by Brothers
Michael looked at him perplexed, he had no idea what the reference was but wouldn’t humour him to ask. He’d Google it later instead. ‘Yes, exactly what I told Marie would happen, so there was no need for you to come running.’ Michael reached into his pocket and placed a fiver on the table as the waitress approached with his coffee. ‘Thank you.’ The smile he offered her was completely at odds with how he was feeling.
‘Well yes, but I suppose, Marie wanted to make sure that nothing else was going to come of it, the story, you know, the background story.’ Lucas sipped his coffee.
‘So why ask me to meet you then, why the drama?’ Michael’s frown remained fixed to his forehead. His tolerance well and truly tested. ‘And there is no background story, so what’s the problem.’
‘I suppose,’ Lucas said, wishing just for one minute that he could throw back in his face that the reason there was no background story was because he had fed the other reporters the Russian pilot story. That stopped them digging any further and saved the secret that Marie was trying to protect. ‘I asked, so that I could clear the air between us, make amends.’ Marie had made him promise to keep the secret that she had told him, just as Michael’s mother had done to her.
‘I think you’re mistaken, there will be nothing between us, no air, nothing, no fucking need.’ Michael’s already thin patience quickly evaporated. Curiosity had driven him to meet Lucas but anger was going to drive him to walk away.
‘Okay, I deserve that, I do, but what I wanted to say to you was that, yes, you were right,’ Lucas employed his first rule of social interaction, play to your opponent’s vanity. ‘I was a complete prick in college, I know that now.’ Michael listened, deciding how many punches he would love to bury in him. ‘But that’s just it, Michael, it was college, I was all of what, maybe nineteen, twenty years of age, I was an arsehole and I was utterly besotted with Marie, that’s the long and the short of it.’
‘You mean, my wife, Marie, the girl you hounded until she had to stop speaking to you, for her own safety. The girl who cried because she couldn’t understand what had got into you, her so-called best friend.’ His mocking tone would have been funny if he hadn’t have been so angry. ‘Give me a fucking break. Her best fucking friend, you know as well as I do that you were no more interested in being her friend.’
‘Michael—’
‘Don’t fucking, Michael me, you prick, you took advantage of her, she trusted you.’
‘I hear you, I did a lot of things that I shouldn’t have, I’m not proud of them.’ Lucas placed his cup back on its saucer and sat leaning forward on his elbows.
‘Tell me this much, Lucas, why does someone like you just drop everything and come running.’ Michael studied Lucas as he sat in front of him. ‘Are you going to beg her to run away with you?’ Michael exhaled as slowly as he could manage, he could feel his own anger overflowing. ‘Or tell her that you’ll kill yourself again if she leaves you?’ Michael said, his voice getting angrier with each syllable.
Lucas dropped his head in his hands, the shame of his boyhood antics coming back to embarrass him.
‘It’s as well, you might drop your head in shame, you frightened the living daylights out of her, she was a wreck for days after you pulled that stunt, this is my wife we are talking about, the mother of my children, you stupid prick.’
‘That’s just it, Michael, you won, you got the prize, and I didn’t kidnap her, she could have left any time, she knows that, or more like, she knew that, I told her to go, I did,’ Lucas’s voice trailed off.
‘Yeah, I know all about it, what was it that you said, “If you leave me for him, I’ll kill myself”?’ Michael’s eye’s narrowed as he stared at him. ‘I see you hadn’t the balls to even see that through.’
‘Look,’ Lucas inhaled deeply, conscious that their argument was about to explode, ‘it’s nearly twenty years ago now, for fuck’s sake, Michael.’ Lucas rubbed his hands through his hair; his apology wasn’t getting through at all. He had been besotted with Marie and he knew he should never have threatened to kill himself if she left him, he was just heartbroken. ‘You asked, why does someone like me drop everything for someone like Marie?’ He considered blurting out everything Marie had told him, but as much as he would have liked to have thrown a dig at Michael, he wouldn’t hurt her, not a second time. ‘It’s because I owe her, plain and simple, I needed to make it up to her and when she rang and asked me for help, I’ll be honest with you, I was thrilled, not because I thought that she wanted me back, or that I wanted her, but because I had a chance to prove to her that I wasn’t the same fuckwit I was the last time she saw me. Simple as,’ Lucas said. ‘Besides,’ he picked up his phone, quickly checked the screen and placed it in his pocket to leave, ‘I have my own girlfriend, well at least I did, I risked everything with her to come here for Marie,’ Lucas said, shaking his head at the irony of the connection now between him and Michael, a connection that wasn’t up to him to tell him about. ‘I just wanted to do the right thing by Marie,’ he said. ‘And you,’ he continued. ‘And I’ll tell you that, yes, I was a prick, I was in love with Marie, your wife, but most of all, she was one of my closest friends, I realise that now and have done for some years.’
Lucas watched as Michael shook his head in disbelief.
‘Whether you believe that or not,’ Lucas stood, he had said his piece, ‘I’m sorry for what I did all those years ago, I genuinely am, man,’ he said. ‘I’m leaving now for Dublin.’ Lucas’s resignation was palpable in his voice. Knowing that Lizzie hadn’t shown was enough to defeat him, he didn’t need any more reason to regret ever showing up in Kilkenny. ‘Flight’s tomorrow, stories are more or less managed, I’ll email Marie. Job Done.’ He gathered up his wallet, said goodbye and walked back towards the lift. Michael would probably never forgive him but maybe Marie would and if that was the only outcome, well at least he’d tried. He didn’t turn but he felt Michael walk in the other direction for the front revolving door. He took out his phone and dialled Lizzie’s number again.
Michael emerged from The Park’s brass revolving door seething with resentment for the man he had left inside. The sun made him squint at the brightness. ‘Bloody fool,’ he said, staring past the hotel residents he shared the door with and searching the car park for his jeep. He tipped his sunglasses from his head to his face. He muttered under his breath, drawing the surprised eyes of a passer-by. He attempted a smile in response and quickly made his way across the manicured car park to his jeep, slamming the door behind him and banging his fists in temper off the steering wheel. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He supposed he should ring Marie and let her know what happened.
‘Well?’ Michael knew she would be waiting for his call.
‘Well,’ he repeated.
Marie was anxious all morning. The meeting with Lucas was important on so many levels and Michael didn’t even realise why yet. She felt somewhat disloyal to him not to have told him, but his mother had made her promise before she died. She was so conflicted.
‘Well, yer man,’ Michael said, folding down the sun visor to block the glare of sunlight that was beaming right onto his face, ‘says he is sorry for being the biggest prick ever when you were in college.’ He pressed the ignition button to start the air conditioning in his car. The heat was building inside the jeep. Marie smiled as she heard his tone soften. ‘And exactly as I said,’ he paused for effect, it was rare that he felt he was right and she was wrong, so he was going to enjoy it, ‘there was probably no need for him to come and cover the story and that, most of the other journalists don’t see much in it.’
‘That’s good,’ Marie answered. She was satisfied that Lucas’s involvement had been the catalyst that had kept the other journalist’s away and she hadn’t needed the satisfaction of Michael knowing it. ‘At least that’s done now.’
He could hear the relief in her voice and imagined the smile on her face. ‘Oh, and he said, and I quote, that I “got the prize”.’ He laughed,
knowing that her feminist flag would be flown within a matter of seconds at the derogatory reference.
‘Did he, now?’ Marie said, stockpiling the insult for a future conversation with Lucas. ‘Anyway,’ she paused, ‘if anyone got the prize, I did,’ she said, knowing he would at least smile at her joke. ‘Are you on your way home then?’
‘Actually,’ Michael said, ‘I was thinking I should call into Tim in his hotel and say goodbye, wish them a safe journey back to Dublin. It’d be the proper thing to do, wouldn’t it?’
‘Yes, probably. It would be nice,’ Marie answered. ‘Although, I’d like to see them myself, maybe you could drop out home first and we’ll both go back in?’ she suggested, hopeful that he would agree.
‘Okay then,’ Michael answered and headed out for home.
Chapter 35
Sunday Afternoon – 2016
‘Right then. We may go do this arrest, try and get it processed before four o’clock and allow him to get a solicitor before it’s too late.’ Detective Kelly was unusually considerate, Louise noted as she looked at the clock. It was nearly half past two.
‘Right so,’ she answered. ‘Did you tell McCarthy?’ She knew that they couldn’t stall much longer, McCarthy’s deadline of, before the end of the weekend, was fast approaching.
‘Yes.’ Kelly glanced at the clock again and lowered his voice. ‘I know that this is not the preferred outcome.’ He was conscious of the lengthy conversation they had the evening before, now that they were in a relationship, as she put it. She desperately looked for an alternative to arresting Tim, but couldn’t find one; she had exhausted every avenue she could think of.
‘Really don’t feel this one,’ she said. ‘But needs must, I suppose.’
‘Needs must,’ he repeated, the normal thrill of solving a case eluding both of them in equal measures. The adrenaline replaced with regret. ‘We’ll head to the hotel first and if they’ve left already,’ they were both secretly hoping they had, ‘well, maybe we’ll follow them to Dublin,’ he said, conscious of the other detectives overhearing them.
*
Robert finished packing Rose’s belongings into her black Samsonite overnight bag and placed it beside his, Tim’s and Lizzie’s on the trolley in the corridor. ‘That’s everything, I think.’ He nodded to the uniformed porter who took the luggage down the service lift to await Robert at the car.
Robert closed the room door behind him and padded his way towards the lift. He wasn’t looking forward to the drive alone, his back was beginning to ache and his head was thumping. He couldn’t begin to think how Rose must have been feeling when she collapsed. The lift doors opened and he crossed the lobby to return all three room keys.
‘Robert.’ Michael and Marie were at the reception desk. ‘I was hoping to catch you guys before you left,’ Michael said, enthusiastically. ‘Are Tim and Rose around?’
‘Em, Michael,’ Robert signalled him to step aside. He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. ‘There’s been a bit of an accident.’ His polite smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Rose is,’ he cleared his throat and Marie placed her hand on his arm, directing him to the chairs to the right, ‘on her way to Beaumont Hospital.’ He paused. ‘Helicopter transfer,’ he added.
‘Oh my God, Robert, what happened?’ Marie asked as she sat Robert down on the chair beside her.
‘She had a fall, we found her unconscious.’ Robert shook his head as his eyes watered remembering the scene. ‘Up in the room. I really have to get to Dublin. Tim and Lizzie have already left,’ Robert said.
‘Of course,’ Marie said. ‘Let us know how she is, won’t you?’ Marie couldn’t believe the timing of everything, she had rooted out the letter that Michael’s mother had given to her before she died and stuffed it in her handbag, she still hadn’t decided what she was going to do with it. The words her mother-in-law had said to her ‘you’ll know when the time is right’ had played repeatedly in her head over the past week and now they played so loudly that she couldn’t ignore them. Is this the right time? She was sure there couldn’t be a time more right, but maybe it was too late, maybe the right time was last week or even last year.
‘I will,’ he answered, eager to get on the road.
‘I’ll drive you,’ Michael said, walking with him. ‘I insist, I’ll get you out of the city faster.’
‘No, no there’s no need, I’ll be fine. She will be in surgery for a while anyway so I’ll be fine,’ Robert said. ‘But thank you, really,’ he said and left to Marie’s relief.
‘Michael.’ Marie waited as Robert left and Michael returned his attention to her. ‘I’ll drive,’ she added as they returned to the car park, taking the keys from him.
‘Okay,’ he said, her unusual behaviour confusing him. ‘Is that Detective Kelly and Detective Kennedy?’ he asked as he watched the familiar car, park opposite them.
‘It is, do you think we should tell them?’ Marie said.
‘Mmm, I suppose,’ he said. ‘I’m sure they’d like to know.’ He closed the passenger door and crossed the car park to speak to them.
‘Detective Kelly, Detective Kennedy.’
‘Michael, how are things?’
‘Well actually, Rose Fitzpatrick is unconscious, apparently on her way to Dublin in the air ambulance. They found her this morning in the hotel.’
‘Really, we hadn’t heard,’ Louise said, throwing a sideways look at Kelly. She knew now was not the time to elaborate as to why they were at the hotel in the first place. ‘Thanks, Michael. Appreciate the info,’ she said.
‘No worries, sure I’d say they’d have more information inside,’ Michael said.
‘Probably, thanks then.’ Louise smiled politely as he returned to Marie.
‘Did they say why they were here?’ Marie asked as Michael slid into the passenger seat.
‘No I didn’t ask,’ Michael answered.
‘Okay, listen to me for a minute.’ Marie paused as she reversed from her parking spot. ‘I think we should go to Dublin, I think you should follow up to see how Rose is doing.’
‘What, why?’ Michael said confused. ‘We’d only be in the way, Marie, times like that are just for family.’
‘I know but—’
‘And anyway what about Eve and Jack.’
‘I’ve just organised them, while you were over talking to the detectives, I phoned George and he is going to stay with them.’
‘Really.’ Michael scrunched his brow; he knew how unusual it would be for Marie to ask George to babysit.
‘Just trust me,’ she said as she pulled out onto the road. ‘You need to get to Dublin, I’ll explain everything as we drive.’ Marie was adamant that now was the time that somehow her mother-in-law had expected and that it weighed on her shoulders to do the right thing. As soon as she reached the motorway out of Kilkenny city, she began to explain.
‘You know how I looked after your mother and we grew very close before she died?’
‘Yeah, and?’
‘Well, she asked me could I do something for her, something that she said she didn’t have the strength to do herself, something that she promised that she would never do.’
‘What, Marie – what are you talking about?’
‘She said, I’ll know when to do it, that she trusted me and that she knew that what we had was real true love for each other.’
‘What, Marie, you’re freaking me out?’
‘Well she said that because of our true love, I would only be able to do something out of love for you, so she asked me to hold a letter for you and only give it to you when I thought the time was right.’
‘What letter?’
‘It’s in my bag there, if you pull it out, you can read it.’ She paused. ‘And then there’s more to what she said after that.’ She concentrated on the road as best she could and listened to Michael rattle her bag and retrieve the brown papered envelope inside it. She had reached into the back of the old dresser drawer that morning and pulled out the letter.
It had sat for years under a stack of photo albums and yellowed Tupperware boxes that held photos and other bits of memorabilia that Michael’s mother had entrusted to her when she knew she was very ill.
‘Have you read it?’ he asked as he traced his fingers over his mother’s writing on the envelope.
‘I did.’ Marie thought for a second. ‘She never actually told me not to, but I think she knew I would, I think that’s why she said that I would know when the time was right. Read it,’ Marie said. ‘Read it, love.’
Marie’s car whizzed silently northwards on the asphalt road as quickly as the speed limits allowed. She kept her eyes on the road as Michael concentrated on opening the envelope without damaging the fragile paper inside.
‘What’s in it?’ Michael extended his hand for Marie to hold it.
‘Just read it, Michael,’ Marie said, taking her eyes from the road briefly so she could look at him.
‘You do it.’ He placed the paper on her lap. The sight of his mother’s handwriting a poignant reminder of his loss. He wasn’t expecting the jolt that came with it.
‘Okay,’ she said, noticing his watery eyes. ‘I’ll pull in up here.’
Marie unfolded the yellowing notepaper.
‘My baby boy Michael,’ Marie coughed, clearing the ball at the back of her throat. ‘I have loved you since the second you were born and while I didn’t know you were coming until the moment you arrived,’ Marie shifted so that she could see his face, ‘I have been the luckiest mother ever since. You were born on my bed, as was your brother, and you slept in my bed all those first weeks of your life. I cradled you and loved you and gave you my best, then and always. I must tell you though there are some things that you did not know. You were born of my heart but not of my body and the circumstances of your arrival need to be explained.’
