‘Well, well, what have we got here?’
Johnny’s heart quickened as he came to, and took in his surroundings.
The cabin interior looked ramshackle in the morning light, but Johnny’s attention was focussed on the man who stood before him, a shotgun casually draped over his arm. His clothes and his accent didn’t indicate a landowner. But he seemed sure of himself, and Johnny feared that he had been caught by a gamekeeper.
He swung his legs down from the chair and rose to his feet a little unsteadily, his muscles stiff from his awkward sleeping position.
The man with the shotgun was short and stocky with slightly bloodshot eyes that nonetheless seemed watchful.
‘I didn’t mean any harm,’ said Johnny. ‘I…I got lost last night and I needed somewhere to get in out of the cold.’
‘Is that a fact?’ said the man.
His tone sounded lightly mocking, but not openly aggressive.
‘You know, of course, you’re trespassing?’ he added.
Johnny didn’t answer at once. The man had left the door of the cabin open behind him. If Johnny tripped him up, might he grab the suitcase and make his escape out the door? Or would it be suicidal to grapple with a man armed with a shotgun?
‘I didn’t mean to trespass,’ answered Johnny, wanting to buy time while he figured out what to do. ‘But I lost my bearings, and I needed shelter.’
‘Really? And why was a kid like you travelling alone?’
‘I was going to meet my mother.’
‘Late at night, in the middle of the countryside?’
‘She…she works in the evening. I was going to meet her when she finished her shift,’ answered Johnny. The man said nothing, but he looked thoughtful, as though weighing up what he might do. Johnny also weighed up his options and thought again about making for the door. It was only feet away, but the man seemed alert and was standing directly in his way.
‘I hope your mother doesn’t work in Blanchardstown, does she?’ said the man.
‘No.’
‘Because there was an incident there last night. The police are looking for someone who ran off.’
Johnny swallowed hard, but tried to keep his face impassive.
The man looked Johnny directly in the eye. ‘If I was that person, I’d give Blanchardstown a wide berth.’
Johnny held his gaze, realising with a surge of joy that he was being helped. ‘Right,’ he said.
The man turned sideways and indicated the track outside the cabin door. ‘That trail eventually leads to the Ballycoolin Road. Anyone taking that route would bypass Blanchardstown.’
‘That sounds like a good plan.’
‘After yesterday in Croke Park the police have a nerve to be showing their faces at all.’
‘Yeah, it’s awful what was done,’ said Johnny.
‘I wouldn’t like to see anyone else becoming their victim. You be careful, son.’
‘Don’t worry, I will,’ said Johnny, taking up his suitcase.
‘I won’t ask you where you’re going, better I don’t know. But good luck to you,’ said the man, offering his hand.
‘Thanks, Mister,’ answered Johnny. He reached out and shook the man’s hand, then he nodded in farewell, stepped out the door and started off along the frost-covered trail.
* * *
‘What’s wrong, Alice?’
Alice gripped the side of the breakfast table and grimaced, then turned to her mother. ‘Sorry, Mam, I just got a cramp.’
Her mother looked concerned. ‘Are you all right?’ ‘I don’t feel great. It must be something I ate. I was sick earlier.’
‘You should have told me.’
‘I didn’t want to make a fuss.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t have a full breakfast. Plain toast might help to settle your stomach.’
‘Yes, I feel…I feel pretty queasy.’
‘You poor lamb,’ said her mother, reaching out and squeezing her hand.
‘I’m sure it will pass eventually,’ said Alice. No sooner had she said the words than she gripped the table and grimaced again.
‘It might be best, love, if you stayed home from school,’ suggested her mother.
On hearing the words Alice felt elated, but she made sure not to show it. Instead she nodded. ‘Yes, maybe I should.’ Although she had dressed in her school uniform to make it look convincing, she had never had any intention of going to classes today. With Johnny’s mother due in Balbriggan and Johnny also en route she needed to be at the Mill to help them. But it was better that it seem like Mam’s idea to stay home, and so she had faked the symptoms of her imaginary illness.
She looked now at Mam’s concerned face and felt a pang of guilt. But telling a white lie about being sick was less important than getting Johnny safely out of the country. Assuming he could get safely to Scotland. And even that wasn’t an attractive outcome when it would mean not seeing her friend again for God knows how long.
‘Why don’t you go and have a lie down?’ suggested her mother, breaking Alice’s reverie. ‘I’ll give Stella a note for Sister Mary. Go on now, I’ll bring you in tea and toast on a tray.’
‘Thanks Mam. You’re the best!’ Alice rose from her chair, kissed her mother on the cheek, then headed happily back towards her room.
* * *
Johnny knew that first impressions counted, and he adopted a confident stride as he approached Dunboyne train station. He was hungry, thirsty and tired, but to any casual observer he wanted to look like a well-dressed boy getting the train for Navan. It had been a long walk from the woods where he had slept – made longer by the need to bypass Blanchardstown. As he had walked the country lanes the quickly melting frost had sparkled in the morning sunshine. Johnny’s spirits had lifted, then before reaching Dunboyne he had tidied himself up. Brushing down his overcoat and carefully wiping away the mud from his shoes, he had made sure that he looked smart, and it paid off now with nobody giving him a second glance as he approached the entrance to the station. There were several passengers ahead of him in the ticket hall but to Johnny’s relief there was no sign of any policemen.
He took his place in the queue and slipped his hand into his pocket to have his money ready. His modest life savings were folded up inside his sock, but last night Mrs Hanlon had given him two ten shilling notes, and he intended to use one of them to buy his ticket. Johnny was grateful that she was such a painstaking planner, and this morning he had navigated by a map of Leinster that she had given him in case he had to flee the barge.
Now he got to the head of the queue, and nodded to the ticket seller, a plump, grey haired man with a slightly brusque manner.
‘What can I get you?’ asked the man.
‘A single to Navan, please.’
The man didn’t make eye contact, and Johnny was glad, wanting to stay as anonymous as possible. He paid for the ticket, knowing that when he got to Navan on the Midland Great Western railway he would have to change for the Great Northern line to take him to Drogheda, after which he would loop back south until he reached Balbriggan. It was a roundabout way of getting to his destination. But that actually worked for him, in that nobody was likely to predict his taking such a circuitous route. But the Tans or Auxies could still do a spot check on one of the trains. Well, he would cross that bridge if he came to it.
Johnny took his ticket, then moved to the refreshment stand. He had had nothing since the cocoa the night before on the barge and his mouth began to water. Don’t suddenly stuff your face with food and drink, he thought, knowing that it wasn’t what a middle-class boy would do in public. Instead he ordered a glass of milk, a ham sandwich, and a bar of chocolate.
He slipped the chocolate bar into his pocket, then sat down on a bench and forced himself to eat the sandwich unhurriedly. He knew that it was unlikely that anyone was watching him, but his training by Mr O’Shea had ingrained in him the importance of never doing anything to attract attention.
Sipping his milk and munching his san
dwich, he thought ahead to what might happen later today. He knew that if he could get to Balbriggan he could absolutely count on both Alice and Stella, the two best friends he had ever had. But would his mother be able to leave everything and travel there? And even if she did, and if they got away to Scotland, it would mean Johnny leaving behind his friends. It felt like there were too many issues to cope with and once more he decided to stop thinking about the future and just concentrate on what was happening now. He finished his milk and sandwich, treated himself to half the bar of chocolate, and then waited patiently until he heard the sound of a train whistle.
‘Navan train, coming in,’ said a bystander.
At last, thought Johnny, anxious to start the next phase of his journey. Then he rose, picked up his suitcase and headed out to the platform.
* * *
Stella ran along High Street eager to get to the Mill as soon as possible. Sister Mary put a high value on girls from the convent deporting themselves like ladies, but today Stella didn’t care about the rules. She had to know if Johnny or his mother had reached Balbriggan safely.
Stella had waited until break time, then told her teacher that she was coming down with the same bug that had affected Alice. On a normal day the teacher might have suggested contacting Stella’s mother, who had gone in to Dublin with Commander Radcliffe. Nothing about today had been normal, however, with people stunned by the previous day’s killings, and with special prayers being said for the many dead. Stella’s teacher had allowed her to travel unescorted the short distance back to the Mill, and now she quickly entered the building and approached reception.
‘Is Alice about?’ she asked.
‘In her room, Stella,’ answered the receptionist.
‘Thanks.’ She quickly made her way down the corridor, then knocked on the door to the Goodman’s private quarters.
A moment later Alice opened the door.
‘Stella, come in.’
‘Is your mam here?’ asked Stella cautiously, stepping into the room.
‘No, she had to go to Rush to meet a vegetable supplier. So, your plan worked?’
‘Yeah, I waited a few hours, then got your bug. Has Johnny arrived?’
‘Not yet.’
‘And his mother?’
‘No sign of her either.’
‘God…’
‘I wouldn’t worry too much about her. When we spoke last night she was definitely on for it. With everything that’s happened, though, there might be delays.’
‘Maybe. And no word from Johnny?’
‘No.’
‘I wonder what’s keeping him. I mean, he’d only to come from Dublin.’
‘Who knows?’ said Alice. ‘He didn’t tell me how they were smuggling him out. Maybe it was complicated.’
‘Or maybe…I hate to sound negative, but maybe they couldn’t get him out.’
‘I really hope they did. But there’s no way of knowing.’
Stella thought for a moment then looked at her friend. ‘There is one way. We could ring the place where he lived.’
‘But Johnny told us never to do that! He wasn’t supposed to tell us any of what he was doing.’
‘After yesterday, Alice, all the rules are out the window.’
Alice nodded. ‘Yeah…you’re right. OK, let’s ring from here. You’re better at thinking on your toes, do you want to speak to them?’
‘All right,’ agreed Stella.
She listened as her friend asked the operator to connect her to Hanlon’s boarding house, then took the phone when the call was put through.
A deep man’s voice answered. ‘Hello?’
‘Hello, may I speak to Mrs Hanlon, please?’
‘Who is this?’
Stella paused briefly. ‘Annie Keegan,’ she answered, giving the name of the cook at her old school in Toronto. The man’s English accent had Stella on extra alert, and the lie had come naturally.
‘And what did you want with Mrs Hanlon?’
‘Eh, I wanted to ask about accommodation. May I have a word?’
‘Mrs Hanlon is in police custody.’
Stella was shocked, and she gripped the phone more tightly.
‘Have you stayed here before?’ asked the man.
‘No.’
‘So what’s your connection to Mrs Hanlon?’
Time to end this call, thought Stella. ‘I was recommended Hanlon’s for lodgings. I’m sorry to hear of her problems, but thank you for telling me. Good day.’ Stella hung up before the man could respond.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Alice.
‘Mrs Hanlon has been arrested.’
‘Oh God, no!’
‘I think the man I spoke to was a Tan or an Auxie. And if they’re still there, then maybe she was only arrested this morning.’
‘So Johnny probably got away last night.’
‘Let’s hope so. But even if he did, when they check who else was living in the house they’ll discover Johnny was. It can’t be long till they trace him back to Balbriggan.’
Alice looked worried. ‘How long would you say that would take?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Then the sooner Johnny and his mother get here the better.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Stella. ‘I think it’s just turned into a race against time.
* * *
Johnny spotted the two policemen as he queued to buy his train ticket at Drogheda railway station. Their presence was frightening, but he forced himself to think clearly. The good news was that the station was busy, with lots of passengers waiting for the Dublin-bound train that was due in shortly. The bad news was that the RIC officers, their rifles slung on their shoulders, had positioned themselves out on the platform.
Johnny got to the head of the queue, nervously weighing up his options. He could turn away and forget about the train. But to walk from Drogheda to Balbriggan would take hours. And he might well be spotted by police walking along the main road carrying a suitcase.
‘Yes, please?’ said the ticket seller.
Johnny hesitated, then followed his instincts. ‘Single to Balbriggan, please.’
He paid for the ticket, telling himself that someone who had run from a barge near Dublin the previous night was probably not a priority for the police in Drogheda. Then again, after the slaughter of yesterday – people were calling it Bloody Sunday – maybe all police officers would be extra vigilant.
Johnny heard the rumbling sound of an approaching engine, then there was a hiss of steam as the Dublin-bound train pulled in to the station and came to a stop. He picked up his suitcase and quickly scanned the other passengers who were preparing to board the train. Nearby there was a family group sorting out their luggage. Besides the parents, there were two girls in their late teens a boy of about fourteen. Much better to appear part of a family group than to stand out a solo traveller, Johnny decided, as he drew near and nodded to the boy.
‘Heading down to Dublin?’ said Johnny casually as he fell into step beside him.
‘Yes, we were visiting my cousins.’
Johnny could see the policemen out of the corner of his eye, then he turned to face his companion.
‘I hope your cousins are less of a pain than my cousins!’ he said softly.
The boy laughed, and Johnny joined in as they passed the RIC men. One part of him half expected a sudden hand on his shoulder. But still chatting easily, they reached the carriage door unmolested. Hugely relieved, Johnny entered the train. In twenty minutes they would reach Balbriggan, and then would come the trickiest part of all. But for now he was still on schedule, and he stowed his suitcase, took a seat, and sat back comfortably, conserving his energy for what lay ahead.
* * *
Alice was startled by a sudden series of knocks on her bedroom door. She looked at Stella, then quickly crossed to the door and opened it.
‘Miss Hopkins,’ she said, excited to see the receptionist.
‘She’s here. You told me to tell you when the lady
for room nine arrived.’
‘Good,’ said Alice calmly, not wanting Miss Hopkins to know how relieved she was that Johnny’s mother had made it. ‘Ask the porter, please, to bring her case up to room nine, and then if you wouldn’t mind bringing Miss Dunne back down here to me and Stella.’
‘Right away.’
‘Thank you.’
Stella raised an eyebrow as Alice closed the door again. ‘I thought we’d go to meet her.’
‘Better not to draw attention in the lobby,’ said Alice.
‘Fair enough,’ conceded Stella. ‘One down, one to go,’
‘Yeah, I wish Johnny would show up.’
‘Knowing Johnny, he’ll do everything humanly possible.’
‘I know. I wonder…I wonder does his mother look like him? I’m dying to see her.’
‘Me too.’
After a moment a gentle knock sounded on the door, and Alice looked at Stella. ‘Time to find out.’
She opened the door to find a well-dressed woman with wavy brown hair and alert blue eyes. The woman looked younger than Alice had expected, but there was no doubting that she was Johnny’s mother.
‘Miss Dunne,’ said Alice. ‘Please, come in.’
The woman stepped into the room, a faint hint of sweet-smelling soap trailing in the air behind her.
‘You’re Alice, that I spoke to last night?’ she said.
‘Yes,’ she answered, shaking hands, ‘and this is my friend, Stella Radcliffe.’
Stella shook hands also, then Johnny’s mother looked at them and smiled warmly.
‘It’s lovely to meet you, girls. Though I feel I know you already, Johnny has told me so much about you!’
She was well spoken with a soft midlands accent, and Alice found herself taking to her straight away. ‘All good, I hope?’ said Alice playfully.
‘Ninety-nine point-nine percent,’ said Miss Dunne with a grin, before her expression became more serious. ‘So, has Johnny arrived?’
‘Not yet. Would you like some tea while we’re waiting?’ offered Alice.
‘Yes, that would be lovely, thanks.’
‘Grand, but eh…just before I put on the kettle, there’s something I need to tell you.’
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