Chapter 5
FIVE
‘Nifty Cleaners,’ a woman’s cheerful voice said on the phone. ‘How can I help you?’
‘Oh, hello,’ Ciara said. ‘I’m calling about a cleaning job you did at my… property last week.’
‘Was there something wrong with what we did?’ the woman asked. ‘Did we forget to clean the oven or something like that?’
‘No, there was nothing wrong with it at all, they did a lovely job,’ Ciara said.
She looked around the open-plan office at the Department of Finance to see if anyone noticed her making a personal phone call.
‘I just wanted to know who actually ordered the cleaning. Could you tell me what name is on the invoice, please?’
‘Oh, eh, I’m not sure I can do that. We’re not allowed to give such information on the phone.’
‘I understand,’ Ciara said. ‘But you see, I need to pay that person back as it’s my house and…’ She paused, trying to think of a way to persuade the woman. ‘I don’t want to feel indebted to – him or her.’
‘I see,’ the woman said. ‘Hmm, okay. If you give me the Eircode, I can look it up for you. But don’t tell anyone I did, okay?’
‘I swear,’ Ciara said and read out the code. ‘It’s in Cherrywood, County Wicklow,’ she added.
‘Yes, I see that,’ the woman said. ‘It’s coming up on my computer. Yes, we had two of our cleaners out there last week. And the invoice was sent to a Mr Ronan Burke at…’
‘O’Donoghue and Kiley, solicitors,’ Ciara filled in. ‘I knew that already but I wanted to be sure. Thank you so much.’
‘No problem,’ the woman said. ‘I hope you will call on us again if you need a good clean.’
‘I will, of course,’ Ciara said. ‘Bye for now.’ She hung up, feeling satisfied.
She had been fairly sure that it was Ronan who had ordered the cleaning job, but then she wondered why he had had the invoice sent to the firm he was working for.
She just had to find out. She was about to call him, when her boss walked through the office, so Ciara had to turn back to her computer and look as if she was working hard.
She’d make that call during her lunch break.
Just to find out why he did it, she thought.
Not because I’m the slightest bit interested in him.
Ciara called the solicitors’ firm later that day and asked to talk to Ronan. ‘Hi,’ she said when he came on the line. ‘It’s Ciara Doyle. I just wanted to thank you for getting the flat in Cherrywood cleaned. That was very kind of you.’
‘Hi, Ciara,’ Ronan said. ‘I’m glad you were happy with the job.
But it wasn’t my idea, but Martha Fitzgerald’s.
She instructed our firm to have the place cleaned just before she got sick.
But for some reason it didn’t get done, so I organised it last week.
Thought it would be nicer for you to have it all spick and span in case you wanted to move in. ’
‘I’m not sure what I’m going to do, actually,’ Ciara said. ‘I only just managed to drive there without killing myself. It’s a long way away for me and as I told you, I’m not a brilliant driver.’
‘Oh, but you will be once you get the hang of it,’ Ronan said. ‘I’m sure you could buy a second-hand car with some of your inheritance. And then drive as much as you can until you feel more confident.’
‘Yeah, well. Maybe,’ Ciara said. ‘But whatever. I just wanted to say thanks.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ Ronan said with a hint of laughter in his voice. ‘Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.’
‘I will,’ Ciara said, feeling he was only being polite. ‘Bye for now.’
‘Bye, Ciara, and good luck.’
She ended the call and turned back to her computer and the report she was working on, trying her best to forget Ronan Burke.
But his face swam before her and she could still feel that little thrill when he had brought her to the restaurant.
Surely that was as far as it went for him, she thought, telling herself not to indulge in wishful thinking that got her nowhere, even if she knew her mother would find him eminently suitable.
She was better off not knowing him at all, she decided, and got stuck into her work, typing away until everyone in the office started to leave their desks.
Ciara turned off her computer, happy that she had completed all her tasks on time. Now she could relax and go home, take Brian out for a good run on the beach and fill her lungs with clean air from the sea.
But it wasn’t the sea that filled her thoughts, but the wild and beautiful hills of Wicklow. She knew she’d go back there very soon and decide what to do about Martha’s inheritance.