A Terrible Beauty

'My God, are you all right?'

'We were rammed, deliberately rammed. That Range Rover went into us, tried to force us over the quay. Paul's still down there.'

'They're sending the divers. Look-hold on-I'll get you a blanket.'

Katie stood shivering on the edge of the quay. Over three minutes had gone by and there was still no sign of Lucy or Paul. One of the gardai dived into the river, but almost at the same moment as he hit the water, Lucy reappeared, supporting Paul. Paul's face was so blue that it looked as if it had been painted for a Hindu festival.

The garda helped to bring Paul over to the ladder, and he was heaved up onto the quay. His eyes were closed and his arms and legs were floppy. The paramedics got to work on him right away, emptying the water out of his lungs and giving him expired-air respiration. Katie stood well back, but in her head she was repeating the mantra,please Holy Mother don't let him be dead, please don't let him be dead.

Lucy came up to her, still panting and spitting out river water. Katie took hold of her hands. 'You're freezing! Patrick, will you fetch a blanket for Professor Quinn, too?'

'How's your husband?' coughed Lucy.

'I don't know yet. I don't even know if he's breathing.'

One of the gardai brought a heavy gray blanket and draped it around Lucy's shoulders. Lucy put her arm around Katie's waist and held her close, and they both shivered in unison.

Katie said, 'You saved my life, Lucy. You were amazing.'

'College swimming champion, two years running.'

'Well, thanks be to God.'

'How about the people in the other car?'

'They're still trying to bring them up.'

'Who were they? Why were they trying to push us into the river?'

Katie ran her fingers through her wet, stringy hair. 'I think Paul knows the answer to that.'

One of the paramedics came over, a small freckly girl with dark red ringlets. 'He's breathing unassisted, Superintendent, and his heart rate's as good as you could expect. He's still unconscious, though. How long was he under the water?'

'Five minutes, not much more.'

'We're taking him to the Regional. You ought to come along with us, both of you. You're going to need a checkup and inoculation against infectious hepatitis.'

'I'm fine, thank you,' said Lucy. 'I just want to get back to my hotel.'

'We'd really like to make sure that you haven't suffered any injuries,' the paramedic insisted. 'And hepatitis can be fatal if you're not inoculated.'

'I don't need a doctor and I don't need a jab in the ass, thank you,' Lucy retorted. 'I need a brandy and a hot shower, that's all.'

The paramedic was about to argue, but Katie said, 'Professor Quinn doesn't have to have a checkup if she doesn't want to. Lucy-I'll ask Patrick to take you back to Jury's. I'll go with Paul to the hospital and I'll talk to you later.'

Lucy gave her an unexpected kiss on the forehead. 'You're safe, that's all that matters.'

Paul's stretcher was lifted into the back of the ambulance. As Katie climbed in after him, she heard shouting down by the quay. One of the passengers in the Range Rover had been brought up, and lifted into the boat. From where Katie was standing, it looked almost certain that he was dead.

41

Katie stayed at the Regional until 11:00P.M. that night but Paul still didn't recover consciousness. The doctor said, 'I have to warn you that there may be some brain damage, due to oxygen deprivation. But it won't be possible to assess him properly until he regains consciousness.'

'Hewillregain consciousness?'

'Well, again?that's difficult to tell.'

'All right,' said Katie. She was suddenly beginning to feel light-headed, and unsteady on her feet. 'I'll call in tomorrow, if I can. Meanwhile you've got my cell phone number, haven't you, and you can always get me through Anglesea Street.'

'Of course. We'll take very good care of him, Katie. Don't you worry.'

A young woman garda was waiting outside in a squad car to drive Katie home. She was rosy-cheeked, with fluffy blond hair drawn back in a plait.

'Have I seen you before?' Katie asked her.

'No, ma'am. I've just been transferred up from Bandon.'

'Ah, so you're getting some experience of the big bad city.'

'Oh, it's great here.' The garda smiled. 'At least you get a bit of excitement.'

They drove in silence for a while, but then Katie said, 'What made you join the Garda Siochana?'

'I didn't want to work in a shop. All my friends work in shops. I didn't want to do that.'