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

‘Because I’m their mother! I gave birth to them and my life in that house was hard going. Never enough room and their GAA kit flung everywhere and they were always hungry, always looking for more dinners. Keith was forever sick, so I was up and down to the doctor with him and Seamus Junior was selling drugs for a while and I was afraid the guards would come to the front door and Seamus Senior was fucking useless and no one ever said thank you or offered to make me a cup of tea. There was never anything for me.’

‘So, you thought that they owed you? How much of a factor did your bullying play?’

‘Wh–at?’ She was suddenly looking wary.

‘They’re frightened of you, your sons.’ Well, I knew for a fact that Ronan, Joe and Seamus Junior were. Michael and Keith would have nothing to do with this. ‘You knew if you told them you needed a lot of money they’d do everything they could to get it. Didn’t you?’

Her tears had dried. ‘They’re not scared of me.’

‘They are, but,’ Chalkie murmured. ‘That poor Ronan lad was bricking it.’

‘And he felt fierce fecking guilty about you being in here.’ Dennis was grim. In the last couple of days he’d put clear blue water between himself and Trassa, worried that addiction might be catching.

‘He didn’t feel guilty.’ Trassa’s voice was unconvinced.

‘Trassa, if I may.’ Giles radiated wisdom and compassion—and Chalkie rolled his eyes at him. ‘There was a time when I felt exactly as you do now. I used a lethal combination of emotional blackmail and veiled threats to persuade my wives to support my addiction. I withheld money from Ingrid, said that without cocaine I couldn’t do my job properly, and if I lost it, we were all penniless.’

‘But you’re a schemer, Mister Big Shot Moneybags and I’m just a poor old woman from Carlow. I’m nothing like you!’

30

On Saturday morning, Quin and I were dozing when my phone rang, startling us both.

‘It’s Kate.’ The only time she rang me was during an emergency. ‘Hi, honey, what’s up?’

‘Heyyy. Where are you?’

‘Quin’s.’ My heart was pounding. ‘What’s going on? Are you okay?’

‘Yeahhhh. I need your help. Well, not me.’

‘Help how?’ She sounded like she’d had a bang to the head.

‘It’s Kallie.’

‘…Kallie?’ Hurriedly I sat up in the bed. Beside me, Quin mouthed, WTF?

‘She had an accident,’ Kate said.

‘Is she hurt?’ In which case, what was I meant to do? I wasn’t a doctor.

‘Not that kind of accident. An accident with a…condom.’

It took me a moment. Oh, right. Sex. With Luke.

‘She needs’, Kate whispered the words, ‘Plan B.’