The Doll's House

When I leave Gerard’s and see Dominic’s car parked outside, in a strange way I’m not one bit surprised. Despite all the upset, it’s anger I feel towards him. He knows so much more than me and, like Mum, he keeps shutting me out.

As I get closer to the car, I realise he’s slumped over in the driver’s seat, as if he’s sleeping. My legs feel shaky after the session with Gerard. I take my time walking towards him, unsure of the best way to handle things. There are gaps in my memory that I might never be able to fill, but Dominic knows more than he’s saying. The hard part will be getting the information out of him.

Knocking on the driver’s window, I feel somewhat energised again. The truth is within my grasp, if I can reach out in the right direction.

Dominic smiles at me, his hair tossed, his eyes sleepy. I sit in beside him. ‘When was the last time you got a good night’s sleep?’

‘I don’t need sleep.’ He yawns.

‘Dominic, did you follow me here?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I was worried about you.’

‘You haven’t been telling me the truth, Dominic.’

‘Haven’t I?’ A chill enters his voice.

‘You need to stop treating me like a child. Martin does it all the time. It drives me mad.’

‘Don’t compare me to him.’

‘Then stop acting like him. I need you to tell me everything.’

‘What do you want to know?’

I blurt, ‘The lot – what you know about Emmaline, how she died, how Dad died, why Mum stopped loving me.’

‘She never stopped loving you.’

‘She had a funny way of showing it.’

‘You want to know about Dad?’ Dominic almost spitting out the words. I can’t believe how quickly his mood has turned.

‘Yes.’ Even as I say it, I worry about what is coming next.

‘The boating accident.’ He looks straight ahead of him.

‘What about it?’

‘It wasn’t an accident.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ My head wants to explode.

‘Dad was under pressure, the business, everything.’

‘Jesus, how long have you known?’

‘I think, in a way, I’ve always known. But sometimes, Clodagh, you don’t want to face the truth. I learned some things while Mum was sick.’

A part of me feels angry all over again. ‘She confided in you?’ I don’t attempt to hide the hurt.

‘It wasn’t like that.’

‘And Emmaline, Dominic? Did she tell you what happened to the baby?’

‘What about the baby?’

‘How she died.’

‘You know how she died. It was a cot death.’

‘I don’t believe you.’ I keep my eyes fixed on him.

‘Believe what you want.’ He turns his head away from me, looking out of the driver’s window.

‘I went back, Dominic. During my regression, I saw things.’

‘What kind of things?’

‘There were arguments, fights between Mum and Dad. She blamed him, or me, or someone for the baby dying. She …’

‘What?’

‘She said the baby was killed.’ The words sound unbelievable.

‘Christ, Clodagh!’ His voice is shaky, his eyes fixed on me.

‘Stop playing games, Dominic.’

‘I’m not playing games. Games are for children.’

‘You went to see Gerard Hayden. He told me.’

‘It wasn’t me who went to see him, Clodagh.’

‘What do you mean? You’re not talking sense. I want the truth, Dominic. I want the truth!’

‘It was Martin, if you must know.’

My mind is racing again. ‘Why would he do that? How do you know?’

‘Because I followed him too.’

‘You what?’

He turns the key in the ignition, then pulls the car out from the kerb.

‘Where are we going? I don’t want to go home, Dominic. I want to talk this out.’

‘We will, but first we need to go somewhere.’

‘Where?’

‘Somewhere you’ll be safe.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘You will, Clodagh. You just need to trust me.’





Interview Room 22A, Harcourt Street Police Station


The first thing O’Connor did on entering Interview Room 22A was give Steve McDaid a great big smile. The second thing he did was press the record button for their session. Then he sat down, facing McDaid across a narrow but adequate chrome table.




Time -11.45 a.m. Incident Room 22A, Harcourt Street Station.

Interview with Mr Steve McDaid, of 38C Seville Place, Ringsend, Dublin.

Interview to be carried out by myself, Detective Inspector O’Connor, SIO in charge of the Jenkins and Gahan murders.

Also present for the duration of interview, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hennessy.





Hennessy remained standing by the door, more an observer than a participant.

‘Steve, I understand from Detective Sergeant Hennessy that you knew the two men who were killed – Keith Jenkins and Jimmy Gahan.’

‘There’s no law broken in knowing them.’