’t she sleep at night? It would have been one thing if Delia’s death had been accidental, or even the result of a spur-of-the-moment action. But it had been carefully planned several hours in advance. Did she have the right to forgive that level of callousness?

  Aoife was taking the coward’s way out and she knew it. But Irene was the injured party. Her sister was dead, her niece motherless. Aoife buried her head in her hands and groaned softly. The path she had chosen wouldn’t bring Delia back. It would destroy the lives of six people. She sighed and picked up her coffee. No more thinking. She had worried about it for the last three weeks and she was no closer to making a decision. It would be Irene’s problem from now on.

  ‘Aoife, Aoife, Aoife!’ A small body hurled itself at her and climbed onto her lap.

  ‘Hi, Cora.’

  ‘Cora, come on, Mummy’s waiting.’ Gavin was pushing an overstuffed shopping trolley out of the supermarket. He nodded at Aoife but made no attempt to approach her.

  ‘We’re going to visit Mummy.’ Cora dipped a finger into Aoife’s cappuccino and sucked the cream. ‘Granny hasn’t made Mummy better yet, but Daddy says I can have a new doll when she comes home. I can’t have a birthday party ’cos it’s not my birthday, but Daddy says I can have a home party and a cake. It won’t say happy birthday, but if I’m very good Daddy says I can have candles and blow them out all by myself.’

  ‘Cora! Now!’

  Cora climbed down. ‘Bye, Aoife,’ she said and skipped across the plaza to her father.

  Aoife watched them leave. How would Cora’s life be changed by her decision? Would that happy little girl disappear forever? Aoife had a picture of Cora standing in the schoolyard, staring at the ground while her classmates raced around her. Or maybe they’d tease or bully her. It was always the innocent who suffered.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Aoife. I came out without my phone and the traffic was dreadful.’ Irene took the seat opposite. ‘So what’s this important thing you have to tell me?’

  Aoife shook her head to dispel the image of the forlorn Cora. She looked at Irene, took a deep breath and made her decision.

  Hi,

  Thank you for choosing my book. I hope you enjoyed it.

  Girl Targeted is my first book and, like all debut authors, I am in desperate need of reviews. If you have a moment, it would be really great if you could click on the link provided by Amazon. Any review, however short, would be very welcome.

  If you’d like to get in touch, you can find me, and all my social media links, at my website www.valcollinsbooks.com

  Val

  Acknowledgments

  Firstly, thank you to Debz Hobbs-Wyatt, my editor, who very gently pointed out my mistakes and showed me how to correct them.

  I am very grateful to Patrick Knowles who designed my cover and showed unending patience with my complete inability to contribute anything worthwhile to the process.

  Thanks to Eliza from Clio Editing who proofread my book and added the commas I seem determined to omit.

  Thank you also to Samantha Gale for her help in bringing my book to the attention of book lovers.

  I am especially grateful to my friends:

  To Tina, the first person outside my family to read my book, whose support gave me the courage to share it with others.

  To John who saved me from producing what would probably have been the first psychological thriller that avoided all mention of the police. I am so grateful for John’s kindness and his generosity with his time and expertise.

  To Yvonne who took time out of her hectic schedule to force my book on her friends and family.

  Most of all, I am eternally grateful to my very special family, without whose support and encouragement this book would never have been written.

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