Chapter 7

First Call.

‘Bernie … Hello … Bernie … now look here, I know that Paddy is with you … don’na mind asking where I got yar number and ya gone all public with it on Facebook … I have people … watching. I have it, finally … that’s all that matters … I know where you are and I have no problem sending the Maughans over ta sort the pair of ye …’

Pause.

‘What? Are ya mad … they’ll kill Paddy … we both know it, yar not doing too good hiding … game’s up now … ah, will ya stop yar shitehawking … no, I won’na … not if ya send him back … tomorrow …’

Short pause.

‘Otherwise they’ll cause big trouble … listen here … yar only getting wan warning … ah, here now, you and I’s been around the block …’ She spat. ‘And we knows that man needs something with a bit more in her pocket than you … ya won’na hold on to him … so go and buy yourself a strong packet of cigarettes … tell him to be on that ferry tomorrow …’

Pause.

‘I’ll make big trouble, Bernie … ya, I’m in Hospital … how ja think I am? Now you’ll be filled with bad bother if he’s not back … ya don’na want that on your head … or in yar heart … ya fucken trollop … Hello? Hello? Bernie? Ja hear me? I’m only giving ya wan warning …’

Long pause.

‘Ah, here now … aren’t ya some fool … they’ll do anything far a dying sister … do you think it, do ya, ya do, yeah? … Well, I’ll make ya think it now, I really will, you’ll be thinking then for a long time …’

Pause.

‘… Well … I felt sarry far ya …’

Margaret Rose sneezed.

Pause.

‘And. Him. I will … and ya knows I will … ya might be his hoor but ya’ll never be his wife.’

Second Call.

‘Wedding’s off now, O’Keefe … ja hear me? Hello? Ya, it’s me … Margaret Rose … Let that be an end ta it.’

Pause.

‘Look … I warned you before about name-calling and the passing yarself round yar doing.’

Pause.

‘Ah sthap, ma brothers said they’re watching ya … ya little prick … Niquita’s our girl and she’s easily led … ’twould do ya a lot of good ta shut yar thick mouth … I feel sorry far ya without a mother … but now look at ya … well, yar some cunt.’

She sneezed again. ‘She’d be turning in her grave now, lad …’

Long pause.

‘Listen here … shut yar mouth ’cause there’s no necktie now, nothing … and ya should feel very lucky ya can just disappear. Ja hear me? Hello? Jonathan? Hello?’

Pause.

‘If you ever so much as look at her across the street from ya … I’ll break both your legs … what ja mean “show”? Show me?’ She mock-laughed, then inhaled loudly with a snort. ‘Oh sthap, ya poor lad … don’na come at me with yar daddy this and that, I’ll sort him too if I have ta … yar a lucky boy ta be getting a clean break … So take it …’