BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

‘Trassa,’ I asked, ‘how did you feel when Ronan was talking?’

She gave a twisted smile. ‘He was always disloyal. A coward. But I’ll still be signing the house over to him.’

‘Hey! He’s no coward,’ Chalkie said. ‘The poor lad was in bits.’

It was interesting—heartening, actually—how most of the people here could challenge each other in group, go in hot and heavy at times, then traipse back out into the dining hall, the best of friends.

‘A coward,’ Trassa said. ‘And he’ll get his money back.’

‘It’s not just about the money, Trassa.’ Giles sounded shocked. ‘Debt collectors visited your home.’

‘And scared your husband,’ Chalkie said. ‘He’s not a well man. Holy fuck. I’m agreeing with Giles. Get me out of here.’

‘Seamus Senior will outlive us all.’ Trassa gave us an I’ve-got-an-apple-tart-in-the-oven smile.

‘But if he does, Ronan will never get the house,’ Harlie said.

‘I just meant…’ Trassa blustered. ‘You know what I meant.’

‘Fuck’s sake!’ Harlie surprised us all. ‘Am I the only one freaking out that a loan shark is going to hurt your son if he doesn’t pay him twenty thousand euro by Friday?’

‘He’s not a loan shark!’

‘He’s definitely a loan shark,’ Chalkie said.

‘You’re the man who stole the bail money your community raised!’ Trassa flung at Chalkie. ‘And used it to buy heroin for yourself! You’ve no right to criticize me! Because of you an innocent man spent seven months on remand waiting for a trial.’

‘At least I won’t be responsible for my son getting his fingers sawn off!’

‘Who said anything about saws?’ Trassa was scandalized. ‘Or fingers. Collie Byrne’s not that sort! A few slaps is as bad as it gets.’

‘Chalkie’s using his imagination,’ Giles said. ‘And he’s on the money.

‘No pun intended.’ Giles smiled at Chalkie—who returned the smile. Then both of them realized what they were doing and identical looks of horror appeared on their faces.

Right, that was enough of Trassa for the moment. She’d been set upon the right path; things were now just a matter of time.

25

‘It’s in the Dublin mountains,’ Kate said. ‘And it’s big. Rooms for everything. Laundry room. Cinema room. They have a boiling-water tap.’

‘Ooooh.’ We laughed. We both lusted after those taps.

That evening, Kate and I were both home. She’d spent the previous night with Devin and, at the best of times, Other People’s Houses exerted a huge draw on me but my obsession was worse than usual because of Luke.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been nosy-poking around but maybe it was impossible not to? Luke was on my mind the whole time, humming away like background noise. Memories kept popping into my head—at work, in traffic, midway through a conversation with Mum.