Eighteen Kisses (21 page)

Oh my god. What had he done? I couldn’t believe it. No wonder Matt had wanted me on the case. It wasn’t only my ability to communicate with the dead that he needed – he knew he’d compromised the integrity of the investigation and he needed someone untainted – like me – to finish what he had started. I thought back to how he’d seemed reluctant to commit to any further cases. He’d said, ‘
We’ll see what happens
.’ He must have known this might come out. He knew that this might mean the end of his career if Hazel decided to blackmail him.

‘You won’t get away with it,’ I said.

‘The case has been jeopardized,’ said Hazel. ‘I’m sure the police will agree to step back on the condition that I keep this under wraps.’

‘No. Detective Sergeant Lawlor –’ I stopped. I didn’t want Hazel knowing Matt was probably prepared to sacrifice himself for the good of this investigation. I needed her to think she was going to get away with it.

‘If this gets out, the case is jeopardized and Matt loses his job. If this doesn’t get out, the case still doesn’t get solved, but Matt doesn’t lose his job. Everybody wins.’

I was getting angrier by the second.

‘This was a last resort, of course,’ she said. ‘But you just wouldn’t go away. I did what I needed to do. Anyone would have done the same.’ She pointed to the photo, her sleeve falling back, exposing her tattoo. ‘I got there in the end.’

‘You have her name on your arm,’ I said again in disbelief.

‘I still love her, you know. But I love Libby more.’

I couldn’t believe she’d done this. With Amy and Lauren, there was panic in their voices, and regret. Sure, they’d done deceitful things, but they were ashamed. Hazel just stood there with this smug look on her face. I know she wanted to protect her sister, but I think she enjoyed doing it. I think she got some sort of sick thrill out of this, ripping apart people’s lives and watching the world decay around her. She must have seen what this did to Amy, what it did to Lauren. She’d handed me that necklace, knowing it could have killed me.

‘I’m going to get away with this, Jacki. You just have to accept it. I know it’s frustrating. Here, take a copy,’ she said, ejecting the disc and handing it to me. ‘I’ve got plenty.’

I took it from her and then I flung it across the floor. I wanted to pick up the laptop and fling it across the floor too. I wanted to scream and tear the frames off the walls, smash her perfectly constructed face in, but what was the point?

‘Open the door,’ I said.

She swung it open lazily. ‘I’m sorry it had to end like this. But I had no choice.’

‘You’re not sorry.’

‘No, you’re right. Perhaps I will be in the next life,’ said Hazel as I walked away. ‘But not in this one.’

That night I went to sleep in my bed at Gran’s, but I didn’t dream about the car and the Polaroid camera and the barbed-wire fence. Instead I saw what happened to Kayla.

I watched her go into her room. Libby was bending down on the floor beside the doll’s house, its tiny wooden furniture all sprawled across the carpet. She was wearing a tight black dress and her hair was styled in loose curls. Her shoes were silver and sky high. She turned round and held up a small plastic packet of pills.

‘I knew you hid them,’ she said. ‘What the hell is your problem?’

‘You shouldn’t take those,’ said Kayla, sounding upset. ‘You don’t need to.’

‘What I don’t need is you poking around in my business,’ said Libby, standing up and adjusting her dress. ‘Stay out of it! And stay away from Rob too.
Stop
flirting with him. It just makes you look pathetic; you’re never going to have him.’

‘I wasn’t flirting with him,’ said Kayla. ‘I told him ages ago that I wasn’t interested. I don’t like him at all.’

‘You’re a liar,’ said Libby.

‘I don’t want to talk about this any more,’ said Kayla, pushing past Libby to get to her mirror. ‘I don’t want to steal him, but just so you know, I could if I wanted to.’

Libby shoved her hard. Kayla was unsteady on her stilettos, then she stumbled backwards. Libby suddenly looked scared and reached out her hand to try and grab Kayla, but it was too late. She went toppling down the spiral staircase. Then I heard a crack.

‘Oh my god,’ whispered Libby in horror.

She rushed down after Kayla, holding on to both banisters to steady herself.

‘Kayla, are you OK?’ she asked frantically. She shook her, but Kayla didn’t move. Libby hunched down on the ground and just kept muttering, ‘Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.’

I could see Hazel walking down the corridor towards them. She was wearing ripped black jeans, a purple top and black leather ankle boots. She spotted Libby first.

‘Get up, you drunken mess,’ she said with a laugh, but stopped dead when she saw Kayla. She hurried over and knelt beside her, the colour draining slowly from her face.

‘What did you do?’ said Hazel.

‘I’m so sorry,’ whimpered Libby. ‘It was an accident. I didn’t mean to –’

‘What happened?’

‘I … I pushed her,’ she said, ‘… down the stairs.’

Hazel’s eyes widened.

‘We were having a fight because I was in her room. She pushed me first, but I … I pushed her too hard. I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.’

‘Did anybody else see this?’ asked Hazel.

‘No,’ said Libby.

Hazel grabbed Kayla’s arms and dragged her body into one of the bedrooms. Then she came back out, closing the door quietly behind her.

‘Go into your room, fix your make-up and pretend nothing happened,’ she said. ‘Do you hear me?’

‘What are you talking about?’ said Libby, suddenly snapping out of her trance. ‘We have to call an ambulance.’

‘She’s dead, Libby.’

‘No … she, she can’t be, we need to call an ambulance!’

‘I told Mum I’d look after you,’ said Hazel. ‘Do you want to go to jail?’

‘Hazel, we have to call somebody!’

‘
Libby, do you want to go to jail?
’

‘No,’ she sobbed.

‘Then go put on your make-up.’

The scene quickly changed and then rain was crashing against the windscreen. A guy was driving and Hazel was sitting in the passenger seat.

‘Here?’ he said.

‘No. It has to be somewhere really secluded.’

‘Do you think anybody saw us?’

‘Nobody saw us. Can we just concentrate on finding a place to bury her?’

There was silence then, apart from the weather report on the radio, forecasting more rain.

‘Do you even know where we’re going?’ he said.

‘Away from any houses.’

They drove for a few more minutes, neither of them talking. Hazel turned up the radio.

‘
Welcome to two hours of non-stop alternative rock!
’

‘Pictures of You’ started to play.

‘Oh god,’ said Barry. ‘That was her favourite song, wasn’t it?’

‘Um … I dunno,’ said Hazel.

‘It was,’ he said. ‘I remember her saying it before. What if it’s her way of telling us something … letting us know that we won’t get away with it?’

‘Listen to yourself, Barry. I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous in my life.’

‘Yeah,’ he said, taking a deep breath. ‘You’re right. Sorry, babe, this whole thing is making me go insane.’

‘It’s OK,’ she said, rubbing his arm. ‘Don’t worry, it’s nearly over.’

He opened the door.

‘Don’t forget this,’ said Hazel, handing him the balaclava. He pulled it on over his head and got out of the car.

Hazel quickly turned off the radio.

I woke up shaking and sweating, but an enormous relief came over me. I knew what I had to do. I had to tell the Gardai everything I knew. After I’d done that I wouldn’t be dreaming about her any more.

The next day I found myself once again walking down Grafton Street on a Sunday morning. I still hadn’t heard from Nick – or Colin, who was obviously still furious at me for our last fight. He was going to New York soon so it would be even longer before we spoke … if he ever planned to speak to me again. At least I was beginning to feel OK
about Nick though. Hannah had been right – things had started to become gradually more and more normal again. And more and more, my thoughts kept turning back to Dillon. I smiled – would he really wait those eighty-four days? I wasn’t so sure, but it made me happy thinking about the fun we’d had.

Because I’d spent the last day of term at
Electric
magazine and not in class, I had to keep reminding myself that school was actually over, that I was free for the rest of the summer. I planned to spend my first days of freedom doing nothing at all. After the stress of the past few weeks I was looking forward to relaxing.

It had been really hard confronting Matt Lawlor and handing him the disc with the photograph. He knew what was on it before he’d even opened it. I could see the shame in his eyes.

‘You’ve done the right thing, Jacki,’ he said. ‘I’m so sorry that I let you down like this, but you see now why I needed you on this case. It wasn’t just your incredible psychic sense that let you see things no one else could, but your impartiality also meant that you would see this through – even when I couldn’t. I’d begun to have my suspicions about Hazel. I had a feeling that she might be covering up for somebody, but I couldn’t do anything, not when I’d been involved with her. I’m going to tell the team everything now. I’m going to make this right.’

I’d left devastated. In some ways Hazel had won – Detective Sergeant Lawlor would probably lose his job, even though by confessing, he thought they might be able to save the case and secure a conviction that would send her to prison
where she belonged. If he did, then that would probably mean the end of me working on the operation. I felt so sorry for him – I knew he hadn’t meant for this to happen. I thought it incredibly careless that he had got involved with Kayla’s half-sister, but I didn’t want him to lose his career over it. And although my time working on this case had been stressful and dangerous, I hated to think that this was the end.

And so I had absolutely no idea why Matt had texted, asking me to meet him in Ming’s today. He couldn’t want to go over everything again, surely? Maybe he had been officially let go from the Gardai now and wanted to tell me in person. Something didn’t quite add up though.

I arrived at the window of the restaurant and saw the three of them sitting inside, all wearing suits. Matt’s collar was unbuttoned and he looked scruffy and unshaven. Sergeant Ray Harte looked tired and Detective Sergeant Tony Lonergan just looked annoyed.

Matt was the first to spot me. I tried to read his face for clues, for a sign as to how he thought this meeting might unfold, but he wasn’t giving anything away. I tried to stay positive – I really hoped Hazel wasn’t going to win. I held the handle of my satchel a little tighter, then headed inside. Just like last time, there was nobody else there – it was only the four of us. I ordered a hot chocolate and joined them.

‘Hello,’ said Matt as I sat down at the table, giving me a meek smile. Ray nodded amicably in my direction.

‘Hello, Jacki,’ said Tony. ‘Glad you could make it.’

Maybe I’d imagined it, but his voice actually sounded sincere.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I wondered what they were waiting for. Then the waitress came over and placed my drink in front of me, and I realized they were making sure we weren’t overheard. As soon as she’d left, Tony started to speak.

‘I’m sure I don’t need to explain to any of you the seriousness of the situation,’ he said.

Matt stared into his cup of coffee.

‘It’s very unfortunate,’ Tony continued. ‘But it doesn’t have to destroy this operation. I’ve decided that it will go no further. From now on, that photo doesn’t exist. Ray will take care of it.’

I looked over at Matt. He nodded. It was obvious he had been told this before, but was still too deeply ashamed to be properly happy. I couldn’t believe it. Detective Sergeant Lonergan had decided to help keep him on the team.

‘We need you to agree that this will go no further, Jacki. The case and the integrity of this operation depends on it.’

‘Of course!’ I stammered.

‘Then I also owe you an apology for doubting the very special skills you brought to this case.’

‘Thank you.’ I hadn’t expected that at all. Matt looked at me proudly from the other side of the table. ‘Does this mean you’re going to arrest Hazel, Barry and Libby?’ I asked quietly.

‘Yes,’ answered Ray. ‘Libby will be charged with manslaughter, and Hazel and Barry are accessories after the fact because they helped cover up the crime. That’s also a very serious offence.’

I was so relieved. It felt like such a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I took a sip from my hot chocolate.

‘Right, we better get to work,’ said Tony. He and Ray stood up to leave, but Matt stayed.

‘Detective Sergeant Lawlor has one last thing to give to you regarding the case, Jacki.’

They left, and it was just me and Matt. I looked at him, confused. Why would I need any more information from the case? It was all closed now, wasn’t it? At least I hoped it was.

He leaned down to a bag that was sitting next to his chair and pulled out a brown envelope. ‘There was a thousand-euro reward attached to the case for information,’ he said. ‘We want you to have it – you saved it for everyone, after all.’

‘That’s not why I took on the case, Matt. I didn’t even know that a reward existed – you must know that.’ It didn’t feel right to take the money.

Matt finished his cup of tea. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘when I first heard about you, I knew you were something special. I had a feeling that you’d be perfect for this operation. Tony thought I was mad, but I was determined to prove him wrong. You deserve this, Jacki. Take it – and welcome to the team.’

I hesitated. I felt that maybe it was tainted, that whatever I used it for would only bring trouble.

‘Think what you could buy with it,’ said Matt. ‘Is there nothing you really want?’

And then it hit me. There was something I really wanted, or rather, something I really wanted to do.

‘OK,’ I said. ‘I accept. Thank you.’

I drank the last of my hot chocolate. ‘So … what’s next?’ I asked.