Chapter 21
1211 Words
“And you know all about this meeting because?” Ross asked, as Ronnie Doyle sighed, and took a couple of deep breaths as he paused in his narrative. Both the inspector and Sergeant Izzie Drake had found themselves being drawn inescapably into the past as they"d sat listening to Ronnie"s story. The man could certainly weave a good tale and had the knack of being able to communicate his thoughts in a way that gave the detectives a fascinating insight not only into the subject they were discussing but into another era, a period in recent history that only those who"d lived through it could perhaps fully appreciate. They were fascinated.
“Eh? Oh, sorry, Inspector. The memories, you know? They sort of bring those days all back to life for me, if you see what I mean. It all happened so long ago and yet, now I"m talking to you about it, it could all have taken place last week, it seems so real in my mind. Anyway, you asked about the meeting in the Red River, well, it was Phil and Brendan themselves who told us about it, mostly Phil, I"ll admit, when he got in touch with me and Mickey soon after him and Brendan had met in the café.”
“I see, and who did he call first, you or Mickey? Do you remember?”
“It was me, Inspector,” Mickey spoke quietly. It was obvious from his demeanour and facial expression that Ronnie"s recollections of the past had affected him too. “He called me a couple of days after he"d met with Brendan. It was actually me who told Ronnie about it, but Ronnie spoke to Phil after that, if I remember it right.”
“Yes, that"s right,” said Ronnie, “you did tell me first, and I agreed to speak to Phil to arrange a meeting with him, Brendan and Marie. We agreed that it should be me who talked to Marie, us being closer back in those days.”
“Yeah, she was always a bit awed by me, I think. Don"t know why, Maybe it was just because I was the eldest, you know, big brother and all that?”
Ross had allowed the brothers to digress slightly, wanting them to feel at ease as he gradually teased the story from them, and now he moved to get them back on track.
“Alright, Ronnie, please, can we get back to the meeting with Brendan Kane and Phil Oxley? What happened next?”
“Yeah, right, Inspector, sorry. Well now, where was I? Right, yeah, well, Mickey and me agreed that I"d talk to Marie first, make sure she was up for it, and then make arrangements to meet up with Brendan and Phil.”
“And how did Marie react when you approached her and told her you"d known about her affair with Brendan for quite some time, which I"m presuming you must have done?”
“She was bloody scared shitless…oops, sorry about that Sergeant,” Ronnie said, apologising for his language to Izzie Drake who merely said,
“Don"t let it worry you, Mr. Doyle. I hear far worse than that from our own people within these walls every day of the week, I can assure you. Please, go on with your story.”
She smiled and Ronnie Doyle relaxed again and went on with his tale.
“Okay, like I said, she was scared shi…a bit scared at first, thinking me and Mickey were mad at her, and that we"d go round and knock seven shades of s**t out of Brendan Kane.”
“And did you feel like doing that?” Ross asked.
“For a second or two, yes, to tell the truth, Inspector. Mind you, Brendan was bigger and tougher than me so I really wouldn"t have had much chance of doing him any damage, even if I"d wanted to. I was a bit like the typical seven stone weakling, physically in those days. I"ve filled out a bit now of course, middle age and all that.”
“How about you, Mickey? Did you feel like thumping Brendan"s lights out?”
“It might come as a surprise to you, Inspector, but no, I didn"t. Ever hear of Woodstock?”
“You mean the place in Oxfordshire?” Izzie interjected.
“No lass, not the one in bloody Oxfordshire. I mean the Woodstock music festival in the USA.”
“I"ve heard of it,” said Ross. “What"s that got to do with your relationship with your sister?”
“Well, Woodstock didn"t happen for another few years, but what I"m saying, is that even back in sixty-six, I was already a believer in free love, peace and all that stuff, you know? I might not have liked what Brendan bloody Kane did to us over the group, but hell, if he wanted to shag me sister, and she wanted it too, then bloody good luck to the pair of "em. That was my attitude Inspector. Just "cos I"m a big bloke, doesn"t make me a violent one. You shoulda seen me in me flower power hippy shirts, complete with beads after Woodstock took place and the hippy culture took me over.”
Ronnie couldn"t help laughing at his brother.
“He was a right sight, Inspector, I can tell you. All "peace, man" and bloody weird hand gestures and long lank hair. Thank God he grew out of it.”
“And when did that happen, Mickey, you growing out of the hippy lifestyle?”
“When my first wife Chrissie left me for another man, Inspector. We"d met at a concert and got married within six weeks, so you can see why I wouldn"t be the type to be hard on my sister, but she left me for a bloody stockbroker she met at an art gallery of all things, and well, I just drifted out of the lifestyle. Mind you, I was thirty by then.”
The two brothers laughed again and Ross groaned inwardly. These two were natural jokers and he needed to keep them deadly serious if he was going to get what he wanted from them. How soon, he wondered, would either Ronnie or Mickey realise the remains at the wharf were probably those of their friend, Brendan?
“Okay, point taken, Mickey. Now, Ronnie, the meeting with Brendan and your sister, please. Just where and when did it take place and exactly what happened? I know it was a long time ago but please try to remember as many of the details as you possibly can, it really is important.”
please“Alright, sorry. It"s just funny thinking of Mickey the hippy. Anyway, yes, we arranged to meet with Brendan and Marie round at Brendan"s flat a few days later. We all thought it best to go there as there"d be no way our parents would find out about it if we kept it private, like. Anyway, I remember most of it as if it were yesterday.”
“So, go ahead, Ronnie, take us back to nineteen sixty-six again, please. You were all at Brendan"s flat, and…?”
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