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Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

He came up to my room that night to tell me that he thought if Bowles was convicted of murder Ballyshane might come up for sale again. I said I wouldn’t hold my breath. He said a certain friend of his in the guards (the ‘a certain’ was a bit unnecessary as he only knows one guard) also told him that Bowles was an object of suspicion anyway for some reason.

And what you said about him being a gay? I mean, would he be the woman-hater type? Sometimes gays take it out on women, for being like, gay, you know, for rejecting them or something.

I rolled my eyes.

Dad, I said, I don’t think it’s actually like that for gays. I mean I think they’re just gay, you know. And I don’t know what type he is. I didn’t know there were types. All I know is he’s gay. I don’t think gays rape women all that much. Like when did you last hear of a woman being raped and murdered by a gay man? It’s just not their thing. The people who rape and murder women are straight men.

We don’t know that. You’d have to be twisted to rape and murder someone, right?

Yeah but twisted and gay are two different things, Dad. And I’m pretty sure the Sunday Independent would be all over a story about a gay man going around raping women. And The Sun. Front page stuff.

I could see him thinking it over. He reads the Independent.

OK, well goodnight, Suzy.

Goodnight, Dad.

He closed the door then opened it again. If you hear anything more about your man Bowles let me know.

I will, Dad.

Then before I got to sleep my mam came up. She sat on my bed. It was like when I was small. Suzy, she said, you were right to text me that time, you did the right thing, you were looking after your dad.

Mam, are you and Dad going to split up?

I don’t know, pet. We’re in a lot of trouble right now. But your dad will make it. You can’t keep him down forever. He’s a fighter.

I was going to say, Tony is a fighter too by the looks of it but mostly he gets hammered.

But I didn’t. And my mam said goodnight and I said goodnight and then she went to bed herself. Tonight was a world record for goodnights. Something must be happening. There was something just perf about it. Then I thought, How sad am I, one night my mam and dad say goodnight to me and I tear up like someone proposed to me? I’m pathetic. But I was happy falling asleep. I don’t know, sometimes things get better. Maybe.

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