"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. "h.e.l.lo?"
"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.
"h.e.l.lo, 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."
"h.e.l.lo?"
"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 f.u.c.kers 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 thinks 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 era- 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 f.u.c.king 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?
"f.u.c.k 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. "h.e.l.lo?" she said. "It is you," Tom said. It"s me.
"Jesus, Rachel." "What?"
"You know what."
"I"m in the centre of a s.h.i.t typhoon."
"Entirely of your own making. Have you lost your f.u.c.king 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 b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
"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 n.o.body 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.