Falling Glass (10 page)

“Let’s get a booth,” she said.

Killian followed her. He waited for her to sit. But she pushed him down and sat on his lap. She kissed him. She sat next to him in the curved booth and rummaged in his pocket for his smokes.

“What are you doing here, Killian?” she asked him.

“A job interview with Mr Coulter.”

“Did you get it?”

“He wants me to do it and I’m thinking it over.”

“He’s rich, you should take it.”

“I think I might.”

They had two more drinks. Killian felt drunk. She pulled him close, lifted his shirt and slid her hand under the waistband of his pants. She felt his dick harden. She kissed him and he pressed his knee against her crotch and through two layers of cloth he could feel the moisture in her pubis.

“Come on!” the barman yelled.

They went back to the room and stripped and kissed and made love and when she came he came and for a fraction of a second, for an intake of breath, for a heartbeat, life was sweet.

Sweet
.

While she slept he slipped back onto the balcony, lit a cigar and adjusted the chair so that it was almost flat.

He looked at Tom’s file on Rachel.

The firm they’d hired to find Rachel weren’t bad at the raw intelligence but they’d rented the heavy mob to bring her in. Russians resident in England. He skimmed their report which was half-arsed and full of excuses.

He thumbed the 10 x 8s. She was an attractive woman. Thirty with curly, reddish hair, a retrousse nose, green eyes. A little like Helena. Coulter had a type.

He read the lawyers’ brief. A lot of claims, but a lot of evidence to back those claims. He skimmed the bio. She too was from the Ballymena area. She’d gone to Queen’s for a year. She’d taken astronomy. That was about the only interesting thing about her. The rest was boilerplate. Of course she’d quit and drifted, eventually moving to Dublin, getting a hostess job in Temple Bar. He yawned. There was a lot of information and he was very tired. He set down the folder and looked at the Southern Hemisphere stars. He’d liked astronomy too when he’d been a kid. Astrology, to be more strictly accurate.

“Killian, where are you?” the girl asked from the bedroom.

He picked up the briefing notes and put the photograph of Rachel Coulter back in the folder. He had told himself that he wasn’t going to take the case until after he’d met Coulter but now there really wasn’t any alternative: to turn down this much money would be obnoxious. And he liked Richard and he liked Helena.

He back went to bed and they fell asleep in each other’s arms but when she woke early the next morning Killian had already gone.

chapter 5
lawyers, guns and money

I
T TOOK HER AN HOUR TO FIND A PAYPHONE THAT WORKED
. I
T
wasn’t that they’d been vandalised, it was just that no one used them anymore and gradually they’d all been taken away. In the end she had to go Derry City Hall.

Her head was throbbing.

She hadn’t had meth, or indeed anything, for three days. This was the cold turkey.

But this was not the way to quit. She was not in “a place of healing”, she did not “love herself”, she was not “submitting to a higher power”.

Her head felt like it was going to split in half.

She dialled Ballymena first. She was praying that she’d get the answer-phone but her stepmum picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Gillian.”

“Oh my God, where are you?”

“Gillian, I can’t tell you.”

“Rachel, what are you doing?”

“Gillian, I’m doing what I have to do.”

“There was a reporter. A reporter in this street. I’m sure Mrs McAtamney saw.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Your father told them to buzz off. They’ll find you, Rachel. And the police will be next. Where are you?”

“Gillian, I just wanted to let you know that I’m fine and the girls are fine and I love you.”

“Rachel, this has gone on long enough.”

“Is Dad there?”

“You have brought disgrace to this family, you need to turn yourself—”

“I want to talk to Dad.”

“Rachel, it’s not too late to—”

“I want to talk to Dad!”

“Fine.”

There was a brief pause before her father came on.

“Hello?”

“Dad, I miss you, I’m going to send you a postcard.”

“Okay sweetie, I’ll look out for it.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, honey. How are my girls?”

“The girls are good.”

“You’re looking after yourself?”

“Of course. I gotta go.”

“Bye darling.”

She hung up, pleased with herself. She’d already bought a postcard from Belfast to throw any peelers or private eyes off the scent, but her dad knew that her real letter was going to come care of the lodge.

She rummaged in her bag of fifty pees and called Tony next. He wasn’t home so she left a message: “Tony honey, I’m okay, we’re all okay and we miss you, love to Sandra.”

Next she called Saoirse.

“Hello, McKinney, Benson and Thomas, how may I direct your call?”

“Saoirse Thomas please.”

“Who shall I say is calling?”

“Rachel Anderson.”

“I’ll put you right through, Ms Anderson.”

“Hello?”

“It’s Rachel.”

“Rachel, where are you?”

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“You can tell me. I cannot be compelled to give the court that information, it’s attorney–client priv—”

“That’s not really true, is it? Under child protection statutes you can be compelled and you know it.”

“Rachel, I wouldn’t do that. I would never—”

“Listen, I don’t have a lot of money in the phone, I just wanted to ask how you’re getting along with those decrees or whatever they are.”

“Rachel, you’re in a great deal of trouble. The best thing for you to do at this stage is to turn yourself in – I can’t get any orders set aside with an outstanding warrant against you. The judge wouldn’t even look at it. You know they’re considering a charge of double kidnapping. That’s fifteen to life, Rachel.”

“How can I kidnap my own kids?”

“It’s very complicated, but believe me they can do it. Please, for your sake and the sake of your kids just turn yourself in. I’m trying to keep everyone calm. Coulter’s lawyers want the court to throw the book at you.”

“Let those fuckers do what they like. I’ll go to the press.”

“Good, do that. Tell your story. I’m sure you’ll get a great deal of sympathy in certain quarters but you’ve got to turn yourself in first.”

“I don’t have to do anything. Why am I not front page news now? Richard’s got the money.”

“You did this to get in the newspapers?”

“No. I’m asking you why Richard hasn’t splashed my picture everywhere already? Newspapers, the TV. Why do you think that is?”

“They’ve told me that they don’t want to spook you, they don’t want to panic you into doing something stupid.”

“That’s not the reason.”

“What do you think’s going on?”

“A conspiracy.”

“A conspiracy? Rachel, do you even hear yourself? A conspiracy?”

“He knows I know too much.”

“Tell me what you know,” Saoirse said, suddenly interested.

Rachel hesitated.

“I – I can’t. If I tell you then my leverage is gone.”

Saoirse sighed. “Okay Rachel, look, this isn’t about you or Coulter. This is about your kids. You’ve got to do what’s best for them. And once the police start formally investigating the jig is up; eventually they
will
splash your picture on the TV news and someone will find you. It’s inevitable. What kind of a life is this for the girls? It’s better by far to turn yourself in now and explain yourself to the court.”

“I’ve come too far for that!” Rachel said, losing her temper.

The pressure behind her eyes…

She felt like screaming.

“Rachel, you sound cra—Look, just trust me, please trust me, turn yourself in, it’ll be okay.”

“This is your professional advice to me? Turn myself in, let Richard get the girls?”

“When you’re in a hole you have to stop digging.”

“You know I was even thinking about killing myself – why don’t I just do fucking that?”

“Rachel, come on, don’t even say something like that.”

“I’m hanging up now, I’ll call you when I can.”

“Rachel, don’t hang up, please don’t hang—”

She hung up. She had half a dozen fifty pees left.

Who to call? Who to call?

“Fuck it,” she said and dialled Tom at his office in Belfast.

“Tom Eichel’s office.”

“I want to speak to Tom.”

“Mr Eichel is out of the country, can I take a message?”

“Yeah, tell him Rachel Anderson called. Rachel Coulter. I’ll try him again another time.”

She gathered her remaining change and was about to walk back to the Volvo when the phone rang.

“Hello?” she said.

“It
is
you,” Tom said.

“It’s me.”

“Jesus, Rachel.”

“What?”

“You know what.”

“I’m in the centre of a shit typhoon.”

“Entirely of your own making. Have you lost your fucking mind?”

“I don’t think so, Tom.”

“We almost got you.”

“Aye, that was plenty close. One of your heroes killed a dog,” Rachel said.

“Heard about that. It could have been you.”

“I suppose it could have been.”

She bit her fingernails.

This conversation was pointless but she had to tell someone. “Tom, you know that gun you gave Richard? The pistol. The one we all shot that time in Donegal.”

“Yeah? What about it?”

“I took it and I put it in my mouth. I was thinking about blowing my brains out.”

“Oh, Rachel.”

“And that wasn’t the first time either.”

“Don’t say that, honey. You’re smarter than that.”

“I’m so tired, Tom.”

“I know. I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there, remember?”

“I know, Tom.”

“Let me help you, darling. Tell me where you are and I can have someone there in half an hour.”

“I’m at the top of The Empire State Building.”

Tom laughed. “Great, I’ll come myself, I’ll be the one carrying red carnations.”

“Get roses at least, you cheap bastard.”

“How are you living? I suppose you’ve hocked your jewellery.”

She was glad that he’d said “your” jewellery and not “Richard’s jewellery”. Tom had an old-world courtliness about him. She liked that.

“I’m living off the grid, it’s easy,” she said.

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Tom, I should go.”

“Wait, Rachel, I feel I should warn you, cos nobody else is going to. We’ve hired a pro to find you now. Scary guy. He’s good. I don’t want you to get hurt. Why don’t you do me a big fat favour and walk to the nearest police station and turn yourself in. You’ll get your one phone call. Call me and I’ll come with a whole army of star lawyers. We’ll get this straightened out in no time.”

“I’m not going to do that and you know it.”

“I don’t understand it. You and Richard were getting along so well.
So
well. I mean, I know you’ve had problems in the past, Rachel, but we’ve always got through them together.”

“This isn’t about me, Tom. I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, Rachel, I got one more idea.”

“Fast.”

“Leave Sue with Claire. She’s pretty responsible, right? Get in your car and drive for a couple of hours until you’re well away. Then call the cops, let them know where the kids are and you just keep on driving. Love, it’s not
you
we want. It’s the kids; you can do whatever you like. Give us the kids and we’ll leave you alone.”

Rachel was surprised.

She stared at the phone.

Really?

Richard hadn’t told Tom about the laptop?

Tom was his oldest friend. His lawyer. His
consigliere
. Who
did
Richard trust?

Or…

Or was Tom just being coy because of a potential wire on the line.

Rachel didn’t know what to say now.

It was probably best to say nothing.

“I like you Rachel, you know I’ve always liked you. That’s why we haven’t called the cops. Richard wants this taken care of in as low key a way as possible,” Tom said.

No, that’s not the reason.

You don’t know, Tom.

You don’t even know!

The pain in her head was almost unbearable now. “But you gotta understand we’re going to win. You can’t steal a guy’s kids. Not a guy like Richard. You’ve lost the legal battle and you’re probably going to go to jail. Why not just do everyone a favour and end this now. For the sake of the girls at least.”

“That’s why I’m out here, Tom. For them. I don’t want them near that psychopath.”

“What are you talking about? Richard’s a good man. I mean we’re all really sorry about that one time; he’s changed and he loves the girls. And you know Helena’s pregnant, right? All he wants is his family. He doesn’t even bear you a grudge. He just wants the girls to be safe.”

“Is that what he says?”

“He’s serious about this, very serious. He’s determined to find you. He’s pulling out all the stops.”

“I’ll bet he is. I’ll bet he’s keeking his fucking whips. He doesn’t scare me, Tom – I’ll go to the papers. I’ve heard they’ve been snooping around.”

“With what? Honey, you’ve got nothing and the stuff we have on you under lock and key, believe me you don’t want in general circulation. Think of your ma and da in Ballymena. What would they say?”

He shouldn’t have mentioned her da.

That’s what tore it, she thought later.

Much later.

That and maybe the fact that her mind wasn’t exactly
balanced
.

“I guess you don’t know about the laptop,” she said.

There was a long period of static before Tom said: “What laptop?”

“I have a feeling you and Richard are about to have a fun conversation,” Rachel said and hung up.

She walked back to the Volvo. They’d given her a ticket.
Just try and collect that, motherfuckers
, she thought.