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Back Trespasses Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. COVER
  2. HALF-TITLE PAGE
  3. BY THE SAME AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION PAGE
  5. TITLE PAGE
  6. 2015
  7. THE IRISH FOR NO
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. DÚIL
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. CHIAROSCURO
  22. 13
  23. 14
  24. 15
  25. 16
  26. 17
  27. 18
  28. IN CALVARY’S FLOW
  29. 19
  30. 20
  31. 21
  32. 22
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. WHEN I MOVE TO THE SKY
  36. 25
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. 29
  41. 30
  42. 2015
  43. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  44. A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR

It didn’t take you pair long to mobilise, said Cushla. She walked into the sitting room. The men followed her.

I presume I need to be sitting down for this, she said, flopping on to the settee.

Slattery was looking around the room as if he was casing it. See, we have a colour TV as well, Cushla said, pointing at the set in the corner, although it’s probably not as snazzy as the one you swindled out of my father when he was dying.

Bradley fingered his collar, his bald head turning pink. We have serious concerns, he said.

I’m all ears, said Cushla.

She had befriended a family of ne’er-do-wells, despite being advised against it; in fact, she had harboured the family even after one of them had been arrested for murder. Community relations in the town were delicate and her position on the school staff was not, at present, tenable. There would be an emergency meeting of the board of governors later and Cushla should expect the worst.

You’re sacking me?

We feel it would be best if you took a year off.

Are you not going to say anything? Gina said, stepping towards Slattery. He looked at her coldly and turned away.

28

28

Gina laid the tray on the bed. There’s post for you, love, she said.

It felt strange to be mothered, especially now, when Cushla had never felt less like a child. She rummaged among the blankets for her cigarettes and lighter. The first drag sickened her, but she held it in her lungs until the nicotine began to flicker through her limbs. Gina had tugged the curtains apart and was lifting the sash window. The sun cast long shadows across the room. The summer was ending. Cushla had hardly noticed it pass.

Gina left the door ajar and began running the vacuum cleaner around the landing. Cushla lurched from the bed and drew the curtains again, standing at the edge of the window frame and moving with the panels of fabric. Even as she held the material she knew the act was absurd. When they came back for her they would not scale the front of the house, SAS-style. They would ring the bell and Cushla would walk obediently to their car.