‘Which is why, Kate, we have to grab whatever good we can out of this messy, bloody life.’
‘Maybe you’re right. Certainly, Charlie is a huge part of mine, and back there, when that knife was at my throat, the thought of never seeing him again filled me with utter fear, for me and for him.’ She looked away. ‘I’ve avoided some hard truths for far too long.’
‘Are you talking about that old memory from when you were a kid?’
‘It is part of it. So many unanswered questions.’ She let out a sarcastic laugh before turning to look at him. ‘I’m no different to everybody else. Old habits take a long time to change. Pushing things to the side from a young age, it sets you on a path of avoiding the difficult bits of life.’
‘People can change, maybe not Sandra, but you can. Some things are worth going for – risks and all.’
‘Is that what you feel about your son?’
‘In a way, but it’s also what I feel about you.’
‘I’m still nervous after Declan. It’s like I don’t trust my judgement any more.’
He stepped closer, turning his body sideways to block out the array of squad cars and onlookers, placing his hand around her waist, ‘I asked you in Paris to take a leap of faith. I should have ignored those bloody newspaper headlines.’
‘No, you did the right thing. We both did. The time wasn’t right.’
‘Maybe so, but I’m not letting you slip away from me a second time. Like it or not, Kate, I care for you, and nothing you can say will change that.’
Mark Lynch walked towards them, shouting, ‘Kate, I’m heading back now.’
‘That’s okay, Mark.’ Adam waved. ‘Kate is coming with me.’
Together, they walked to his car. He held the passenger door open for her. ‘Are you ready, Kate?’
‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A SPARK FOR a story can come from anywhere. For The Doll’s House, it was a casual conversation about hypnosis, for Red Ribbons, being a parent, and the fear of the bad man in society. Ideas get fused within our life experiences and the impetus for a good story is an idea that doesn’t want to go away until you get around to writing it. I think Last Kiss is such a story.
On a cold January morning in 1984, Ann Lovett, aged fifteen, having started labour, took a detour to a local graveyard instead of returning to school. She laboured alone for hours in the rain. Ann and her baby died that day. Last Kiss is not the story of Ann Lovett, or of her son. Nonetheless, the story stayed with me. The question arose in my mind: What would happen if a baby survived the death of their mother and, in the context of this fictional story, was reared by someone evil? In writing Last Kiss, the theme of nature versus nurture, good versus evil, fascinated me. I hope you agree it was a story worth telling.
I owe a huge debt to everyone directly involved with the creation of this novel, starting with my agent, Ger Nichol, of The Book Bureau, the team at Hachette Books Ireland, especially Ciara Doorley, Editorial Director, and Hazel Orme, copy editor. My research has been a fascinating journey, and I have a lot of people to thank: Dave Grogan, for his wonderful psychological insights, Joanne Richardson, ex-coroner from Colorado, for her advice on tache noir, members of An Garda Síochána, who shared their knowledge, but especially Detective Tom Doyle. Also, the immensely talented painter, Angela Hackett, whom I had the pleasure to meet at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, the brilliant photographic artist, Matthew Gammon of Yew Tree Studio, and finally, the ever-supportive and cracking journalist and crime writer, Niamh O’Connor.
Finally, I want to thank my husband, Robert, my children, Jennifer, Lorraine and Graham, and my granddaughter and grandson, Caitríona and Carrig, to whom this book is dedicated.
I would also like to thank you, my friends, family, colleagues, and readers, and anyone who has helped me directly or indirectly along the way who is not mentioned individually here. I feel privileged to have been gifted with so many wonderful people in my life, and I hope you enjoy this story.
RED RIBBONS
There is a place without shadows. Where evil resides …
A missing schoolgirl is found buried in the Dublin mountains, hands clasped together in prayer, two red ribbons in her hair. Twenty-four hours later, a second schoolgirl is found in a shallow grave – her body identically arranged. The hunt for the killer is on. The police call in profiler Dr Kate Pearson to get inside the mind of the murderer before he strikes again. But there’s one vital connection to be made – Ellie Brady, a mother institutionalised fifteen years earlier for the murder of her daughter Amy. What connects the death of Amy Brady to the murdered schoolgirls? As Kate Pearson begins to unravel the truth, danger is closer than she knows …
Shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction
Book of the Year Award (BGE Irish Book Awards 2012)
Also available as an ebook
THE DOLL’S HOUSE
Winner of the Ireland AM Crime Fiction
Book of the Year Award (BGE Irish Book Awards 2013)