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

‘Dad told me. He’s not well,’ Ronan whispered. ‘It was an awful ordeal for him. Then I had a visit. From Collie Byrne.’

Trassa was stopped in her tracks. This was something she hadn’t expected. ‘What…what did he want?’

‘His twenty thousand euro.’

‘Twenty thousand?’ Trassa exclaimed. ‘It was only twelve thousand the last I heard.’

‘Trassa. Tell the group who Collie Byrne is.’

Looking stunned, she managed, ‘He’s a…a local moneylender.’

‘He works in the bank?’ I knew he didn’t.

‘No. He’s…freelance.’

‘He’s a loan shark.’ For the first time Ronan was angry. ‘He came to my house—’

‘Why?’

‘He knows I’m the only one still talking to you. I couldn’t tell Keith where I was going today because he’ll do nothing to help you ever again.’

‘What did Collie do…say?’ Trassa looked genuinely shamed.

‘He said it was nothing personal but if he wasn’t paid back by the end of this week that things would get messy.’

‘Messy?’

‘Yes, Ma, messy. Which means rough. He gave me a choice between it happening to Dad or me.’

‘And what did you say?’ Trassa’s eyes gleamed with terrible interest.

‘Me, Ma, I said me.’

A sharp nod of approval. ‘Good boy.’

*

Ronan couldn’t cope with much more so I finished the session early and ensconced him in the drawing room where, white as a sheet, he jigged his leg compulsively.

‘Did it do any good?’ he stuttered.

‘Hopefully. Probably.’ I couldn’t make promises. This might have broken open Trassa’s denial, but addiction is a powerful thing. ‘You were very brave. Thank you for coming. Will you be…okay? With this Collie Byrne character?’ This wasn’t part of my job. I couldn’t take on the problems of the family and friends of my clients but I felt very tenderly towards poor Ronan.

‘It’ll take some juggling. Moving money around. Some of the credit cards will have to wait. Collie’s money is a priority.’

‘Good. Good. Are you okay to drive home?’

‘Ah, yeah. Better get back before Keith’s killed the entire herd.’ He attempted a lacklustre smile and trailed out to his car, looking small and young.

21

When Ronan’s car had disappeared from view, I switched on my phone, to discover three missed calls from Luke, then a text asking me to ring.

What was with all the calls? Apart from Mum, no one I knew made them. Everything was done through text or voice-notes.

For privacy, I went out to my car. My hands, as I pressed the buttons, were shaking. ‘Hi. It’s Rachel.’

‘Thanks for calling back.’ He sounded exhausted. ‘Sorry about this, but I get it now, why I was freaking out. Can I explain?’

‘Um…sure.’