Chapters (48)
- Cover
- THEFEUD
- Dedication
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
Eddie put his thinking cap on. Maybe the stress of what had happened to his father had caused him to bark up the wrong tree. If the whole of the O’Hara clan were at Jimmy’s, then maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t them. Rubbing his tired eyes, Eddie looked at Patrick for answers. ‘Apart from the O’Haras, I can’t think who else had a massive grudge against my dad. I mean, if someone would have blasted his brains out, I could have dealt with it, understood it. But battering the life out of him – who would do a thing like that? It ain’t exactly our style, is it?’
Patrick handed Eddie a cigar. ‘No, it’s not the work of people like us, Eddie. This is what I’m trying to tell you. I know Jimmy’s a traveller, but he’s a family man and, like us, he has rules. I know your old man shot his, but if he wanted revenge, he would have returned it the same way. Can you honestly see him ransacking your dad’s house and torturing him? Jimmy ain’t a bad geezer deep down and that ain’t his style. He has standards, for fuck’s sake.’
Eddie accepted a light and urged Patrick to go back inside. ‘Shout me up a large Scotch. I just need five minutes to meself,’ he told him.
Patrick nodded. ‘Promise me you’ll think about what I’ve said, Eddie. I’m friendly with both you and Jimmy and I’d hate to see your feud reignited for no reason. You’ve got to think of your wife, Eddie, your children. Do you really want to put them in danger?’ If you start a war, how do you know your family won’t be caught up in the crossfire? You’ve got to let sleeping dogs lie on this one, Ed. Jimmy O’Hara never killed your father.’
Eddie watched the big man walk away. Patrick Murphy was no man’s fool and deep down, Eddie knew that what he was saying made sense. Waiting for the police to release his dad’s body had made his brain go all wonky. It couldn’t have been Jimmy O’Hara, it wasn’t his style and he had a cast-iron alibi.
As Jessica walked towards him, Eddie smiled at her.
‘Are you OK? I was worried about you. Why are you out here on your own?’
Eddie held his arms out and hugged his wife tightly. Jessica was his life and he’d never do anything to endanger the welfare of her and the kids, not in a million years.
TWENTY-FIVE
In the weeks that followed Harry’s funeral, Eddie got himself back into his usual routine.