Another gentle rap, ‘Jesus, Vincent’s not messing around. Have to go, amigo.’ She sniffed hard, really hoovering up any residual nose flow. She kissed her friend’s cold face. ‘You really are a bitch for leaving me.’

She let go of her hand. Vincent pushed the door open, pointing to his watch.

‘We really have to get moving.’

‘Sorry,’ she said, and walked outside to be greeted by Silent Ed flexing his minuscule muscles for Francie.

‘You couldn’t beat snow off a rope with them.’ He handed him a card. ‘Come see us in the boxing club, we’ll knock you into shape in less than six months.’ Silent Ed took the card.

‘Don’t rock up with that ronnie, the lads would make shite of you,’ he said, pointing to the bumfluff moustache. Silent Ed covered it with his hand and nodded vigorously. Marjorie followed Francie to the car.

Once inside he handed her a tissue from his glove box. She wiped her face dry and for a moment his happy-go-lucky mask slipped. ‘I wish this was over,’ he said quietly and started the engine.

Chapter Fourteen: Grace

Chapter Fourteen

Grace

WHILE GRACE AND DAVEY spent a portion of the afternoon moving the dining room furniture around to accommodate Rabbit, Molly was tending to Jack and his dodgy back. In her absence her children were charged with working out exactly where best to place Rabbit to keep her bathed in light but far enough away from the window to avoid unwanted prying eyes.

‘She’d hate an open coffin,’ Davey complained bitterly.

‘I know,’ Grace said.

‘And people staring at her.’

‘I know.’

‘We could just grab her and run,’ Davey said.

Grace ignored him.

‘Or I could get Francie to grab a glue gun from the van, glue around the sides and slam it shut.’

‘You could close it shut with a boulder and Ma would find a way to open it,’ she said.

‘It’s not right,’ Davey said.

‘Except that as long as that coffin is open, Rabbit’s still with us.’

Davey got it instantly and relented. He cleared his throat. ‘Makes sense,’ he said.

Grace shoved an entire triangle-shaped sandwich into her mouth in an attempt to fill the gnawing void growing inside her. They didn’t talk about a closed coffin again.