“I spend most of my working life interfering. It just seems awful that Eliza is going through every woman’s nightmare and her only child doesn’t know about it.”
“But she knows where her mother is and she never gets in contact.”
“She could be ashamed or just not know how to start the ball rolling.The fact that her parents were right and her partner was a waste of space makes it all the more difficult. But if we nudged her in the right direction she might be willing to try and mend fences. I’d say that Eliza and Hugo would welcome her with open arms, especially now.”
“You could be right but how would we go about it?”
They went into the scented therapy room, removed their bath robes and allowed the therapists to pamper them, massaging them with scented oils whose effects were magical.They pondered the situation while the therapists did their work and afterwards continued the conversation while they were getting dressed.
“If we could find out who her friends were in Galway it’s likely that she’s in touch with at least one of them. They might give us her address.” Nicola was thinking aloud.“We could go and see her.It would be terrible to tell her that her mother had cancer over the phone but if we went to see her she might listen.”
“Steady on, Nicola!” Things were moving too fast for Cassandra. “That is quite a big step.Are you proposing that the two of us – two total strangers – turn up on her doorstep and tell her that her mother is seriously ill?She’ll love that!”
“Of course she won’t but she might be glad we did it.I just think that if my mother was ill and no one told me I would be full of regrets and I think my mother would also be hurt.”
“Okay, okay, but where do we start?”Cassandrasaid, resigned to the fact that Nicola would not be deterred.
“I think I might know.I have a friend who was a mature student for yonks.He was involved in the students union to the extent that people thought he was paid by the college and he knows everyone.I could ask him if he ever heard of her.He’s still around on the arty scene.”
“Or we could just ask Hugo if he remembers any of her friends.And, if so, does he know their whereabouts.If he thinks it’s a good idea he would cooperate.”Cassandra had a way of finding the most direct way of solving a problem.
“Okay. We’ll think about it. But, you know, if we do too much planning while we’re here it will defeat the purpose of this trip: a bit of pampering for two very stressed individuals! I think it’s time we both relaxed and let the therapists do their bit, don’t you agree?”
“I certainly do. Relax we will.”
Dressing for dinner that evening, Nicola took particular care.Conscious as always of her friend’s glamour, she didn’t want to be Ugly Betty.She had chosen the clothes for the trip with care and had even gone and bought a new dress especially for dinner.She had decided not to depend on the ‘little black number’ on this occasion.She was glad she had made an effort. Cassandra looked stunning in a chic classically cut purple dress which was just perfect for dining with a female friend – not frumpy but not sexy enough to say that she was looking for attention from the male of the species.Nicola wore a plain cerise wool dress which accentuated her figure – which she believed to be her best asset – and suited her colouring to a tee.
They were startled as they crossed the dining room when a man dropped his glass as they passed his table. They saw the red liquid seep slowly over the white linen tablecloth, forming a pretty soft-edged abstract design on it. The man appeared to be totally flustered and his wife puzzled. A waiter guided Nicola and Cassandra to their table and as they sat down a manager arrived on the scene. He removed the wine-stained cloth from the couple’s table and replaced it in the blink of an eye.The man looked totally miserable and his wife was whispering to him urgently as if trying to make sense of the occurrence.
The waitertook Nicola and Cassandra’s order before gliding to the bar to get their aperitifs.
“I wonder what that was all about?” Nicola mused.“He seemed inordinately fussed about such a trivial accident.”
“It wasn’t the spilt wine that caused the fuss.It was what caused him to drop the glass,” Cassandra said glumly.
“And what was that?”
“Me.”
“Why would seeing you cause him to drop . . .” Nicola’s voice trailed off as she realised what the situation might be.
“He was a client. A few times, a few years ago.I think he’s from Dublin but came to Galway regularly on business at the time.”
“Ignore him.If he feels uncomfortable, that’s his problem.If he’s in the habit of sleeping with – women who are not his wife –he can expect to occasionally meet up with his conquests.If he has any brains he will cop on that you are unlikely to saunter over to him wanting to take a trip down memory lane.”
“I’m hardly a conquest. He paid me.”
“To some men, all women are conquests. They have an inflated sense of their importance in the scheme of things.”Nicola grinned.
Just then the waiter arrived with their drinks.
“Cheers!” Nicola said, raising her glass to Cassandra. “Here’s to a lovely break!”
“Yes, cheers to us!”
Nicola noticed that the man and his wife left the dining room pretty quickly.She felt sorry for him – she didn’t believe in judging people, because you never knew their circumstances – but she felt more sorry for his wife who was probably blissfully unaware of her husband’s philandering.
The meal was to die for, the reputation of the restaurant well deserved, the ambiance perfect. They were truly glad they had chosen to take this break.
“Do you know Eliza’s daughter’s name?”Nicola asked Cassandra as they ate their starters.
“No. She has never mentioned her to me at all – I only know that she exists from local gossip.”
“She did tell me about her but her eyes welled up with tears so I didn’t probe. Hugo has never spoken to me about her.I hope he won’t think we are nosey when we suggest trying to find her.” Nicola was beginning to have second thoughts.
“That’s a risk we have to take and anyway I will blame you since by your own admission you make a living out of prying into other people’s lives.”Cassandra had a quirky sense of humour which she only displayed on occasions.
They both laughed.
The following morning was blustery but dry.They ordered their breakfast in their room, choosing smoked salmon, scrambled eggs from a local farm, freshly squeezed orange juice and Earl Grey tea from the breakfast menu.After breakfast they donned their winter woollies and took a bracing walk on the beach.
The wind was biting and the white horses on the sea added a slightly stormy edge to the atmosphere.They walked as briskly as conditions would allow.
“Oh, God!”Nicola groaned suddenly.
“What? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not exactly!But did you notice that couple who just passed us walking hand in hand.”
“I could hardly have missed them.They are the only other lunatics on the beach and they look so much in love.I wondered if they were married.”
“They are.But not to each other.She’s my friend’s sister-in-law.I hope she didn’t recognise me!”
“I’d say that she hopes even harder that you didn’t recognise her!” Cassandra couldn’t help laughing.
“You’re right,” Nicola replied. “Fingers crossed they’re not staying at the hotel.That would be another couple whose gaze we cannot meet in the dining room.”
“Yes, but like my client they have more to lose than we have so we’ll just ignore them.”
Nicola agreed that Cassandra had a point.
Returning to the hotel, they noticed that the glass-dropper from the night before and his wife were checking out.
“That’s one down anyway,” Nicola said with a grin.“This place is a bit of a den of iniquity, isn’t it?”
“And that’s without adding the Prostitute and the Social Worker to
the mix.God only knows the nature of their relationship and what they’re up to!”
They were giggling like idiots as they ordered hot chocolate before they repaired to the spa for further pampering treatments.
“This is the life,” Nicola said.“I don’t know how we’ll return to normal after this.”
“It won’t be too difficult.The need to earn a living will raise its ugly head.Still, we have another full day of this before we have to get back to reality.I, for one, intend to make the most of it.”
They left early on the morning of the fourth day, intending to round off the trip with lunch at the g hotel on the east side of Galway before returning to reality. They played the Beatles’ White Album on the car stereo on the way back and sang along to it.Nicola couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt with this woman she had only met a few weeks previously and she wondered to herself if the friendship would continue.She felt uncertain about it and wondered how things would pan out when all this excitement with Alice died down.
At one o’clock they decided to turn on the news, just in time to hear the annoluncer proclaim that the new Taoiseach was Jack Madden.
“Gosh, I had forgotten that today was the day of the election!” Nicola gasped.
“Me too. I wonder how Alice will take this.”
“Shh! He’s speaking.”
They heard Jack Madden’s cultured tones waft over the airwaves.
“I am humbled to be put in this position by my party and I intend to do my level best to ensure that they and the country do not regret it.I will be leading the country at a very difficult time – at least until the next election, which I hope will not be for some time yet.At times like these it is easy to get carried away with the need to make decisions which will try to take the country out of the recession in which we find ourselves.It is tempting to make cuts at the easy targets but I intend to look carefully at all the possible options in the hope that decisions I and the government make will be such that savings are made by astute decision-making and not by cutting pay or increasing taxes on the lower paid.I intend to build on the work of my predecessor, the Lord have mercy on his soul, and ensure that this country remains a good country in which to live where everybody gets a fair opportunity to achieve a decent standard of living, despite our current economic problems.”
“Thank you, Taoiseach,” said the announcer and she went on to the next news item.
“Doesn’t that just make you want to puke?” Nicola said as they switched on the Beatles again.
By the time they got to the g the place was buzzing.Around them they were aware that there was no other topic of conversation but Jack Madden. There were people clapping each other on the back, saying wasn’t it great to have a Galway Taoiseach.No one seemed displeased at the news.
They had a light lunch of paté and brown bread and headed for home to get ready for the return to work the next day. In fact Cassandra had a client that evening and Nicola had a full schedule lined up for the rest of the week.
When she got back to her apartment Nicola unpacked before listening to her answering machine.The advantage and indeed the disadvantage of mobile phones was that people could get you no matter where you were.But Nicola had left her work phone in the apartment and her personal one had not been very active during the trip.
The only message on her machine was from Séamus, asking if they could have dinner sometime the following weekend.She grinned, pleased but not excited that he was still interested.She was considering her response and decided not to ring him immediately.
Chapter 13
The following day at lunchtime Nicola noticed a missed call from The Coven on her mobile.
“Nicola, could you call me as soon as you can?” Eliza’s voice was shaky. “Grace is missing.”
Nicola’s heart lurched.My God, she thought. Could Jack Madden have something to do with this?
Her hand was shaking as she dialled the landline of The Coven.Eliza answered immediately as if she was sitting by the phone.
“How long is Grace missing?” Nicola asked without even saying hello.
“Since yesterday afternoon.” Eliza sounded distraught.
“What exactly happened?”
“As you know, she went on the school tour to Dublin and they were to visit the Dáil,” Eliza said.
Nicola had forgotten about the tour. She and Alice had discussed itand decided that since the whole class was going and Grace was really keen to go, it would be difficult to explain to her why it wasn’t a good idea. So Alice had agreed.
“The teacher said that the Dáil was last on their list after the National Gallery and the Museum. She was counting the children as they were about to leave the Dáil and she was one short – Grace. Her friend said she had gone to try and find her Uncle Jack who worked there.Her friend had offered to go with her but she refused.She said she wanted to speak to him about a family matter.That was about five o’clock and their bus home was at six. They couldn’t find her so the other students came home and one teacher remained in Dublin to continue the search and help the Gardaí.”
“God, he’d never be so evil as to do anything to her,” Nicola mused aloud.
“I hope not, but the Dáil was searched, high up and low down, to no avail. There doesn’t seem to have been any reports about it in the media.I’d say that Jack arranged for a news blackout.But the Gardaí are looking and Alice and Hugo went to Dublin last night.”
Nicola’s mind was in a whirl.She could hear Eliza’s mobile ringing in the background.“You’d better answer that,” she suggested.
“Oh, it’s Alice!” Eliza gasped.
Nicola was on tenterhooks.She heard Eliza shriek and hoped it was for a good reason.
“Nicola, they’ve found her!” Eliza said after a few minutes.“She’s safe and well but a bit upset.Alice says they’re on their way home.They should be here by about eight.”
“Would you mind if I came over then, Eliza? I feel sort of responsible.”
“Of course you can.But don’t feel responsible.The child was involved in a normal school activity.What remains to be seen is how she disappeared so completely while in the care of her teachers.”
“How is Orla taking this?”
“To be honest we haven’t been truthful with her.She doesn’t know that Gracewas missing.We just said she had to stay in Dublin last night and that Alice and Hugo were going to keep her company.She seemed to believe us.”
“At least she’s not upset.I wonder what exactly happened to Grace.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see.See you around eight,” Eliza said and hung up.
Nicola was in turmoil.There were a lot of unanswered questions here.She decided not to phone Cassandra. There was no point.Her afternoon appointment was deferred so she went home.She pulled on a pair of old cords, her warmest winter woollies and did what she always did when she was upset. She walked to Silver Strand.As soon as she turned off the Barna Road she was in the country.She walked briskly, wondering exactly what was behind Grace’s disappearance.There must have been some involvement on the part of Jack Madden.
She stared down the narrow country road, taking in the bare branches of the few trees – even in the depths of winter this place calmed her down.The road changed with every season.In winter it had a bleak beauty while in spring and summer it burst into colour with a profusion of wild flowers which looked like they had come straight out of a Monet painting.
The tide was out when she got to the beach.Even though there was a light drizzle she could still see the Clare hills in the distance.She paced back and forth, throwing a stick for a stray dog which seemed bent on befriending her.
I have taken in enough strays in my day and I have just got rid of the latest one, she thought with a grim smile and she threw the stick again as far as she could and walked briskly away.
Back at her apartment she was on edge.It wasn’t quite five o’clock.She had three hours to wait before she could go to The Coven.She looked in her fridge.
Very little to tempt her there!She decided to go shopping.At least it would occupy her until eight.She changed her clothes for the third time that day and went out.
The supermarket was not that busy but she found it hard to focus.She picked up some fruit, a few small cartons of tomato soup – always a handy snack – and three microwave meals for one.Until then it hadn’t quite hit her that she was alone in the world for the first time in years. She cheered up when she remembered that Séamus had invited her out for dinner and she decided to accept the invitation.
It was only six thirty when she got back to her apartment so she made herself a light snack of soup and a salad sandwich and sat down and watched television.
On the dot of eight she was ringing the bell at The Coven.
Eliza came to the door and ushered her in.They were all in the kitchen – Alice, Grace, Orla and Hugo – sitting around the table, having just finished dinner.
“Hi, everyone,” Nicola smiled and sat down.
She looked around at the others. For the first time she thought Alice looked her age.Her face was drawn and she noticed lines around her eyes that she had never seen before.Grace looked as if she wasn’t sure how to behave. Orlaseemed unconcerned. Eliza and Hugo just looked relieved.
Eliza poured coffee for Nicola, Hugo and Alice, then said: “Orla and I are going to watch The Little Mermaid in Alice’s apartment.I promised her we would watch it tonight. Come along, Orla!” It was an obvious ploy to get the little girl out of the way but Orla was delighted. Taking her by the hand, Eliza led her away.
“Well! Tell me about this big adventure,” Nicola said to Grace as soon as Orla and Eliza had left the room.“Where exactly have you been, young lady?”She had kept her tone light butto her horror the girl burst into tears.
“Oh, Grace, I’m sorry,” Nicola said gently.“I just need to know what happened.You’re not in trouble.Would you rather we spoke about it in your apartment?”
“No,” sniffed Grace.“Sure Mum and Hugo know most of it anyway.”
Who is Alice? Page 12
