Annie was pleased. She knew Lance would come to her, if only to be near Kathleen. He wasn't capable of living alone like Patrick. He couldn't even boil an egg for himself and, as Annie had waited on him hand and foot all his life, it didn't seem likely that was going to change at any time in the future. He didn't have girlfriends, so unless Lil pushed him out of the nest it was likely he would never have gone. He walked out of the room with Annie bustling after him, as always, and everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

'Can I really have his room, Mum?'

'Course you can, Eileen. Do me a favour and decorate it, will you? I'll pay and you can do it how you like, babe.'

'What about when I need a room of me own?'

Lil looked at Colleen and saw the burgeoning breasts and the slim legs and Eileen seemed to notice her at the exact same time and she said, with false resignation, 'I think you had better share with me and then Shamus can go in with Christy.'

Colleen was thrilled at the prospect of sharing a bedroom with her big sister; she envisaged make-up and nail varnish, and Eileen envisaged someone who would sneak down and let her in if she had a late one.

Annie came back into the room. Her face was wearing its usual frown and Lil noticed that she was getting old. She seemed to be thinner suddenly and her skin was papery.

'That was a bit harsh, Lil.'

Lil lit a cigarette.

'Look, Mum, you got what you wanted. I don't want him living here at thirty, do I? And the way things were going, that was a distinct possibility. We need the room and you know we do. Now, shut the fuck up and pour us both a nice drink. I have to go to the club later and I want a bath. It looks like the film is a fucking writeoff, don't it?'

Ivana and Pat were sitting at the bar of the club. Most business was done from the premises now and Ivana was a useful addition to the club in more ways than one. She was quite happy to seat the girls and scam the punters and she did it very well with a nice smile and a friendly attitude. Even his mother had thawed towards her over the last couple of years. The more Ivana made herself useful, the more time Lil could spend with Shawn.

Pat smiled as he thought of the little boy. He really was a funny little kid, all happy smiles and friendliness. In their world that was more important than most people realised.

Pat glanced at his watch and said to Ivana, 'Do me a favour and show that skank up, will you.'

Scanlon was due any moment and he still disliked the man immensely but he was a necessary evil. To make sure he achieved his ultimate goal, he needed him.

Ivana ushered him in a few minutes later.

Scanlon was a different man to the one that had arrived there two years earlier. He was not as cocky but he was much more willing to work for his money. Now that he was actually out in the open, so to speak, he didn't suffer from such awful feelings of guilt any more.

As he sat down, he passed Pat a bundle of papers.

'Where did you get these?'

'From one of the vice blokes. To be honest, I think you should talk to him yourself.'

Patrick stared at him for a few moments. 'What, more money to be handed over to bent filth? I'll be getting up a pension scheme for you all next.'

Even Scanlon laughed at that and it changed his whole face. It was such an unusual thing to see him even remotely cheerful that Pat was struck dumb.

Scanlon shrugged. 'I've got to admit that this is starting to interest me now. The more I find out, the more I want to know.'

Pat understood that. He knew the man was a loner and, in reality, he was the perfect person to do his ferreting for him. He was naturally antisocial and he was also naturally nosey. It was a winning combination for Pat.

'Who is this vice bloke then? Can you bring him in to meet me?'

'I think so. He knew that what I'm doing is not on the up. But you'd be surprised how often this type of thing goes on. A lot of people want to see witness statements so they have the address of the witness and their account of whatever they saw. It's such a common thing now that there's a fixed price list.'

Pat was scanning the papers before him and he got up and poured them both a stiff drink. Sitting down, he looked at the papers once more and said, 'I was right, wasn't I?'

Scanlon nodded and took a large gulp of his brandy before saying, 'It certainly looks that way.'

Scanlon finished his drink in silence and Patrick was still sitting there staring into space when he left him.

Kathleen was sitting at the bedroom window where she sat and smoked for hours. The net curtains had lots of little burn holes from where she forgot what she was doing with the cigarette. As she talked to herself she would wave the cigarette around as if she was talking to real people.

Eileen was moving her stuff out and Kathleen looked happy enough about it, so Eileen didn't feel bad about it.

In fact, Kathleen seemed pleased. 'Will you still sit with me though, when I want to go to sleep?'

Eileen grinned. 'Course I will. If you get nervous I can still spend the night, can't I? I ain't going anywhere, only across the landing.'

'Are you still seeing that bloke, Eileen?'

Eileen picked up a handful of sweaters from the drawer by her bed and, hushing her sister, she nodded.

Kathleen was giggling and Eileen shushed her again. Even though she knew Kathleen wouldn't say anything, she was still nervous that one of the younger kids might overhear and repeat what they heard.

Lance was packing, and she felt sorry for him, but another part of her was also glad he was leaving. At least her mother would be happier.

'Will you be all right, Kath, with Lance leaving?'

'Course I will. Nanny Annie will be happy, won't she?'

'I suppose. Mum left you a bar of chocolate in the fridge, do you want me to get it?'

'No, you eat it or give it to the little ones.'

'You've got to eat, Kath, you're skin and bones.'

Kathleen lit another cigarette and went back to gazing out of the window and Eileen knew that she wouldn't talk again for ages.

Not to any of them anyway. The low chattering started almost immediately and Eileen wondered, for the millionth time, why the murder of their father had affected Kathleen so much and not her.

She had overheard Janie telling someone years before that the twins, her and Kathleen, had tried to hug their father's body and had been covered in his blood. She didn't remember that. All she remembered was the crying and Lance sitting on the stairs in his underpants. And she wondered, at times, if she had imagined that.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

'Are you all right, Mum?'

Eileen's voice was soft and full of concern. Lil was off-colour; she had been lying on the sofa for a couple of days and it wasn't like her at all.

'No. I feel tired again, I just feel really tired. I don't feel ill as such.'

'Go to the doctor, for fuck's sake, Lil.' Annie's voice was loud as she shouted through from the kitchen.

'I'll go tomorrow. You look nice, love.'

Eileen looked stunning and, as she brushed her long hair, Lil was reminded of just how lovely the twins were. Even poor old Kathleen; she didn't wear make-up or dress herself in fashionable clothes but she was still a beauty.

As Lil moved her arm to pick up her cigarettes, she felt a pain under her arm. It was sharp and made her catch her breath.

'Ring Pat and tell him I am still out for the count, would you, darling?'

Colleen bounded into the room and said gaily, 'I'll do it. Can I go to the Wimpy with Lance?'

'Course you can, love. Take Shawn if you like.'

Hearing his name, Shawn opened his eyes and yawning, he smiled up at the women in his life.