and hit him too, are you?’
‘No, why would I do that?’
‘I don’t know why anyone does anything,’ Star said.
*
At her lunch break she decided to face Kenny and went over to his counter.
‘He’s gone home,’ someone said.
‘He’s not feeling worse, is he?’ Star asked.
The others looked with interest at her face. Could she and Kenny really have had a violent punch-up? Watch the quiet ones, people said.
They told her that he had said he had to go out on urgent business and would be back in the afternoon.
Star waited until four o’clock to be certain, then she headed for Kenny’s counters again. He was back at work.
‘I did it, Star,’ he said.
‘Did what?’
‘Got Michael the money, like you asked.’ He was very pleased to have helped her.
‘How much?’ She could hardly speak.
‘Two thousand, like you said,’ he said proudly. ‘I had to go to the bank, but we got it for him in time.’
‘I went to the bank today,’ Shay Sullivan told them at supper. ‘And I have a nice little piece of news for us all.’
‘That’s the first time I ever heard that going to a bank brought
good
news,’ Kevin said. He and Gemma had come to discuss the plans for the Sullivan father and son setting up the much talked of health-food snack bar in the hotel’s leisure complex.
‘They’ve been overcharging you for years and now they’re going to refund it?’ Nick suggested. Nick was becoming a fixture in the Sullivan house with Lilly these days.
‘Tell us the news, Shay,’ Molly begged.
Star sat like a stone, uncaring, unhearing.
‘All right, I will. When I lost interest in all that gambling thing I had one big win, remember?’
‘Yes indeed, it was Small Screen that won,’ said Molly. ‘Everyone thought Lone Star was going to win. And you gave us all a present.’
‘Well, I actually won a great deal more that day, over ten thousand euro, and someone was holding it for me. Now I’ve put it into the bank with an explanation of how I got it. They won’t take big lumps of cash these days without knowing where it came from. And anyway, Kevin and I can now set up the business together.’
‘God, that’s great, Dad,’ Kevin said, eyes shining.
‘Well done, Mr Hale, you’re home and dry.’ Nick reached forward to shake him by the hand.
‘Oh Shay, aren’t you marvellous,’ cried Molly.
Star said nothing because she hadn’t been listening. So they told it to her again.
‘Someone was holding it for you. I expect that was Laddy,’ she said eventually.
‘Well now, love, it doesn’t matter who was holding it, the main thing is that it’s safely in the bank,’ her father said.
‘Do you need it
all
for the restaurant?’ Star asked in a curiously flat voice.
‘And more, but it will begin to pay off in a year or two, believe me. Your brother and I are going to be tycoons.’ He laughed happily.
‘Could I have two thousand now, do you think?’ she asked.
They all looked at her open-mouthed.
‘Well, not
just
now, Star, later on, maybe. We could have a big divide-up all right, give you girls your share, and Michael of course if we ever see him again.’
‘No, I really mean it, Dad, I need two thousand euro tomorrow. Please can I have it?’
‘But what
for
, Star?’ her mother asked. ‘Why could you possibly need that kind of money?’
‘It doesn’t matter why, it’s a secret, you all have secrets, why can’t I have one?’
‘It’s an awful lot of money,’ Lilly said.
‘Not now, Star, later on, when we’re up and running, if you want a car or a holiday or whatever –,’ her father began.
‘I don’t want a car or a holiday, I just
need
that money now and I can’t tell you why.’ Her face, with the livid bruise on the forehead, was white and tense. The Sullivans, Gemma and Nick looked at each other in alarm.
‘What could be so urgent that it can’t wait?’ her mother asked.
‘This can’t,’ Star said.
‘Oh my God, she wants an abortion!’
‘No, why would I do that?’
‘I don’t know why anyone does anything,’ Star said.
*
At her lunch break she decided to face Kenny and went over to his counter.
‘He’s gone home,’ someone said.
‘He’s not feeling worse, is he?’ Star asked.
The others looked with interest at her face. Could she and Kenny really have had a violent punch-up? Watch the quiet ones, people said.
They told her that he had said he had to go out on urgent business and would be back in the afternoon.
Star waited until four o’clock to be certain, then she headed for Kenny’s counters again. He was back at work.
‘I did it, Star,’ he said.
‘Did what?’
‘Got Michael the money, like you asked.’ He was very pleased to have helped her.
‘How much?’ She could hardly speak.
‘Two thousand, like you said,’ he said proudly. ‘I had to go to the bank, but we got it for him in time.’
‘I went to the bank today,’ Shay Sullivan told them at supper. ‘And I have a nice little piece of news for us all.’
‘That’s the first time I ever heard that going to a bank brought
good
news,’ Kevin said. He and Gemma had come to discuss the plans for the Sullivan father and son setting up the much talked of health-food snack bar in the hotel’s leisure complex.
‘They’ve been overcharging you for years and now they’re going to refund it?’ Nick suggested. Nick was becoming a fixture in the Sullivan house with Lilly these days.
‘Tell us the news, Shay,’ Molly begged.
Star sat like a stone, uncaring, unhearing.
‘All right, I will. When I lost interest in all that gambling thing I had one big win, remember?’
‘Yes indeed, it was Small Screen that won,’ said Molly. ‘Everyone thought Lone Star was going to win. And you gave us all a present.’
‘Well, I actually won a great deal more that day, over ten thousand euro, and someone was holding it for me. Now I’ve put it into the bank with an explanation of how I got it. They won’t take big lumps of cash these days without knowing where it came from. And anyway, Kevin and I can now set up the business together.’
‘God, that’s great, Dad,’ Kevin said, eyes shining.
‘Well done, Mr Hale, you’re home and dry.’ Nick reached forward to shake him by the hand.
‘Oh Shay, aren’t you marvellous,’ cried Molly.
Star said nothing because she hadn’t been listening. So they told it to her again.
‘Someone was holding it for you. I expect that was Laddy,’ she said eventually.
‘Well now, love, it doesn’t matter who was holding it, the main thing is that it’s safely in the bank,’ her father said.
‘Do you need it
all
for the restaurant?’ Star asked in a curiously flat voice.
‘And more, but it will begin to pay off in a year or two, believe me. Your brother and I are going to be tycoons.’ He laughed happily.
‘Could I have two thousand now, do you think?’ she asked.
They all looked at her open-mouthed.
‘Well, not
just
now, Star, later on, maybe. We could have a big divide-up all right, give you girls your share, and Michael of course if we ever see him again.’
‘No, I really mean it, Dad, I need two thousand euro tomorrow. Please can I have it?’
‘But what
for
, Star?’ her mother asked. ‘Why could you possibly need that kind of money?’
‘It doesn’t matter why, it’s a secret, you all have secrets, why can’t I have one?’
‘It’s an awful lot of money,’ Lilly said.
‘Not now, Star, later on, when we’re up and running, if you want a car or a holiday or whatever –,’ her father began.
‘I don’t want a car or a holiday, I just
need
that money now and I can’t tell you why.’ Her face, with the livid bruise on the forehead, was white and tense. The Sullivans, Gemma and Nick looked at each other in alarm.
‘What could be so urgent that it can’t wait?’ her mother asked.
‘This can’t,’ Star said.
‘Oh my God, she wants an abortion!’
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