‘Roisin will turn up,’ said Joe. ‘It’s not a new thing. She’s gone missing before.’
‘That’s true,’ said Bex. Breeze gave a little cry and nuzzled at her mother’s breast. Bex adjusted her t-shirt to feed her daughter. ‘I’d forgotten about that.
‘She has?’ said Kerry.
‘Yes, right after the accident,’ said Bex.
‘Another beer, cuz?’ said Joe opening the fridge.
Kerry shook his head. ‘What made Roisin go off?’
‘She couldn’t handle what had happened. That was the official line, anyway,’ said Bex.
‘And the unofficial?’
‘She felt guilty. Ultimately, she blamed herself for what happened. She spoke to Joe at the time.’
‘That’s right, I remember you telling me,’ said Kerry. ‘You didn’t say she disappeared, though.’
‘I forgot, to be honest,’ said Joe. ‘It was a long time ago. Those first few days, the first week, really, after Niall’s death, it’s all a bit of a blur. We were all shocked. Someone our age had died. I think that’s when we realised we weren’t invincible.’ Joe sat down in the chair next to Bex.
‘Why did she blame herself?’ said Kerry. He looked across at Joe. His cousin averted his gaze, studying the bottle in front of him, picking at the label with his thumbnail. Kerry got the distinct feeling there was something else. Something Joe was holding back. He nudged Joe’s foot with his own. ‘What is it?’
Joe didn’t look up, but his silence told Kerry his instinct was right.
‘Joe?’ said Bex, a wary tone in her voice. ‘Joe. What’s the matter?’
Chapter 38
Kerry got as far as the entrance to Fiona and Sean’s road before he turned his bike around and rode off. He wanted desperately to speak to Erin, to tell her what he had found out from Joe. If she knew the whole truth about that night, it might go some way to easing her conscience. He also wanted her to understand why he had got Ed involved.
What Kerry really wanted was her forgiveness, but he wasn’t sure he would ever get that now. Not if his suspicions about Roisin were true. Then she would really hate him as the series of consequences that would play out would mean there was no shying away from the lie the Hurley women had created and lived by for the past ten years.
Fuck it. He had to speak to Erin first. It wasn’t his call to make whether the truth about Sophie came out or not.
He turned his bike around for the second time and, opening the throttle, headed back to Fiona’s house.
The door opened before he had made it halfway up the path. It was Sean.
‘All right, there, Kerry,’ the Gardai sergeant greeted him.
‘Sean.’ Kerry gave a nod of acknowledgment. ‘Any news on Sophie?’
Sean shook his head. Kerry could tell before he even answered that there was no change. ‘Nothing yet. There’s going to be a press conference tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Look, Kerry, Erin doesn’t want to see you right now. She’s pretty cut up by everything. We all are.’
‘It’s important.’
‘Like I said, she doesn’t want to see you.’
Kerry eyed up the big man in front of him. He didn’t fancy taking on Sean physically. The man was a giant, well over Kerry’s own six feet and built like the proverbial brick house. No wonder he didn’t get any grief from the drunks in the city.
‘I’ll wait.’
‘Come on, Kerry. I don’t want any trouble. Not here on my own front door step.’
Kerry tried a different approach. ‘What’s the latest with Marie?’
‘They’re still questioning her,’ said Sean. His shoulders relaxed a little and he hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. ‘Erin’s sent her lawyer down there.’
‘Devlin?’
‘That’s right.’ Sean took a few steps towards him. ‘Erin needs a bit of space right now. She and Fiona are getting ready to go to the hospital to see Jim. I’m sure she’ll speak to you in her own time.’
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ said Kerry. He lowered his head and made to turn like he was walking back to his bike. Sean may have the height and weight advantage, but it came at a cost. Kerry was banking on himself being more nimble.
In an instant he turned on his heel, took a side hop over the flower bed and ran around Sean’s left side, sprinting up the path and into the house. He ignored Sean’s shouts of protest and slammed the door behind him.
‘Erin!’ he yelled.
‘Jesus, Kerry, what in God’s name are you doing?’ Fiona appeared in the hallway from the kitchen, flanked by a Guard. ‘It’s okay, I’ll deal with this,’ she said to the man.