‘Choose between you and Vincent,’ she explained. ‘It was the hardest thing a mother’s ever had to do. I guess I figured you’d be all growed up and you wouldn’t need your mama no more.’
‘You’re right about that,’ said Duke. ‘But you’re wrong about one thing. You didn’t choose Vincent, Mama. All you ever chose was you.’
Donnie grabbed the bridesmaid’s waist and swung her around him as he made his way back over to Duke.
‘She wanted me,’ he said.
‘Sure,’ said Duke. ‘And thanks for lookin’ after everythin’. I shouldn’t have been mad…’
‘Hey,’ said Donnie. ‘Who’s that in the blue shirt and the cowboy hat? Ain’t that Vincent Farraday, the singer? Who’s the lady with him in the purple suit?’
‘Pretty fuckin’ Woman,’ said Duke.
TWENTY-NINE
‘Rumour has it that Sammi Rawlins has been having a few jobs done around the house…’
Joe let it hang there.
‘What do you mean jobs?’ said Duke.
‘Oh you know, hand jobs, blow jobs…’
‘If you’re tryin’ to tell me my wife’s a ho, I know you’re bullshittin’ me.’
‘Who said anything about ho? Your wife has been one hundred per cent faithful to one man since you’ve been in jail. It’s just a shame it wasn’t you.’
‘You’re talkin’ shit.’
‘Aw, I haven’t even come to the best part yet,’ said Joe. ‘Don’t you want to know who the guy is? Come on, I’d wanna know, if it was me. Have you seen your wife since you’ve been out?’
‘She’s at her mother’s…look why am I talkin’ to you? Why am I listenin’ to you and your bullshit?’
‘Face it, Rawlins. Your wife’s been bending over for another man while you’ve been in prison, one hand on your—
‘Are you fuckin’ de-ranged?’ Duke suddenly roared. ‘You think I believe a single shit-drippin’ word out of your mouth? You’re a cop! And you’re a cop who can shut the fuck up right now. One more word and I’ll kill your wife. Are you nuts?’
Joe’s heart pounded. All he had succeeded in doing was rattling this psycho off his hinges.
D.I. O’Connor stood in front of the room.
‘I’m fed up,’ he said. ‘For some reason, these dealers are a step ahead of us. We show up, they don’t. They don’t show up, we do.’ He looked around the room and saw a group of bored and tired guards.
‘Wake fucking up!’ he roared. Some of the men jumped. O’Connor shook his head.
‘Jesus Christ, lads! What are you like?’ The men shifted in their seats.
‘What happens,’ said O’Connor, ‘when your plan doesn’t work? What do people do? Owens?’
‘Uh, change the plan?’
‘Scrap the whole thing and come up with a new plan,’ came a voice from the back.
‘Or?’ said O’Connor, smiling, ‘just don’t have a plan.’ They looked at him blankly.
‘I want you all to think for a minute about surprises. In the next ten minutes I want three places in town that each team is going to go to at some stage today in the hope of catching one of these scumbags at work. No major plan here, just the name of a place and two of you in a car outside it. Butler, you’re with Twomey.’ There was a clatter of chairs on tiles as the men got up and headed outside to their cars.
As he put down the phone to Duke Rawlins, Joe heard the rumble of voices downstairs.
‘Hello? Who’s down there?’ he said, walking into the hall, leaning into the door of Shaun’s bedroom.
He could hear Shaun jogging up the steps. He opened the door a crack.
‘Me,’ said Shaun, irritated. ‘And Ali. Why?’
‘I didn’t tell you you could bring anyone home.’
‘I haven’t told her about Mom, if that’s what you mean.’
‘Send her home now.’
‘What is wrong with you?’
‘Just get her out of here,’ hissed Joe.
Shaun gave a start. ‘OK, OK.’
He ran back down the steps. Joe paced up and down the living room. He heard Ali walk through the hall.
‘Hey, Mr Lucchesi,’ she shouted in.
‘Where are you going?’ asked Joe.
Shaun stood behind Ali and stared at his dad as if he had lost his mind.
‘She’s going home?’ he said.
‘On your own?’ said Joe, turning to Ali.
‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘I’m a big girl now.’ She smiled.
‘Shaun, come here a minute,’ said Joe.
‘Hold on,’ said Shaun, leaving Ali in the hall.
Joe grabbed Shaun’s elbow, then felt him jerk hard from his grip. His voice was low and urgent as he handed Shaun the phone. ‘You put her on this phone to her father and get him to pick her up right outside that door. And you wait until he does that.’
‘What’s going on?’ said Shaun, panic creeping in to his voice.
‘Just do it,’ said Joe.
Ali made the call and stuck her head into the living room.
‘Frank Deegan was on his way here,’ she said. ‘So Dad asked him to take me home. He’ll be here any minute.’
Joe wanted to explode. The last thing he needed anyone to see outside his house was a garda car.
He stood up quickly. ‘I’ll give you a ride.’
‘No, you’re grand,’ said Ali. ‘I couldn’t drag you out of your way. Honest to God, Frank’s on his way. I’ll be fine.’
‘It’s not a problem.’
‘I want to play her one more track on my CD,’ said Shaun, pulling her towards the basement.
Joe sat back down and put his head in his hands. He stayed that way until the doorbell rang.
‘Hello, Joe,’ said Frank. He handed him a card in a blue envelope. ‘I met the postman on the way in.’ Joe recognised Danny’s writing.
‘Could I come in for a chat?’ said Frank.
‘Uh, not really. I haven’t got the time right now. I’ve got a lot on.’ His eyes flicked around, past Frank into the trees.
‘You don’t really have much of a choice, Joe. It’s about the fax you brought to Dr McClatchie.’
Joe felt a wave of anger at the betrayal.
‘It’s not a problem, the fact that you did that,’ said Frank. ‘I just need to see it. Dr McClatchie has some concerns.’ Joe could see that Frank had a police sketch in his hand and the mug shot of Duke.
‘I don’t have it. It’s in the garbage.’
‘Sorry. I think you do. Can I come in?’
‘All right,’ snapped Joe, hustling Frank into the hall and closing the door quickly behind him.
‘I don’t have time for this.’
‘Neither do I,’ said Frank. ‘I’m on my way to a meeting in Limerick and I need to see it. I’ve doubted you before about this Rawlins man. I’m letting you know now that I’ve changed my mind. I’m going out on a limb, here. I haven’t run this by my superiors, because I need to make sure I’ve everything tied up before I do.’
