Val glanced towards the window. ‘I’m not sure how good the forecast is for tomorrow.’
‘Not great, apparently,’ said Laura. She looked at Johnny. ‘I wouldn’t go near the jetty, if I was you.’
‘Speaking of Terry,’ said Val. ‘Mally was telling me about the chapel windows. What’s the story there? And Terry trying to say Dylan did it. What was that about?’
‘Don’t mind him,’ said Johnny.
‘Mally was disgusted,’ said Val. ‘Said Terry saw someone in a hoodie and jeans running away and decided it was Dylan. And you know Mally: “Sure, that covers half the lads in town.” But what interests me is that there’ve been a few reports of property damage about the place.’
‘Really?’ said Edie.
‘What do you know about the Britten lad? “Finno”.’
‘Who?’ said Johnny.
Edie frowned at him. ‘The Brittens, Johnny! The wood people.’ She rolled her eyes at Val. ‘They only made all the signs for the grounds … and the fairy houses, and—’
‘Sorry,’ said Johnny. ‘Of course. What about him?’
‘There’s a few rumours flying around about him,’ said Val.
Edie nodded. ‘I heard that, all right.’
Johnny looked at her. She looked at Val. ‘He’s dealing,’ said Val.
‘His poor parents,’ said Edie.
‘Apparently, if people aren’t paying up, he’s retaliating in some way,’ said Val. ‘Nothing physical – property damage. That’s why it occurred to me.’
Edie laughed, and glanced at Johnny. ‘Did we pay them for the toadstools?’
Johnny laughed.
‘Well, if you hear anything,’ said Val. ‘Or if Dylan says anything. You know kids. They won’t say anything to me.’
‘Of course,’ said Edie.
‘So,’ said Val, ‘is there anything I can do?’ She looked at Edie. ‘The electricity. Anything you need?’
‘No, no,’ said Edie. ‘Not at this hour. We’re headed to bed.’
‘Right so,’ said Val. She looked up at the clock. ‘I better get a move on.’
The door pushed open, and Murph and Patrick arrived back in, red-faced, with a basket of logs.
‘Mission accomplished,’ said Murph.
Val stood up.
‘Are you off?’ said Murph.
She nodded. ‘I am. Settle in there by the fire, lads. Warm yourselves up.’
Edie stood. ‘Let me walk you out.’
‘Stay where you are,’ said Val.
‘Oh, she won’t have that!’ said Murph.
Edie laughed. She held the door open for Val. Val paused in the doorway. ‘Goodnight, now,’ she said.
‘Goodnight!’ said Murph. ‘Safe home.’
Murph slumped down in a chair by the fire and whispered, ‘What the fuck was that about?’
Laura hissed a shush at him.
‘I need to know,’ said Murph, ‘there’s no dog involved …’
‘No,’ said Johnny. ‘Dylan’s staying over with them – that was all. She couldn’t ring.’
‘What did you do with … the …’ said Johnny.
‘Propped him up in the squad car with a pair of shades,’ said Murph. ‘Weekend at Johnny’s.’ He sat forward, stabbed a finger at them, and spoke in a loud whisper. ‘Lads, you’re going to have to unmute your fucking laughter here. Because she’s still in the hall, and unless it’s a silent fucking retreat we’re at, I think we’ve all gone a little too quiet.’ Everyone exchanged glances.
‘“HOW DO YOU DO, YOUNG WILLY MCBRIDE?”’ Murph started to sing as he rose from his seat and walked over to the fire. ‘“DO YOU MIND IF I SIT HERE DOWN BY YOUR GRAVESIDE?”’ He mouthed, ‘Too soon?’
They all started laughing.
‘“AND REST FOR A WHIIILE ’NEATH THE WARM SUMMER SUN …”’ He mouthed, ‘Is she still here?’ “I’VE BEEN WALKIN’ ALL DAY AND I’M NEARLY DONE.”’
Val stood at the front door. She tilted her head towards the room. ‘Is that Patrick now? He got up in the end.’
Edie smiled. ‘No – that’s Murph. If someone refuses to sing, he gets up and sings their song.’
‘No wonder no one sings,’ said Val. ‘He’s got some voice.’
Edie laughed. ‘I know. You don’t expect it. He calls himself Murphé. Like Bublé.’
Val laughed. ‘I’d say he’s great craic.’
‘He is,’ said Edie.
Val looked at her. ‘Is everything OK?’
‘Yes!’ said Edie. ‘Of course! Why?’ She paused. ‘I mean – I’ve had a few too many, but …’
‘And poor Helen couldn’t last the distance,’ said Val. ‘We were in Mac’s for an early birthday drink last week and she was fading by nine, the poor divil. What time did she head away?’
Edie went very still. ‘Oh, no – she’s here. She’s staying over.’
‘She’ll hardly sleep through that racket,’ said Val.
‘No, no – she’s … out in one of the suites.’
‘She won’t hear a thing out there,’ said Val. She paused. ‘And what would happen now if she had a fall – with the power cut?’
‘Oh, a back-up battery kicks in for the emergency card,’ said Edie. ‘Don’t worry – we haven’t abandoned her.’
Edie leaned an ear towards the room. ‘Oh, God. Murph’s on to “Patricia the Stripper”.’
‘That’s my cue,’ said Val.
‘That’s everybody’s cue,’ said Edie. She opened the front door and a wind whipped through. ‘Well, thanks for having Dylan, and coming all the way out in this.’
‘Not a bother,’ said Val. ‘Enjoy the rest of it!’
Edie closed the door and rested her forehead against it. The door to the bar opened, and Patrick came out into the hallway. Edie turned around and slumped back against the door. She let out a long breath.
‘We could have done without that,’ said Patrick.
‘Honestly,’ said Edie.
There was a hammering at the door behind her. She jumped, her eyes wide. Patrick made a face, pointed towards the men’s room, and strode across the hall.
Edie turned around and pulled open the door.
‘Sorry,’ said Val. ‘I remembered – Langerwell. Why it was familiar. There’s a Langerwell the owner of the acre between our two places. I checked the land registry when I was buying ours.’
Edie frowned. ‘What?’
Val nodded. ‘There can’t be too many of those about – a name like that. You should ask your friend – Patrick, is it?’
‘I will,’ said Edie. She closed the door after Val, started to walk towards the bar, then paused, and headed for the basement.
Murph was standing by the bar, pouring drinks. Clare stood at the window watching Val jog to her car. She drew the curtains across. Laura was sitting on her own at a table beside her.
‘You know something,’ said Johnny, looking over at Laura, ‘for all your talk of garda bonding, there was hardly a peep out of you.’ His tone was teasing. Laura scowled over at him. Johnny raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
‘I don’t think you’re going to want to hear why,’ said Laura.
Clare stood up. ‘I’m going to the ladies.’
‘She knows Laura is about to blow,’ said Murph.
Clare flashed a confirmation glance at Murph as she walked past.
‘She wants to stand outside splashing distance,’ said Murph.
Johnny laughed.
Murph looked over at Laura. Her head was turned away. ‘Well, whatever you’re about to say, there’s no point talking into the curtains. They’re half the reason we’re in this shit. Opening up like that …’
‘I swear to fuck,’ said Laura, stabbing a finger at him, ‘I’ll murder you myself if you keep cracking fucking jokes.’
‘I’m nervous!’ said Murph.
‘Why can’t you just shit yourself in peace like a normal person?’
‘Because I don’t find shitting myself very peaceful,’ said Murph.
Johnny laughed.
‘Right!’ said Laura. ‘Do you want to know why I didn’t open my mouth?’
‘It was surprising,’ said Johnny, flashing a glance at Murph.
‘You’re a pair of pricks,’ said Laura.
Murph zipped his lip. Johnny laughed.
Laura exploded. ‘You thick fucks! The minute she walked in the door, she was clocking every fucking thing in the room. She was looking at the state of myself and Clare, she was looking at her in her fucking boots, she was looking at the pens on the table, the extra napkins, all the weird looks flying about the place … and no amount of shite out of you, Murph, was stopping her. And,’ she said, turning to Johnny, ‘she was looking at the size of your coked-up fucking eyeballs, wondering did you think she came down in the last shower – the one you would have left her standing outside in for the night if you weren’t stupid enough to leave the fucking front door wide open.’