Chapter 26
26
ZAC
Zac had never hit anyone in his life. Never had a violent urge. Never thought that physical force was the answer to anything. Yet right now, he had an almost explosive desire to pummel this man’s face until there was nothing left of that sick, twisted snarl.
He remembered Larry McLenn’s TV appearances and press conferences as a politician. Trying to correlate this vile specimen of a human, with his bloated, almost purple face and the long, greasy hair, with the MP who had stood in the Houses of Parliament and wandered the corridors of power was impossible.
Trying to imagine him with his mum or with Alice… His brain just wouldn’t go there. Somehow, they had to get his current girlfriend away from him too, but he could sense that was going to be a challenge.
It was a question that came up time and time again with clients – both female and male – who were in abusive situations. They often said their family and friends would ask them why they didn’t just leave their tormentor. He knew the answer to that was far more complex than just walking out the door. All they could do here was provide an exit route and pray that Sandra would take it.
Meanwhile, the overwhelming part of his brain now realised that Alice had been absolutely right. It was a huge mistake coming here to chase down answers, because now he couldn’t bear the repulsive possibility that he shared any kind of genetics with this man.
Zac recognised the wide pupils and erratic gestures of someone who was high. Larry hadn’t given up the cocaine habit that had been one of the contributions to his downfall then.
‘Well, well, well… What the fuck are you doing here?’ he’d crowed to Alice.
Zac hadn’t even given her a chance to answer.
‘Actually, it’s me who’s here to speak to you. Alice was just kind enough to come with me.’
‘Aye, regular fucking superhero she is. Who the fuck are you?’ he asked, plonking himself down on the one unoccupied chair, and taking a bottle of vodka out of the bag he’d come in with. He didn’t even try to disguise what he was doing – just opened the top and took a long, slow swig of it. By the looks of things, he’d been doing that on the way back from the off licence too, because the bottle was already half empty.
Zac had contemplated going with some kind of fabricated story designed to elicit the truth, but in the end he decided to go with a vague version of the truth.
‘I’m here on behalf of the family of Morag Corlan. You knew her as Morag McTay.’
Larry immediately switched focus to Alice. ‘Who the fuck is this guy, in here talking like he’s the fucking CID?’
‘Just answer the questions, Larry.’
‘Or what?’ he challenged her.
‘Or I’m going to call the police and tell them you violated your parole by snorting cocaine in front of me and have them down here within minutes. Zac is a lawyer and he’ll corroborate that story. I’m sure your probation officer will be delighted to hear about that.’
Zac didn’t know whether to be astonished or impressed. He went with both.
Alice was still speaking.
‘He’s talking about my friend, Morag, from back when we first met. You remember her.’
It was a statement, not a question.
‘Of course I remember her. Do you think I’m stupid?’
No one answered that question, so Zac went on, trying desperately to frame this in such a way that he’d get answers. Larry wasn’t going to tell him what he needed to know out of the goodness of his heart. And he wouldn’t be afraid of physical threats. The only thing that just might work would be a more tactical, psychological approach that hinted there might be something in it for Larry if it were true.
‘She was my mother. And as Alice said, I’m a lawyer. Some new evidence has come to light that would suggest that you had an affair with Morag before she left for Ireland back in 1995.’
Larry snorted at that, apparently finding the whole thing amusing. ‘Did I fuck,’ was his only retort.
‘I’m afraid we have evidence that says otherwise. Photographs. Witness statements.’
‘Wait, wait, wait – why would you care?’ Larry challenged him. ‘What’s this got to do with you?’
Zac found it interesting that there was nothing in Larry’s demeanour that was connecting a potential affair with the appearance of Morag’s son thirty years later. Even someone who wasn’t too smart would probably have connected those dots if there was a possibility that was the case.
‘Because, like I said, I’m her son. And I was born roughly nine months after the alleged affair.’
Larry choked on his vodka. ‘Wait a minute – you think I could be your dad? Mate, I don’t know what you’ve been smoking. First of all, I never shagged that bird. She was all over me, but nah, she wasn’t my type. Too needy and nothing going for her.’
The urge to pummel him was back, but the desperate need for information overrode it. For now.
‘So there’s absolutely no chance that you could be my father? The thing is, when I find my dad – and only after a DNA test proves that he actually is my father – I want to be in his life. And, you know, make sure he’s taken care of.’
He’d switched to the carrot and stick method of eliciting information now. It was a lie. Even if this was his father, he wanted nothing to do with him, but the promise of some financial gain for Larry might just make this horrible bastard open up.
‘A DNA test?’ he asked, but Zac could sense it was half-hearted.
‘Of course. I mentioned I’m a lawyer, Mr McLenn. I only deal in proven facts. That’s why there would be an irrefutable DNA test, and anyone knowingly falsely claiming to be my father would be liable for potential legal action for fraud.’
Not strictly accurate, but it got Larry’s attention, as he knew it would. There were two options here – that Larry went for it because there was indeed a possibility that it could be true and there could be a little pot of gold at the end of the genetic rainbow.
Or…
‘Aye, well, you can take your care and shove it, because it cannae be me. Which is a shame, because the son I’ve got is fucking useless and I could do with some bastard taking care of me.’
Yep, there was option number two – Larry knew there was no way he could be Zac’s dad, and he didn’t want any more legal issues in his life so he didn’t even try to bluff it.
He saw Alice balling up her fists again after the comment about her son, and he admired her restraint because he wasn’t sure he’d manage the same.
‘You know what? Get the fuck out of my house. I don’t know who you think you are, but you can just go. Piss off.’
Neither Zac nor Alice needed to be asked twice. He had his answer and could walk away, but as he stood up, towering over Larry, he made a point of distracting him, by spitting, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going.’
Alice took advantage of Larry’s focus being on Zac. Out of the corner of his eye, Zac saw her take the opportunity to make a ‘Call me’ gesture to Sandra. The other woman looked away.
‘Sandra,’ Zac said, hoping that he was doing the right thing. ‘I hope you’re feeling better soon and that your face heals well.’ He racked his brain for the right thing to say – something that wouldn’t inflame the situation or make Larry think she’d grassed him. ‘I hope the police find the person who assaulted you. Terrible, the crime on the streets these days. I’ve got a friend who’s a police officer in the area – I’ll make sure she knows about your injuries, just in case it ever happens again.’
Sandra raised her eyes and they both saw Larry flinch and knew the point had been made. It wasn’t perfect but hopefully it would help for now.
He thought the conversations were over, but he hadn’t realised that Alice wasn’t done yet. As she passed where Larry was sitting, she leaned towards him, clearly trying to show that she wasn’t intimidated. Larry flinched for a second time. ‘And, Larry, the promise about my call to the police still stands. Sign my divorce papers by the end of the week, or expect a knock at the door. Zac, here, will be a very willing, and very credible witness.’
With that, she straightened up and walked on by. Zac paused to let her go past him too, to protect her from any random lunges from Larry. Nothing came, and they both walked at speed down the hall. They couldn’t get out of that door fast enough.
He managed to wait until they got to the end of the path before blurting out, ‘Do you believe him?’
Larry had said it wasn’t him, and Zac had already formed a judgement on whether or not he was being honest. However, Alice knew him better than anyone else, so she was the one person who could give an informed opinion on whether his gut was telling him the right thing.
Alice nodded. ‘I do. Two reasons. Not to make this about me, but if he’d had an affair with Morag, he’d have been desperate to tell me, to cause me pain and rub my nose in it.’
It was a good point and even in the short time Zac had known Larry, he’d got a measure of him and suspected that would be true.
‘And the other?’
Alice was walking quickly, and he was having to rush to keep up with her.
‘If he truly thought there was even the slightest possibility that you were his son, he’d have accepted the DNA test in the hope that he could take you up on the offer to take care of him. He used to demand money from my son all the time – just one of the many reasons that Rory cut him out of his life.’
Bingo. Alice was right. There was no doubt about that.
For the first time since the prospect of Larry McLenn being his father was raised, Zac felt the twist of anxiety in his gut unwind just a tiny bit.
They were almost across the communal grass area in front of the house, close enough to see that Val was watching them, ready and waiting in the Jeep.
‘The thing is though… The photos of Mum and Dad still don’t make sense. The dates still don’t work. If I didn’t get half my DNA from that vile human being in there, then who was it?’
Alice looked like she could weep with either the relief or the stress of it all. ‘I honestly do not have a single clue, Zac.’
She climbed into the front seat of the Jeep, while he folded his way-too-long limbs into the back.
‘Well?’ Val asked urgently, and he saw that she had the expression of someone who was watching something terrible unfold but couldn’t look away.
‘It’s not him,’ Zac said, relief oozing out of every word.
Val threw up her hands. ‘I knew it! You couldn’t possibly be related to that old bastard.’ She put the car into drive, and then he could see an expression of puzzlement cause her to frown. ‘But, hang on, if it isn’t him, then who…?’
Zac sagged back in the seat, his body suddenly giving in to the exhaustion and turmoil of the last couple of days. ‘I don’t know. I think I need to get to the airport and speak to my dad.’
Val Diesel took off like she was auditioning for Fast and Furious . ‘No bother, son. Just pray we don’t hit another pothole and I’ll have you there in no time.’