‘Carmel told me that he doesn’t ever sleep now. He paces the house all night long. The girls are terrified of him. Poor Assumpta feels responsible. Carmel told me that two nights ago he was nearly arrested. He walked into their local off-licence and threatened the bloke behind the counter – accused him of following him. It was only the fact that the local Filth were aware of who he was that saved him from being nicked. They rang Carmel and she had to go and get him. She said he was like a maniac. She’s scared of him, what he’s capable of.’
Michael had already heard that story from Declan. Patrick had never been the full shilling, but he was now ninety pence short of a fucking pound. It was amazing how much he had deteriorated in the last few weeks. ‘Declan told me the story. But he also said that Patrick has lost it before. He’s had what the doctors called a “psychotic break” on more than one occasion, just never as pronounced as this. In fact, according to Declan, Patrick has been under a fucking shrink since he was a little kid! He has been as mad as a fucking brush since junior school. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to bits to hear about that at this late stage.’
Michael was baffled by Patrick, and he didn’t know what to do about him. This was something that no one could ever have planned for. Now, though, it was here, and it needed sorting out. Declan, as per usual, was leaving the real work to Michael. He didn’t want his brother’s latest escapade to become common knowledge. He also didn’t want to have to sort his brother out personally. He didn’t want any responsibility at all – especially the kind that involved him having to make decisions about his older brother. But that was understandable in a way.
‘Patrick needs to be put away somewhere – for his own good, let alone everyone else’s. He is so fucking far gone, Josephine, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. People are already talking about him. He has picked fights with men who we have dealt with for years, accused them of all sorts. These are hard men, but they’re not fucking stupid. They can see first-hand that Patrick Costello is a dangerous fuck. He always was – granted – but now he looks and sounds like a fucking card-carrying looney. It can’t go on, can it? I have to do whatever is needed to sort this situation out.’
Josephine understood that Michael was unloading his worries on to her. He had always used her as his sounding board – she knew she was the only person he trusted enough to speak so openly to. It helped that she often told him what she knew he wanted to hear.
Josephine shook her head sadly. ‘No, you’re right, it can’t go on, Michael. Patrick needs someone to take the reins for a while, give him time to sort his head out, look after everything so no one can take advantage of him. Only you can do that for him, Michael. You run everything anyway – everyone knows that. Patrick obviously needs specialist help, and I know Carmel would welcome any support she could get. Reading between the lines, I think she would leave him if it was possible. But you and I both know that is never going to happen. He would see her dead first.’
Michael nodded his agreement. Josephine spoke the truth: Carmel was living on borrowed time. He pulled her from her chair, and on to his lap. He squeezed her to him, enjoying the familiar feel of her body against his. He loved the smell of her hair – she was always so fresh and clean. Even now, without any make-up on, she was still a really good-looking woman. He could feel the extra weight she had gained, and he was happy about that. She had been so thin after losing the last baby. He had been worried about her, but he had known from past experience that she didn’t need to be constantly reminded of what had happened. Or question if it could have been avoided somehow. She just carried on as usual – it was her way of coping. But he knew that she grieved inside, that she hurt much more than she would ever have admitted to him or anyone else. He just respected her wishes, and he let her cope in the only way she knew how. If she cried in the night, he held her, comforted her. But, other than that, he played along with her, and pretended nothing had happened.
‘I can feel love handles, Josephine! I think you might be getting fat!’
She laughed delightedly at his words. ‘I eat lots of chocolate when I’m on my own. I put on a nice sad film, and then I break out the Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut!’