Chapter 75
Chloe normally liked the atmosphere in Cafferty’s, mainly because it was old-style and not in-your-face flashy like some of the newly decorated pubs in town.
In Cafferty’s you could find a corner in the midst of a crowd to be alone with your own thoughts.
Tonight she did not want to be alone with her thoughts.
She did not want to be in the crowd either.
She wanted to feel normal, but she was numb, moving around in a comatose version of herself.
The regulars were seated around the bar.
Some of the party crowd were in the entertainment extension down the back and others were in the beer garden freezing their tits off.
At least the rain had dissipated for the time being.
Not that it worried her. No way was she going out there to have her lungs swamped with cigarette smoke and vapes.
She was debating with herself why she’d come home, why she was at a party in a pub that was packed, raucous and loud. She didn’t want to be with people who didn’t really know her, and was thinking of leaving when she felt someone squeeze in beside her in the snug.
‘Fancy seeing you here,’ he said.
Her body froze. Without looking at him, she knew it was McKeown.
Every muscle in her body, every sinew tightened and she had a feeling of her blood ceasing to flow.
Dots danced before her eyes. She wanted to scream but couldn’t; she could barely breathe.
It was the night in the hotel all over again.
‘What’s up, princess? Cat got your tongue?’
Eventually she was able to swallow. She tried to speak, to tell him to shut the fuck up and get away from her, but any words she wanted to utter were lost in the racket around her. She had never felt so alone or so frightened in a public place full of people.
‘Go away,’ she managed at last, not even recognising her own voice. ‘Leave me alone.’
He leaned his lips to her ear, his thigh dangerously close to hers.
‘Don’t think that’s going to work, sunshine.
We need to talk. This has to be sorted out now.
Otherwise I will ruin the career you haven’t even started yet.
And don’t think that I won’t. You see, I don’t like being accused of something I didn’t do.
I do not like being backed into a corner, no matter who you think you are.
And I hate the fact that you sent a country hick of a detective to do your dirty work. Do you understand what I’m saying?’
‘No,’ she croaked. She felt nauseous and trapped.
‘No? Come on, princess. You can’t go around throwing out accusations that are utterly false. We can sort this out amicably. I got you a Coke.’
He placed a glass on the table in front of her. If she was in a desert dying of thirst, she wouldn’t drink it.
She shook her head. She felt his hand grip her arm, his fingers piercing her skin through her clothing.
She wanted to lash out, to scream her head off, but she could do nothing, deadened by fear.
How could she even explain it? She had always been a strong young woman, but he had taken that from her.
This animal beside her. Cafferty’s was so busy that no one was passing any remarks on her. She was on her own. With a monster.
She felt herself being dragged to her feet, one of his arms heavy on her shoulder. She was manhandled through the door and found herself out on the street. No one noticed. Everyone was too busy in their own little world. Too drunk. Too happy. God help me, she silently screamed.
A car was parked on double yellows, but he ignored it, tightened his grip on her arm and propelled her down the dimly lit lane at the side of the pub.
She smelled chips and vinegar, the odour so strong she could taste it.
It was starting to rain again. Soft rain, feathering her cheeks like she was caught in a spiderweb.
That’s it, it’s just a spiderweb, she thought irrationally.
Then reality hit with a physical impact. The spider had her snared.
He pushed her against the wall, pressed his body to hers. She could feel how hard he was through his clothes.
Dear God, she thought wildly, he’s going to do it. This time he’s going to actually rape me. She shouldn’t have said anything to Mooney. Should have kept him out of it. She should have…
That was when she felt the sharp pain in her side, beneath her ribs.
It was like something cutting through her so quickly she wondered had she imagined it.
She tried to cry out, but his other hand was over her mouth.
The last time she’d felt such intense pain was when she’d had a bout of shingles.
Where had that memory come from? It was after her dad died.
And now she was going to die. Would she see her dad again?
If she thought she could see him, she’d suffer the pain gladly.
She loved her daddy. She thought she’d called out to him, but she hadn’t.
The soft rain began to beat a little harder, and it hurt. Hurt so bad.
Someone was breathing in her ear. That’s odd, she thought as she slipped slowly to the wet ground. Then she was alone. With her pain. With the darkness. With the spiderweb rain. Soon she’d be with her daddy.