The Girl Who Lied

by Sue Fortin

  I’ve lost all sense of time but the same female officer who had brought me something to eat earlier comes back to the cell.

  ‘You have a visitor.’

  ‘I do?’

  ‘Your solicitor.’ The officer waves me up from the bed. ‘Come on.’

  ‘But I haven’t asked for a solicitor,’ I say. ‘I don’t want legal representation.’

  The officer gives me a sideways look. ‘My advice to you, whether you think you want it or not, is to take it for now. Someone is obviously looking out for you.’

  I think about refusing to go, but then decide if I want to be charged with manslaughter rather than murder, it will be wise to take the opportunity to speak to a solicitor. I guess that it was probably Fiona, or even Kerry, who has organised this.

  ‘Okay. I’ll see them,’ I say, shrugging off the blanket.

  The solicitor is an older man, with greying hair and glasses. I feel I’ve seen him somewhere before. He rises from his seat as I come into the small interview room.

  ‘Miss Hurley,’ he says holding out his hand. ‘John Devlin of Devlin, Connor and Sullivan’s Solicitors.’

  We shake hands. ‘Hello,’ I say, taking the seat John Devlin holds out. I go to speak but Devlin puts his finger to his lips. He nods towards the Guard, who leaves the room.

  ‘Best to speak in private,’ he says. ‘Now, I know you’re not expecting me, but I’ve been asked to come down and offer legal representation to you.’

  ‘I do appreciate this,’ said Erin, ‘but I’m not sure I can afford a solicitor. Who asked you to come?’

  ‘Max Wright of Wright Motorcycles.’

  I raise my eyebrows in surprise. ‘Max?’

  ‘Yes, I believe you know his son, Jody, and nephew, Kerry.’

  ‘That’s right, but I’m afraid I don’t understand. Why has Max got involved?’

  ‘I expect Kerry asked him,’ says Devlin, pulling out a dark-green file from a rather battered-looking tan-leather briefcase.

  ‘But I still can’t afford a solicitor,’ I say. ‘It’s not that I don’t want representation, but I have no idea how I’m going to pay for you. And I know neither Max nor Kerry are in a position to be splashing out on expensive legal fees.’

  ‘You really don’t need to worry about that now,’ says Devlin. He looks over the rim of his glasses at me. ‘Max and I go back a long way. Don’t let my suit and tie fool you into thinking I haven’t ridden with the best of them in my day. No, I’m doing this as a family favour and, to be honest, from what I can see, we’ll have you out of here by the end of the day.’

  I quell the urge to laugh out loud. It’s a ridiculous notion.

  ‘I don’t mean to be rude, but they have told you what I’ve done, haven’t they?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve been reading the notes here and your apparent confession,’ says Devlin. ‘You know giving false information and wasting the time of the Guards is an offence.’

  I sit back in my chair. ‘I haven’t been giving false information.’

  ‘Most people in your position would be delighted with the thought of getting off a murder charge,’ says Devlin, taking off his glasses and resting his arm on the table. ‘Anyone would think you want to spend the next twenty-five years behind bars.’

  I shrug, aware I’m acting like a petulant teenager who is being admonished by their teacher. ‘I’m simply telling the truth,’ I say, looking down at my fingers, which are drumming silently against each other.

  ‘Let’s look at the evidence, shall we?’ said Devlin.

  I don’t manage to contain the small intake of breath. Evidence? How could there be any evidence against my confession? I watch Devlin as he replaces his glasses and sorts through some papers in the file.

  ‘Right, here we are,’ he says pulling out a sheet of paper. ‘Now, you say you went to meet Roisin Marshall at approximately eight-thirty on the night of the twenty-second this month.’

  ‘That’s right,’ I confirm.

  ‘But in your previous statement, you said you went to meet her at…’ he scans through the notes in front of him, ‘nine o’clock?’

  ‘I lied last time,’ I say, as if it’s obvious why.

  Devlin nods and continues, ‘And what happened when you met Miss Marshall?’

  ‘We argued. We had a bit of a fight. A physical fight and she fell into the estuary.’

  Devlin holds up his hand. ‘Wait a minute. This argument. What was it about?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘Humour me, please. And, yes, it does matter.’

  I consider whether to comply or not. Devlin certainly seems persistent and it will probably have to come out in court anyway.

  ‘Okay. Roisin and I were friends way back when I lived here as a child and a teenager. When I say friends, it was the sort of friendship borne out of there being no real alternative. Rossway was a much smaller village ten, twenty years ago – you didn’t get much choice in friends.’

  ‘Yes, I know what you mean. Please, carry on.’

  ‘Our friendship was okay until we got to our mid-teens and boys came on the scene. There was a bit of competition, if you like. More on Roisin’s part than mine. She was the popular one, she had lots of friends, very pretty, all the latest fashions. You know the type.’ Devlin nods his understanding, so I carry on.

  ‘I came from a less-well-off family, I had ginger hair, as you can see.’ I flick one of my curls. ‘And it’s curly. I didn’t have the latest clothes, I had to work in the café, so my life was a lot less glamorous and I became an easy target. It was easy for Roisin to look good against the backdrop of a friend like me.’

  ‘It’s a sad fact, but I’ve seen this a lot and it continues into adulthood,’ says Devlin.

  ‘Exactly. And that’s what happened. I came back because my father has had an accident and Roisin and I picked up where we left off.’

  ‘I get the feeling there’s more to it than a bit of teenage jealousy.’

  He’s a perceptive man, but then it probably comes with the territory. ‘Yes, there’s more to it. I dated her brother, Niall Marshall. We were involved in a car accident and he died.’ I drop my gaze. ‘I was pregnant but I miscarried. Niall and I were running away. A naive teenage notion, which ended so tragically. Roisin has never forgiven me. She blames me for the accident.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that. It must have been very difficult for everyone,’ says Devlin. He allows a few moments’ silence before continuing. ‘And this is what you and Roisin Marshall argued about the other night?’

  ‘Pretty much. It all came out. Ten years of anger,’ I say. I hate lying, but it’s partly the truth. ‘It wasn’t the first time we had had a confrontation,’ I say. ‘We argued in the street once. Kerry Wright had to step in. Ask him, he’ll tell you how Roisin and I had this feud going on.’

  ‘It’s funny you should mention Kerry Wright,’ says Devlin. ‘I’ve already spoken to him and he’s prepared to give a statement in your defence.’

  I sit upright, trying to disguise the surprise. ‘He is?’

  ‘Yes, he is. And so is Ed Hamilton.’

  ‘Ed? What? I don’t understand.’ What the hell is Ed doing getting involved in all of this?

  ‘It seems that Kerry saw you on the night of the twenty-second at around seven p.m., getting into a car with Mr Edward Hamilton and driving out of the village towards Cork.’

  ‘That’s right, but I saw Roisin later. Ed dropped me off and I went to meet her, alone,’ I say. I can feel the beginning of panic fluttering inside my stomach.

  ‘See, that’s not really possible,’ says Devlin. ‘According to Mr Hamilton, you both ate at The Courtyard Restaurant in the city and he brought you home at about nine p.m.’

  ‘He must have got the times wrong.’

  ‘I tell you, Miss Hurley, it’s not often I have to argue with my own client to prove them innocent,’ says Devlin, throwing me a disapproving look. ‘We are in the process of obtaining a copy of the Visa pa
yment Mr Hamilton made to the restaurant, which will confirm the time you left. We have also requested CCTV footage to back this up. There’s no way you could have been back in Rossway by eight-thirty. Not only that, but Mr Hamilton has given a preliminary statement over the telephone and, if necessary, the Guards will be paying him a visit to collect an official statement to that effect.’

  This isn’t supposed to happen. I thought I had it all planned out. I curse Kerry for getting involved. This is his fault.

  ‘Why are you so certain I couldn’t have done it when I got back at nine p.m.?’ I say.

  ‘Because we have a witness who was walking their dog that evening along the estuary, and saw Miss Marshall drive down to The Spit at eight-thirty. The witness saw Miss Marshall meet with another person.’

  ‘That doesn’t prove anything,’ I say. My throat is dry and I fiddle with my necklace for something to do to disguise my shaking hands.

  ‘That other person has been identified,’ says Devlin slowly. ‘They were seen getting out of a taxi and heading down there some fifteen minutes earlier. They stood out in our witness’s memory as it was raining and this person didn’t have a coat on.’

  I feel lightheaded and sway forwards. I grip the edge of the table to stop myself and concentrate on Devlin’s face. There is sorrow in his eyes.

  ‘Motive. What motive would this other person have?’ I say.

  ‘Motive?’ says Devlin. ‘Being a mother, loving your child, wanting to protect them. Isn’t that motive enough?’

  ‘Who was it they saw?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Erin,’ says Devlin, using my Christian name for the first time. ‘It was your mother, Marie Hurley.’

  My whole body heaves. ‘Where is my mother now?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ says Devlin.

  ‘Don’t know or won’t tell me?’ I ask. ‘Is she here? In the station? Have they arrested her?’ I jump up and run to the door. ‘Mum! Mum! Are you here? It’s me, Erin!’ I try to open the door, but it’s locked. I pummel it with my fists, frantically shouting out my mother’s name.

  Devlin pulls me away from the door. In a matter of seconds the door swings open and in rush two officers.

  ‘Where’s my mother?’ I scream. ‘What have you done with her? Mum! Mum, where are you?’

  ‘Miss Hurley, please be quiet,’ Devlin is trying to calm me. The Guards are restraining me, holding me back from rushing out of the room.

  ‘STOP THIS!’ shouts one of the Guards. ‘Pack this in and I’ll tell you.’

  I stop struggling. I hold my hands up in surrender and back away. ‘Where is she?’

  The female officer speaks. ‘She’s here in the station but she’s being questioned. You can’t see her or speak to her, not until we’ve finished making our inquiries.’

  ‘It’s okay. We know she’s Sean Keane’s mother-in-law, we’re looking after her,’ says the other Guard. ‘She’s all right. I promise ye.’

  ‘Come and sit down,’ says Devlin, guiding me back to the chair. ‘That’s it. Calm yourself down now. There’s nothing you can do to help your mother right now. But I can.’

  I look up at the solicitor. ‘You can?’

  ‘Yes, I’ll represent her, if she’ll let me.’ He nods to the Guards to leave. Once the door is closed he speaks again. ‘I figure Max Wright would be just as willing to help your mother as he was to help you.’ He rubs his eyes. ‘Although, God knows I must want my head examining taking on another Hurley woman if you’re anything to go by.’

  Despite the situation, I can’t help smiling. ‘I always thought I took after my dad, but now I think I’m more like my mum than I imagined.’ Devlin smiles back as he rises from the chair. I stand to shake his hand. ‘Thank you, Mr Devlin. What happens now?’

  ‘You’re free to go.’ He pauses and his face looks troubled. ‘There is just one thing I need to tell you,’ he says. ‘It’s about your niece, Sophie Keane.’

  Chapter 37

  The call came mid-morning. It was Sean.

  ‘Erin’s been released,’ he said. ‘And Marie is helping the Guards with their inquiries.’

  Kerry let out a silent sigh of relief. She was out. They weren’t going to charge her. His next emotion was one of sadness. ‘I’m sorry about Marie,’ he said.

  ‘Erin’s here at the house with us,’ said Sean.

  ‘How is she? Does she know about Sophie?’

  ‘She’s a complete mess over it all,’ said Sean.

  ‘No news on Sophie yet?’ said Kerry.

  ‘No. They’re extending their search. They’ve done house-to-house,’ said Sean, his voice on the verge of breaking. ‘They’re getting divers in.’

  ‘Shit,’ said Kerry. ‘That doesn’t mean you’re to give up hope.’

  ‘It’s okay, Kerry, I know what it means,’ said Sean.

  Kerry silently acknowledged this sad truth. ‘I thought I might go and see Erin.’

  Sean gave a laugh. ‘You’re a brave man,’ he said. ‘Or a fool. I would give Erin some space right now. You’re the last person she wants to see.’

  ‘I thought she’d be mad at me.’

  ‘That’s an understatement. You don’t want to know what she thinks of you right now. She’s blaming you for Marie being brought in. You know, getting Ed involved to give her an alibi. An alibi she didn’t want. And now her mother’s being questioned.’

  Kerry wasn’t surprised at all, but he had had no choice. He couldn’t let Erin be charged for murder, not when he knew she was innocent, no matter what her reasons were. It was the worst luck that it put Marie in the frame.

  ‘What do you think Marie’s chances of getting off are?’ said Kerry.

  Sean blew out a breath. ‘Ah, sure, I don’t know,’ he said. ‘It’s not looking good. She’s confessing to it all, as far as I know. I’ve someone at the station who is keeping me up to date with things. Marie is saying she met Roisin, that there was a scuffle and that Roisin ended up in the water. Pretty much what Erin said happened.’

  ‘And what’s her motive?’

  ‘Defending her daughter. Going with the story that Roisin was still bullying her daughter. You know, anyone would think Marie and Erin got together and hatched this story between them,’ said Sean.

  ‘It’s pretty close to the truth,’ said Kerry. ‘They are just leaving out one crucial detail – the baby.’

  ‘I know and I can’t condemn them for that,’ said Sean, his voice breaking. He took a moment before continuing. ‘I love that child like she is my own. I love her as much as I love Molly. I don’t differentiate between the two, I can’t, it just doesn’t happen. She calls me daddy and I’m her father. I was there when they brought her home, I was up in the nights feeding her when Fiona was tired. I’ve done nappy changes, bedtime stories, taught her to swim, to ride a bike. We’ve been camping in the back garden. Played football. Gone to parents’ evening, school plays. Looked after her when she was ill. I’ve done the lot.’

  It took a moment for the words to register with Kerry. ‘Sean, what are saying? Are you talking about Sophie? You brought up Sophie as if she were yours?’ And then it dawned on him. ‘Sophie is the child Erin had.’

  ‘Jesus, Kerry, don’t tell me you didn’t know?’ said Sean. ‘For feck’s sake.’

  ‘I knew Erin had a baby and she gave it up, but she never told me it was Sophie.’ Kerry’s mind raced back over all the conversations he’d had with Erin and with the Keanes. No one had directly said Sophie was Erin’s baby, but now, how could he have not realised?

  Somewhere amongst the shock of this, he felt a surge of understanding. He finally got what Erin was all about. She was all about protecting her family.

  Sean spoke again. ‘I would give up my life for that child. I really would,’ he said. ‘But…but in my heart of hearts, I know it’s wrong what we’ve done. Not only that, but I look at how much Marie loves Sophie, how much pleasure she has from being her grandmother and then I look at Diana Marshall and I see how crushed she i
s from losing her son.’ There was another pause. ‘I know it’s wrong to keep her grandchild from her. Morally, it’s wrong. I didn’t think of her at the time. I knew how angry and frightened Erin was. I only wanted to fix things for Fiona and her sister. To make things right, that’s what I do. I make things right. I look after them. I always have. I wanted to take the burden from their shoulders. And that’s what I did. That’s why I went along with it.’

  ‘It’s okay, Sean. You don’t have to justify yourself to me,’ said Kerry, although he thought Sean was probably justifying it to himself as much as anything. The man had carried this secret around with him for ten years. He’d had plenty of time for recriminations. ‘Do you think there’s any merit in telling the truth now?’

  ‘What use would that be?’ said Sean. ‘Besides, I can’t see any of them going along with it. Erin might have been ready to admit to having a baby, but whether she will admit to the world that the baby is Sophie, I don’t know. And then there’s Fiona and Marie. Individually the Hurley women are strong, together they’re a force to be reckoned with,’ said Sean. ‘They are like one unit. They will do anything to protect Sophie, including go down for murder.’

  Kerry found it hard to concentrate on anything else that afternoon. He really wanted to go and speak to Erin. He wanted to apologise for the situation her mother was now in, but at the same time, part of him wasn’t sorry. He was relieved Erin wasn’t going to be charged, but he knew how painful it would be for her now that her mother was in custody. Erin wouldn’t thank him for his action or his visit. No, he’d give her a bit of space. Maybe tomorrow he’d speak to her.

  He made his way to Apple Tree Cottage. Bex had invited him over for dinner. In her perceptive, yet subtle, way, she was looking out for him. Not letting him sit up in his flat stewing on what had happened.

  ‘Hiya,’ he said with false cheer as he entered the cottage through the kitchen door. The smell of chilli greeted him, homemade to Bex’s recipe, rich from the spices she used to make the meal from scratch. Bex was standing in front of the Aga, Breeze swaddled in a multi-coloured sling, sleeping comfortably against the back of her mother. ‘Ah, there’s the two favourite ladies in my life.’ Kerry went over and kissed both Bex and Breeze on the head.