I was awoken at 6:00 by a phone call from Sue. I was torn between cutting it off and answering, but I gritted my teeth.

“Hello,” I said.

“Feeling better after your drinking session?” she said, her voice dripping with opprobrium.

“Yes, I’m as good as gold, thanks.”

“Well, I’m not. You’re a thoughtless bastard sometimes, Des.”

I bit my tongue.

“I had a few scoops after a long, exhausting day, Sue. Even a horse gets a nosebag every so often.”

“I don’t know what that means,” she said. “Are you fucking someone else?”

“Yeah, Devon and I are joined at the hip. He’s sleeping beside me; do you want to say hello to him? His arse might be a bit sore, though.”

“You can’t blame me for thinking that,” she said.

“It's quite a bit of a leap, even for you, Sue, but let’s not go there,” I said.

“What time do you expect to be home? I have to get in to work.”

“I have concrete coming at 7:00, you’ll have to get a taxi for once.”

“Des.”

“Sue, grow up, will you?” I said.

“Ok, I’ll get a taxi,” she said. “Will you pick me up this evening? Will your precious concrete miss you if you leave it alone for a while?”

“That’s the thing about concrete, Sue. You pour it and agitate it to help it settle. You float it off and allow the water to rise to the surface as it slowly dries and sets. Then you keep an eye on it, nurture it, tend to its needs with love and care.

You float it off again and, when the time seems right, you stick the power float on it and smooth out its ruffled edges. Then it hardens as it cures until you give it the final polish, after which it takes its place in someone else’s life and ignores you. It no longer needs you. Just like a woman in many respects. I’ll see you later.”

I dressed and went downstairs. Devon was still dug into his laptop.

“Porn again?” I asked.

“Credit card porn, Des,” he said, “come here for a minute. I want to show you something.”

I sat down beside him. He turned the screen so we could both see it; Collette came in with coffee for us both. He pointed out a few lines on Cullen’s credit card statement.

“According to this, up until last week, Cullen has booked a room at The Regency for four out of seven nights per week. He has three this week alone. Going back further, it’s the same. Four, sometimes five nights per week.”

“He’s doing this with other women?” I asked.

“He must be. It has to be other staff members. I doubt he’s such a sex idol.”

“The randy cunt!”

“Hang on, it gets better. Collette found this,” he said, handing me a foolscap pad with three pages of a list on it.

“What am I looking at here?”

“Highlighted in green are eight transactions made in Talbot Jewellers,” he said. “They’re all for the same amount, €17.50.”

“Ok, I don’t get it, Dev.”

“Ankle bracelets,” Collette said.

“Fuck off!” I gasped. “Eight of them?”

“Yeah, and for €17.50 they’re certainly not silver. The fucking cheap arse mother fucker!”

“Do you remember the shooting incident down at the Regency last year, Des?” Devon said.

“Yes, I remember it well, the traffic was fucked after it. I couldn’t get near the home to collect Sue.”

“Right, ever since then, anyone who is staying in a room at the hotel has to show ID and register as a guest,” Devon said. “If you gave him the dates and room number, would Loomes be able to get a copy of who was in that room with him on those dates?”

“I’m sure he would if he could,” I said. “Can you copy and paste them into an email for me? I’ll send it on to him now. If you come up with anything else, text me.”

“Will do, Des,” he said, and I turned to go.

“Des!” Collette shouted from the kitchen. “Depending on what happens today, you’re welcome to stay here tonight.”

“I may have to take you up on that,” I said. “I also have the option of room 007 at The Regency.”

“117!” they both shouted at me.

“The name is Boyd, Des Boyd,” I said. “No, it’s not quite right.”

I got to work early and opened the job up. Davy arrived at 6:45.

“What’s the story, Boss?” he asked.

“I’m heading off, Davy,” I said. “I won’t be back today.”

I reached up to the sun visor in the car and pulled out an envelope and handed it to him.

“The wage cheques,” I said. “Carmel in the shop said she’ll cash them for you.”

“Oh, great. Thanks, Dessie. Will you be in on Monday?”

“Yeah, sorry about this, pal. I’ve a few personal problems to fix.”

I drove home, stopping at our suppliers to get a new lock for the hall door. I changed it before jumping in the shower and dressing for the day. My phone rang. It wasn’t a number I recognised, but I answered it.

“Des Boyd Construction.”

“Dessie?” a voice asked.

“Yes, sorry, this is Dessie.”

“Hi, Dessie, Cynthia Travers here.”

“Ah, Cynthia, how are you?”

“I’m ok, Dessie,” she said, “at least I was until I got your solicitor’s letter this morning.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that, Cynthia. That was meant for your husband. He blew me off the other day when I asked him about it. He said he won’t pay it.”

“I knew nothing of this, Dessie. I hope you believe that.”

“I know that, Cynthia. I’d never think that in a million years.”

“That’s good to know. I’m going to write you a cheque for this, Dessie. You did a fabulous job, and you need to be paid. I don’t know what my husband was thinking. Will I mail it to you or give it to Sue?”

“No, don’t do that, Cynthia. Your husband said some of the work was faulty; is that true?”

“Not to my knowledge, Dessie, and I don’t know how he’d know. He’s never here.”

“I think the new work could do with a refresh, it’s past the time. I mentioned it to him, but he waved me off.”

“Ok, will you only deal with me in future, Dessie? I need to get a lot more work done soon, and I want you to do it.”

“I will of course, Cynthia. I’ll tell you what, I’ll drop in this afternoon and take a look at that paintwork. I’ll collect that cheque off you then, and put this bit behind us.”

“That’d be perfect, Dessie, shall we say 2:00ish?”

“I’ll aim for that, Cynthia.”

“Grand, I’ll see you then, oh, and Dessie?”

“Yes?”

“Can I change the colours?”

“Of course, you can, Cynthia.”

“You’re an angel.”

We hung up, and I made the tea. Something was turning my way. I called Loomes.

“Dessie, I was just about to call you,” he said.

“About what?”

“Can you call out to me?”

“When?”

“Now?”

“Ok, I’m just going to have a cup of tea.”

“We have tea here, get your arse in gear.”

“By the way, the Cullens got your letter.”

“Good, how do you know?”

“The wife called me; I didn’t think you were going to include her in it.”

“You know me, Des, no class whatsoever. Look, if I just put his name on it, she wouldn’t see it. She’s the power in that house, he’s just a lodger.”

“I’m collecting a cheque after lunch; your instincts were correct.”

“Great, I included €500 in costs. I can eat tonight now.”

I drove out to Loomes’ office in Malahide and parked a few yards down the road. The bell over the door jangled as it opened, and Charles jumped up like a meerkat in an insurance commercial. He beckoned to me, and I followed him down a hallway to an office, deep in the bowels of the building. We sat down, facing each other across his desk.

“A bit of a kip this, Chas,” I said, looking around.

“Shut up for a minute, Des,” he said, fiddling with his computer.

 “Now. What can I do you for this fine morning, Mr. Boyd?” he said.

“You fucking told me to get my arse out here.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. I did, didn’t I?”

“For fuck’s sake Chas, what are you on?”

“Just joshing with you, old man,” he said, with a self-congratulatory smile.

He slid a sheet of paper across the desk.

“Read that and tell me I’m not a genius,” he said with a smile.

On the sheet were five names

“Russians?”

“Two Russian and three Moldovan.”

“Where did you get these?”

“They’re public record, Des.”

He slid another four sheets of paper across to me. Each one contained about thirty-five lines of text, each line a record of who stayed in Room 117 of The Regency Hotel. All of the girls were included, as was Sue, who had been there twenty-two times.

“Fuck me,” was all I could say.

“Indeed,” Loomes said. “Cast your eyes to the right-hand column.”

“Fucking hell,” I said in shock. “Michael and Denis Travers too?”

“Yes,” he said smugly, “I told you, didn’t I?”

“It looks like these girls were procured by Cullen, who fucked them for a while and then passed them along to the two Travers boys,” I said.

“That’s exactly the way it looks, Des,” he said. “In fact, I would venture that this is not a million miles away from trafficking.”

I looked at him. He was serious,

"Imagine Sue's face when she's told she has to fuck Michael or Denis?"

"Why is that?"

"Well, I'm no Brad Pitt, Chas," I said, "but Michael looks like a bulldog chewing a bee and Denis has a face like a well chewed Wellie."

"I think that ship has sailed, Des, don't you?" he said, "Cullen is no oil painting either and Sue's happy enough."

"True enough, Chas," I said, holding up the papers. "What am I to do with these?"

"What you have in your hand, Dessie, my boy, is five tons of pure Semtex that can blow the Travers empire apart."

I sat looking at them for a few minutes and then lifted my head to the ceiling.

"What's going through your evil little mind, Des?" Charles said.

"I can get this done today, Chas. We have them totally by the balls here."

"Yes, thank you."

"Thank you. What do I need to transfer the house into my name and eliminate the slut from my life completely?"

"Ok, it's simple enough if you can get her to agree to a settlement offer," he said. "You won't get away from this without cost, Des."

"I don't care about the cost, Chas."

"I'm just putting it out there."

"How about putting the solution out there too so I can get moving?"

"Ok, if you can get Sue to agree on a figure, you'll just need her to sign a Deed of Agreement that we can present to the bank to change the mortgage over to your name. I can do the title conveyancing after that. It'll take a couple of weeks, but once she signs the Deed, it's done. It also ends the common law arrangement that you have in place."

"The deed is done?"

We laughed.

"Something like that."

"Where do I get one of them there Deed things?"

"Through the magic of the computer," he said, pressing a button on his keyboard.

We walked out to the primary office reception and Marion, his receptionist, handed a sheet of paper to Loomes.

“How much are we offering her?” he asked.

“€50,000.”

He told her to put my name and address into the proper fields then took it over to the reception counter, stamped it, placed a large X beside three of the lines and had me sign beside one of them.

"She has to sign the other two lines," he said. "After that, you're in the clear."

"Those names on these papers," I said.

"What about them?"

"I'm concerned about those girls, Charles," I said. "I have a daughter."

"I knew you would be, Des. What are you planning?"

"I'm going to fuck them today, Sue included. Can we report this to immigration or human trafficking or clerical abuse or something?"

"Just tell me when to do it, Des. I'm ready to go."

"Sunday night."

We shook hands and agreed to stay in touch. I drove over to Devon's house and handed him the papers.

"Those cunts," he said. "We need cool heads for this, Des, no flying off the handle. Remember that we are in the ascendancy here."

"I'm quite calm, Dev. I changed the locks on the house so she can't get in."

"What time does the countdown start?"

"2:00."

"Check in time," he said. "What's next?"

"I need to hit the bank," I said. "I need to make a few calls first, though."

I called the bank and asked Jac to organise €10K in cash and a foreign currency draft for me. I then booked a meeting with Michael and Denis Travers for 3:00. At 1:00, I collected the cash and the draft from the bank and returned to Devon's house, where I booked a one-way first-class plane ticket to New York. Devon printed it off for me.

At 1:30 I drove down to Cullen's house. The entrance was directly across the road from the Care Home. I parked the car inside the gate and took up a position behind one of the gate posts. At 1:50, I saw Sue making her way down the road to the entrance. She stopped and fumbled around in her pocket for something. I heard the BlackBerry alert at the same time. Cullen was calling her. I hit the button and listened in to the call.

"Where are you?"

"I'm just leaving the home now."

"Are you naked?"

"Yes."

"Are you wearing my anklet?"

"I'll put it on when I reach the hotel."

"Put it on now, I'm tired of telling you,"

"I'll put it on when I hang up."

"Are you wearing high heels?"

"No, flats. I'll change at the hotel."

"Wear them now."

"I find it nearly impossible to walk downhill in high heels, Sir."

"Don't argue with me or you'll be punished severely. Put them on!"

"I will, Sir, sorry, I'll be a little later because I have to walk slower in heels."

"So be it, just hurry along. I haven't got all day."

She hung up. I took my phone out of my pocket and took a video of her struggling with her bags as she searched for, found, and put the anklet on her ankle. It felt like a punch in the stomach. She was wearing a lightweight white coat and, as she lifted her ankle to place the horrendous thing on her, the wind caught the flap of it and blew it to the side, exposing her naked lower half to the world. She quickly adjusted herself and changed her shoes. She then commenced an unsteady walk down the roughly paved footpath that led to the hotel.

I switched off the phone and drove up to the Cullen house. Cynthia greeted me with a hug and a smile, and we went inside.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Please," I said, trying to keep the butterflies in my stomach in check.

She handed me an envelope with a cheque for €50K inside.

"This is too much, Cynthia," I said.

"It's by way of apology, Dessie. Please accept it in the spirit that it's given."

My phone buzzed and I checked the screen notification. The hotel room cameras had activated. I hit VIEW and was presented with the sight of Sue, standing in front of Cullen with her head bowed as he opened the buttons on her coat. I looked at Cynthia and thought, "fuck it,"

"Any idea where your husband is today, Cynthia?" I asked.

"God only knows, being important somewhere, I expect."

"Any idea what he's doing?"

"None, why?"

"Come here and I’ll show you," I said, and she walked quickly to my side.

He had opened the last button on Sue's coat and was pulling it from her as he tweaked one of her nipples while she was trying to get away from him in pain.

"What in the name of all that's holy is he doing? Where is that? Who is that?"

"It's my Sue, Cynthia, and they're in the Regency Hotel," I said. "Give him a call and see what he does."

On the screen, he jolted and pulled his phone from his pocket. The audio wasn't working on the cameras, but I could see him telling Sue to be quiet as she sat on the bed, naked and rubbing her sore nipple. He walked slightly away from her and directly towards one of the cameras in the room. He answered the call.

"Where are you?" Cynthia demanded.

"Why?"

"We got a letter from Dessie Boyd's solicitor. You owe him a lot of money."

"What?"

"Don't worry, I paid him. He's here now. Do you want to talk to him?"

"I'm tied up right now. I'll call him later."

"Who's that naked woman sitting on the bed trying to soothe the nipple that you almost pulled off her? Is that Sue Graham? Dessie's partner?"

He looked around the room, a panicked look on his face.

"Are you fucking her?"

"No. I. What do you mean? How do you know?"

"You're on camera on Dessie's phone, I'm watching you, you slimy little ingrate, you fucking worm of a human being."

"Cyn, I ..."

"Oh, shut up, Andrew. If your fucking Sue, can I fuck Dessie? He looks like he has a sizable cock, it looks a lot bigger than yours."

She handed me the phone.

"I'll tell you what, Andy, I'll just let Cynthia give me a blow job and I promise not to fill her with my seed, you weak, brainless deviant," I said.

"Boyd, you will leave my house this instant, or I'll come over and eject you myself."

"I'll wait for you. Are you going to finish abusing my partner first? You fucking sinister, little, woman beating, dirt bag."

"Get the hell out of my house and away from my wife right now."

"I'll say one thing for her, Andy, she's a great little cocksucker, took my load like a champ and didn't spill a drop. But, enough of the niceties, pal, here's what you're gonna do."

"I don't take orders from you, Boyd."

"Maybe you'll take them from the vice squad, when they find out that a prostitute and her pimp are operating in room 117, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you. I know they’ll love the videos. That’ll make interesting reading in Sunday's newspapers. The extended Travers family will love that."

"Ok, what do I have to do?"

"You will take that abomination of a bracelet from her ankle and destroy it while we watch on the screen."

He knelt and took the anklet off Sue's ankle and tore it into pieces.

"Put your phone on speaker."

I could see him do it.

"No need to fret about losing the anklet, Sue, it only cost the miserable bastard €17.50."

Sue was in floods of tears and could not reply.

"Sue, you're on camera, get dressed for fuck's sake. Cullen?"

"Yes?"

"You get your useless arse over to your wife. She wants to talk to you."

I gave Cynthia copies of all the paperwork and web links to the videos and phone recordings. She threw her arms around me and cried, two betrayed people searching for reason. I left her at the table in the kitchen as her resolve hardened.

"Good luck, Cynthia. Give the bastard hell."

"Don't worry about that,” she said, grimly.

I left the house and drove to the Care Home, parked outside the admin building and walked into reception. A grey-haired woman looked at me and smiled.

"I've an appointment with Mr. Michael and Dr. Denis," I said. "Des Boyd."

She led me down a corridor to an office and showed me inside. Michael and Denis seemed happy to see me.

"Hi Dessie, nice to see you again," Michael said as Denis looked on.

"Hi Michael, Denis," I said, quietly.

"What can we do for you?"

"I want to bring an instance of abuse to your attention, and I want you to take immediate action," I said.

"I'm sure, Des, as a businessman yourself, that you understand that we must perform a thorough investigation into accusations of abuse," he said.

"Yes, I understand all of that, Michael," I said. "But that changes significantly when you're presented with irrefutable evidence of the alleged abuse. Would you not agree?"

"Well, ehm, yes. I suppose it does change things."

"What do you think, Denis?"

"I think you're right, Dessie," he said, "but who's the perpetrator, and who's the victim?"

"Sue is the victim, and I believe you know who the perpetrator is already."

"I'm afraid you have us at a disadvantage, Des," Michael said. "How would we know who it is?"

"Because he hands them down to you, Michael," I said, "you and Denis. Can I ask, as an aside, which one of you was getting Sue next? I’d love to know."

"That's a ridiculous notion, Des."

"Sue is down in Room 117 of The Regency right now. She was assaulted by Andrew Cullen and her breast is traumatised. It looks like he tried to pull her left nipple off."

"I'm sure you're mistaken, Des," Denis said.

"Really? Here, look at the video for yourselves and you tell me," I said and switched it on.

They both went pale. Denis stared at the screen, hypnotised by the scene in front of his eyes.

"Does that turn you on, Denis?" I asked.

He looked at the desktop.

"You're a dirty little bastard at the back of all the bluster, aren't you Doctor Denis?" I said. "What about you Michael? Is Sue not your type? Do you even have a type? Or is it enough that they just have a pulse?"

"What do you want, Boyd?"

"I'll tell you what I want,” I said, keeping my voice low and even. "You'll pay Sue a redundancy package of €25K. You'll also give her a glowing recommendation about her abilities as a Director of Nursing.

The three of you will each pay her another €25K each in compensation for prolonged pain and suffering caused by sexual abuse in the workplace."

"That's outrageous! We’re not paying that. You must be out of your mind."

I took the folder of papers and placed it on the desktop. I opened it slowly and handed them a page each, their names highlighted on both.

"This," I said, "is a record of every booking for the room at The Regency Hotel for the past six months or so. All of the names on that list are staff members of this facility. All are in the country illegally, none of them have Work Permits. Everyone who checked into that room on those dates had to produce ID and it went in the register. Anyone can find it if they know where to look. The police will know where to look too."

Denis whispered something in Michael's ear.

"We’ll give Sue €15K each and €10K Statutory redundancy, Des."

"You don't understand, Michael," I said. "This is not a negotiation. I'm quite happy to pay Sue's way back to the USA, I don't need your money. All I am saying is that I can leave here with those papers or without. My first stop after leaving with them is the police station. Do I make myself clear?"

"Ok, we don't appear to have any options," Denis said.

"Good, you already have Sue's bank details. I'll wait while you transfer the money."

"But we can't do that now, Des."

"Ok, the offer is only open until 3:30."

He lifted the receiver on the phone and made a call ordering them to send €100K to Sue's account. We sat back and waited for the phone to ring. It rang five minutes later. Michael picked it up, listened for a minute and said, "Thank you."

"Ok, it's done. Hand over that folder."

"I need a receipt for the money first."

"Do you not trust us, Des?"

"No."

Ten minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door and an envelope, with a receipt for the payment inside, was handed to Denis. He handed it to me, and I read it. It was ok. I stood up, pocketed the receipt, and handed over the folder. I looked at both of them and chose to say nothing as I left the room and got into my car.

I was on my way home when my phone rang. It was Sue. She was inconsolable.

“Sue,” I said.

She began to wail and speak incoherently.

“Sue, I haven’t got time for this,” I said. “Pull yourself together and say what you want to say.”

It took some time for her voice to return.

“Des.”

“What?”

“I’m at the house, my key won’t work.”

“I changed the lock.”

“Why?”

“You know why, Sue,” I said quietly.

“But how am I going to get in?”

“You’re not,” I said, “we’re done.”

“Des, I think I need to see a doctor.”

“Go to a hospital, then.”

“Des, what am I going to do?”

I could not believe this. It sounded as though she was mourning the end of a love affair. I decided to make this quick.

“Sue, shut the fuck up and listen to me.”

“Ok.”

“I don’t understand what’s gotten into you and I don’t really care, but I brought you here and I feel responsible for your welfare.”

“Ok, thanks.”

“You’re not getting back into the house because I don’t feel safe around you anymore, so this is how we’re going to manage things.”

“But, Des, I’d never hurt you.”

“Sue, I have a video of you showing your cunt off to the world as you tried to put that ridiculous ankle bracelet on this afternoon. You were in such a sexual stupor that you couldn’t even dress yourself in your haste to fuck Cullen.”

“You videotaped me?”

“Yes, you looked like a prostitute waddling down the Whitehall Road.”

“But …”

“It’s over, Sue. Everything. The police will descend on the Care Home on Sunday night, we think the two Travers perverts and the Cullen cunt will be arrested for all manner of human rights abuses, including trafficking, and you no longer work there.”

“I’m fired?”

“No. I got you out of it. As I said, I feel responsible for your welfare while you’re in the country.”

“Ok, can I …”

“No, just listen.”

“Ok.”

“You have to leave the country now. If not, you’ll be dragged into an ugly criminal investigation that the media will swarm all over. It could also impact on me in some way, and I won’t stand for that.

You’re booked on a flight to Newark tomorrow morning, and you can take a connection to wherever you want from there. You’ll stay at the Clayton Hotel tonight and take the shuttle to the airport in the morning. Check-in time is 7:00.”

“I need a change of clothes at least, Des.”

“You walked along a main road to meet your weirdo boyfriend today with nothing on except a white fucking coat, so shut the fuck up about clothes.”

“Please.”

“Ok, here’s the deal, because I don’t want to speak to you for too much longer. Will you listen?”

“Yes.”

“Get a taxi to the Clayton and check in. I’ll pack a suitcase for you and leave it at the reception desk. I’ll text you when it’s done, and you can collect it from there. I don’t want to see you today, I can barely talk to you, but I need to make myself clear. I got you a €100,000 payoff in the form of a redundancy package from the Travers, which will appear in your account on Monday or so. Tell me you understand that.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“It’s not much, but it’s better than a twisted nipple and the poxy stainless steel hooker bracelet that your pervert boyfriend left you with. Did you realise that you were being passed on to Denis next and then Michael when he was done with you?”

“Des.”

“Don’t! I heard how he made you horny by filling you with his seed before you fucked me, Sue.”

“How?”

“Sue, I know everything, I have it on tape and on video. The problem that the two of you had was thinking I was weak and brainless, remember those words?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s what drove me on.”

“Oh.”

“Because you didn’t bother your arse heeding me about regularising your status in the country, you need to leave as quickly as possible. You need to divest yourself of any real property assets in the State and have no holdings here. The authorities could take the house as a penalty in lieu of a fine, so your name will have to come off it. We worked out that we each hold an equity stake of about €90,000. I’m going to buy you out for €50K. Do you agree with that?

“Why only €50,000?”

“Because I have legal and other expenses as a result of your duplicity. There’s also a price to pay for your actions. I reckon that to be more than the €40,000 shortfall, but I’m evening things out because of time constraints.”

“Ok.”

“You’ve been removed from the Directorship of the company, and, by Monday morning, it’ll look like you were never even here.”

“Ok.”

“You need to sign a Deed before you go. When you sign it, I’ll give you €10,000 in cash and a draft for US$48,000 at the airport. The Deed is a legal document that removes you from the title of the house and transfers it to me.”

“Why not pay me the full €50,000 in cash at the airport?”

“There’s a €10,000 limit for cash leaving the country. I suggest you buy a coffee before you take off to get it below the limit, just in case, but I really don’t give a bollox what you do, Sue.”

“Ok.”

“I’ll meet you in Terminal two at the airport at 6:30 sharp in the morning. I’ll give you your ticket, your money and I’ll bring a second suitcase of clothing for you. You can sign the Deed then.”

“Ok, Des, thank you.”

“Where are you now?”

“Outside the house.”

“Ok, text me when you’re gone, and I’ll get the suitcase to the hotel for you. I’ll also need my phone back; I’ll get that in the morning. I need the burner phone that bastardface gave you, too. The police will need it for evidence.”

I hung up and breathed out. I turned around and drove up to Devon and Collette’s house. We sat down, and I laid everything out for them, producing the videos and call recordings and letting them hear and see everything.

“So, you got her into the Clayton tonight?” Colette asked.

“Yes, she needed somewhere to stay, and I didn’t want to be near her.”

“You’re staying here until she’s left the country, Des,” she said.

“I’ll be fine, Collette,” I said. “It’s an early start in the morning, and I’d only upset your routine.”

“We’ll be grand, won’t we, Dev?” she said.

“Yeah, it’s cool, man,” he said. “You need a break from that house. Stay the weekend, go home on Monday.”

My phone received a text. Sue.

“I’m in my room at the hotel.”

“K, thirty minutes or so, I’ll txt you.”

Collette came with me to the house, and she was of great assistance, pointing out the appropriate clothing that a woman would need. She suggested I pack both suitcases and hold the second one in the boot of the car until morning. I made some coffee when we were finished, and she took a stroll through the house at it perked.

“Is this costing you a lot of money, Dessie?” she asked, when she joined me in the kitchen.

“I’ll be okay, Collette.”

“Are you hurting?”

“I can’t exactly say that I’m over the moon about it, but I’ll be fine once I get everything sorted out.”

“I’ve always loved this kitchen, Dessie,” she said with a cute little smile, “do you think you could make one for me?”

“What colour?”

“Same as this one,” she said, “I haven’t seen one like it anywhere else.”

“I was thinking of changing it,” I said, matter of factly, “upgrading it a little.”

“But it’s perfect, Des.”

“It’s ok, Collette, but I’m not going to have under-counter cupboards; I’m only going to have drawers.”

“Now you’re giving me ideas. All drawers,” she said, trying to visualise it.

I picked up a brochure from my desk in the office and handed it to her.

“Take this with you and have a look at it,” I said. “Anything you like, let me know. It’ll be on me with my grateful thanks.”

“Oh, no you won’t, Dessie Boyd. Dev and I don’t mind helping you out.”

“Either you pick a colour, or I will, Collette. You’re getting it, one way or the other.”

“Well, I’ll have to reciprocate in my own way, Dessie, and I will. You’ll see.”

She came with me and waited in the car while I dropped the suitcase off at the reception desk. I texted Sue.

“Bag at reception desk, it’s your pale blue one. I’ll have another one at the airport for you. 6:30 sharp.”

“Thanks, can I buy you a drink before you go?”

“No, I’m going to bed.”

“Are you going home?”

“Not tonight.”

“Where are you staying?”

“None of your business. CU tomoz.”

It was still early as we drove back to the house. I let Collette read the texts.

“What do you make of that?” Collette said.

“I gave up trying to work her out this afternoon, Collette,” I said. “It was like she was drugged or something.”

“It’s mind control, Des, they fuck with people’s minds.”

We locked up the car and I followed her inside. Devon was in the process of dismantling a Chinese delivery from a huge brown paper bag and it occurred to me that I was starving.

“Are you feeding an army, Dev?” I asked, as I strolled into the room.

“Kind of, we’ve got a few people coming over. Totally last minute and out of the blue”

“Look, I’ll go home. I don’t want to be in the way,” I said.

“Don’t be silly, Des,” Collette said, “they’ll just have to put up with you.”

“I love you too, Collette.”

We all laughed as I went to help Devon with the food. I munched on a chicken ball dipped in curry sauce as we worked, and had to endure several admonitions from them both whenever I stole a chip or a dip. Ten minutes, or so, later, people started to arrive. I dipped out of the way and hung out in the kitchen, spending my time organising plates and cutlery for everyone.

I pasted a smile on my face as four of them came in to say hello. I shook hands with them all and introduced myself before dishing out food to them. Two girls came in and I did the same with them.

“Are you the chef for the evening?” one of them, a slim blonde girl, said with a smile.

“Chief cook and bottle washer,” I said. “That’s what’s on my CV.”

I leaned back against a counter and folded my arms as I watched her study the different trays. She was very pretty. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, and she was dressed in a modern casual fashion wearing faded blue jeans that hugged her form and a white peasant blouse that gave the merest hint of her skin beneath it.

“What are you looking at, Des?” she said.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just a bit distracted.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m always like this after I pour concrete. I’ll be fine in the morning when I check it and it’s ok.”

“You’re a builder?”

“Yes, guilty.”

“What would I do with a leaking roof?”

“What kind of roof is it?

“It’s a flat roof.”

“The best thing to do is to strip it and put a new deck on it. If you have the money, you can line it with zinc or carbon fibre, but insulate it while it's stripped.”

“Is that something you do?”

“I suppose so.”

She laughed and her face lit up; it made me smile. She came to my side of the kitchen island and spooned small pieces of food onto her plate. She turned towards me and handed me her plate.

“This is for you,” she said.

“Thanks,” I said, “you’re very kind.”

“I’m always generous with other people’s food,” she said, and we laughed again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” I said, taking the plate from her.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Alison,” she said, “I hope I read you right with the food.”

“It looks perfect to me, Alison,” I said. “Now let me do it for you. Choose your food, I mean.”

She burst out laughing as I tried not to.

“Oh, you’re bad, Des.”

I took a plate and spooned various food items onto it, watching her reaction before I placed it on the plate.

“Do you like Szechuan Chicken, Alison?” I asked.

“I don’t know, Des,” she said, “I never tried it.”

“Here,” I said, taking some over to her, “try this.”

She took my hand and held it as the fork reached her lips. She made a cute little-girl face and tasted the food. Her eyes were alive as she processed the flavour before she began shaking her head and smiling.

“That’s really good, Des. Put some of that on mine too, please.”

I handed her the finished plate, along with a fork and a couple of napkins.

“Now,” I said, “you’re good to go.”

“Are you not coming in to sit with us, Des?”

“I’m grand, Alison, I don’t wish to intrude.”

“You won’t be,” she said, as a playful smile played around her lips. “Everyone is very nice, and they all need work done in their houses.”

I laughed out loud.

“In that case, I’ll get my diary from the car.”

She squealed with laughter, and she took me into the room by the hand. I sat on a two-seater couch, and she joined me there, placing her napkin on my knee and asking me all about building and costs. Colette didn’t see me watching her as she appraised what was going on between us, and I knew then what she had been doing in the car while I went into the hotel with the suitcase.

 “So, Alison, tell me your story,” I said.

“There’s not much to tell really, Des. I work in the Bank of Ireland, Northern Cross.”

“Really?” I said. "That’s my branch."

“No way,” she said, “I’m sure I’d remember if I’d seen you in there.”

“I try to stay out of it, Alison,” I said, “it costs me a fortune every time I go in.”

She laughed.

“I work from home three days a week, so it’s not too bad.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s ok,” she said, “I was hoping to get a redundancy offer but it wasn’t offered. I was lucky in a way.”

“Why?”

“Oh, my partner and I split up.”

“Were you married?”

“No, we were together for five years. We just drifted along. You know how it is.”

“I know exactly,” I said. “Any children?”

“Just one, a daughter.”

“Does she live with you?”

“Yes, Monday to Thursday, I get weekends off,” she laughed and touched my hand.

“How old is she?”

“Eighteen going on forty. She’s a little madam at times and is very independent.”

“Until something happens, then they become your child again,” I said, wistfully.

“You know?” she said, “That’s so true, Des. Sally has her moments, like us all. I just have to be there when she needs me.”

She shook her hair back from her face. I caught Collette’s eye and she smiled at me. I stuck my tongue out at her.

“Collette wanted me to meet you,” she said. “She thought we’d get on.”

“Was she right?” I asked.

“I think so, don’t you?”

“I really like you, Alison.”

“I like you too, Des,” she said. “So, I guess the bitch was right."

“Don’t tell her that,” I said.

“No. So what about you?” she said. “I’ve been telling you everything. Your turn now.”

“What do you need to know?”

“Everything.”

“Ok, I’m fifteen years divorced with two kids, Maria and James,” I said. “You know I’m a builder, and I recently got out of a relationship with someone that was cheating on me.”

“How recently?”

“That’s another, longer story,” I said. “Let’s put it this way, when I look back at it, I think it’s effectively been over for more than a year. We wanted vastly different things.”

“That happens,” she said. “Do you know how long she was cheating on you?”

“No, it was at least six or seven months,” I said, “but I suspect it was a lot longer.”

“Why?”

“I don’t think we had even kissed properly for over two years,” I said, “and there was no intimacy between us for longer than that. It was almost like she didn’t want to cheat on her lover with me. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, it does. My ex and I were much the same.”

“It happens and you move on. Life has a funny way of showing you where you should be.”

“So, you haven’t had a proper kiss for over two years?”

“Don’t laugh, but no.”

“If we weren’t surrounded by nosey fuckers here, I’d fix that for you.”

“Imagine the looks on their faces if you did,” I said, and we both burst out laughing.

“Should we?” she teased.

“Do you think I’d refuse a kiss from a beautiful woman, Alison?”

“You think I’m beautiful, Des?”

“You’re the only woman in the room.”

“Oh. Save me,” she said, breathlessly as we both collapsed with laughter again.

“I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you a lift home and we’ll try it out. What do you say?”

“I say that I need to leave early.”

“Let’s take these plates back to the kitchen then,” I said.

Colette joined us in the kitchen.

“Leave those plates,” she said, “I’ll do them in the morning.”

“Alison has to go, Collette,” I said. “I’m gonna drop her home.”

“Ah fuck, Ali,” she said, “it’s still early and you haven’t had a drink.”

“Sorry, Collette, but I’m absolutely knackered,” she said, as she went to find her coat.

“Will you be back, Des?” Collette asked me.

“Yes, I’m just dropping her off and I’ll be straight back.”

“You’re fucking clueless, Des,” she said, “that girl has the absolute hots for you, can you not see it?”

“Fuck off, Collette—really?”

“Everyone can see it.”

“Ok look, I’m not doing anything while that other slut is still in the country. I’ll ask Alison for a date tomorrow night and see how it goes,” I said. “Besides, I’m totally whacked tonight, it’s been a big day.”

“Ok, take your time. I’ll leave a key in the meter box if you’re not back by the time we’re going to bed.”

“Thanks,” I said, and kissed her.

We said our goodbyes to the party and left. I opened the car door for her and held it as she sat delicately inside.

“You’ll have to excuse the mess, Alison, if this is your first time in a builder’s car.”

She smiled and touched my hand as I started it.

“Where to, fair princess?” I said.

“Do you know Riverside, Des?”

“I know it well, Alison, we’ve done a lot of work in that estate.”

“Ooh! Maybe I’ll get a bit of gossip?”

“Sorry, but I respect the confidentiality of my clients,” I said.

“Oh, sorry, Des. I was only joking.”

“So was I,” I said, “but there’s a cost.”

I pulled away from the kerb, glancing at her face as she decided on her reply.

“I may regret asking this, Des,” she said, “but what is the cost?”

“Ah I can’t tell you that just now, Alison.”

“I’m not sure I want to know in any case,” she said. “All of my neighbours are such wonderful people.”

“All of them?”

“Every single one,” she said, “I wouldn’t hear a bad word said about any of them.”

“Even Stephanie Grant?”

“What about her?” she said, as I turned into the estate.

“Where now?”

“First turn on the right, I live in number forty.”

I parked outside and switched the engine off. She fiddled with her hands as I unclipped my seatbelt. I took one of her hands.

“I apologise if I made you uncomfortable, Alison,” I said, “I won’t hold you to that kiss. I’m simply happy to have met you.”

“Really?”

“Really and genuinely. I’ve enjoyed being with you this evening, it was incredibly special. You are incredibly special.”

“Thank you, Des,” she said, softly, “I am extremely nervous. Sometimes my mouth gets me into trouble.”

“I hear ya,” I said, “with me it’s not sometimes, it’s all the time.”

She placed her hand on the side of my face and moved hers closer to mine.

“I do, however, want to kiss you, I’ve wanted to since you fed me that Szechuan thing earlier.”

“I’m famous for the seductivity of my fork manipulation technique, Alison.”

“Is that even a word?”

“It is now,” I whispered, as our lips moved closer together.

Our lips brushed each other’s slightly. She searched my face as her hand slid to the back of my head. I saw her eyes quickly glance at my lips just before they closed, and she kissed me softly.

She sighed as her arm went around me and held me in an embrace as we kissed. We sought comfortability as our lips familiarised themselves. We sought the familiarity of lovers as we adjusted our techniques, searching for the one that would be our own.

I felt my tongue slip quietly between her lips and join hers. I heard a satisfied breath exhale through her nose. I needed to touch her somewhere, but my hands were restricted. I placed my right hand on her knee and held it there for the duration of the longest kiss I had experienced in over two long, and lonely, years,

“Jesus, Alison. That was fantastic. We’re lucky we didn’t do that in front of everyone.”

She smiled.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, Des, I enjoyed it too. Now tell me about Stephanie Grant.”

“She’s had three boob jobs.”

“Fuck off! How do you know?”

“She showed them to me.”

“Fuck off! When?”

“She shows them to everyone,” I said.

“She never showed them to me.”

"Kiss me again and I'll show you a picture."

"I don't need an incentive," she whispered, as her lips drifted towards mine again.

"Good, because I don't have one," I replied, as my lips hungered for hers.

We remained in the car, just kissing and whispering sweet nothings that meant everything. The windows were fogged up and I saw her stifle a yawn.

"You're, tired, Alison," I said. "Go to bed."

"You look wiped too, Des."

"I've had a hectic day, to be honest."

"Is this it, Des?"

"What do you mean?"

"For us. A bit of kissing and goodbye?"

"I'd really love to see you again."

"I'd love that too, Des."

"Tomorrow evening? I'll book a table somewhere."

"Ooh, are you taking me for dinner?"

"Well, no, I thought a nice quiet game of snooker might be nice."

"I know that you're just messing," she said as she laughed.

"Text me your number," I said. "Where would you like to go?”

"Surprise me, Des. I like almost anything."

"I'll pick you up at 7:00."

"Lovely," she said, and kissed me again.

I watched her walk to her door and let herself in, she waved and blew me a kiss as I drove away. Her text arrived before I reached the end of her road.

The lights were off when I reached the house, I retrieved the key from the electricity meter box and let myself in. I slept soundly for the first time in a week and woke, refreshed, at 5:00. I showered, dressed and made my way to the airport, reaching the car park at 6:10. I just wanted this over with.

I stood outside the main Departures entrance and lit a smoke. Sue came along a few minutes later.

“What size shoes do you wear?” I asked her.

“Five.”

I threw my smoke on the ground. She hated that.

“Put one of them one that for me.”

I walked inside the Terminal, and she followed me to where some packing shelves cantilevered from the wall. I shoved the suitcase in her direction and pulled out a large envelope. I placed the Deed on the shelf and handed her a pen.

“Sign at the X on both lines.”

I photographed her as she signed. I picked it up, checked it was ok and handed her the envelope with the plane ticket, her cash, and her draft. She gave me the two phones and I turned to go.

“That’s it,” I said, “I won’t say it was nice knowing you.”

“Des …”

“Fuck off. Don’t ever contact me again.”

“But, Des,” she said, “there was a time that you loved me.”

“It’s funny how that disappears when I realised how much of a slut you are.”

“At least give me a hug.”

“I’d need an STD test result first.”

I left her behind me and walked to my car. I drove to the site, where I checked how the concrete was doing. It looked great as I walked around the footings. At 8:30, I felt the weight lift off me. She was gone, her flight had just departed according to the alert on my phone. A text alert made me smile. It was Alison.

“Morning, Des, did you survive the night?  X”

“With the help of a beautiful angel.”

“Stephanie Grant?”

“Yes, her and her 6 breasts.”

What are you up to today?”

“I’m over at the site checking to see if the concrete made it safely through the night.”

“You’re a devoted father. X.”

“Sometimes.”

“Fancy a coffee?”

“Yes, where?”

“40 Riverside Estate.”

“Will I bring fresh croissants?”

“You read my mind.”

“I’ll see you in a few.”

“XX”

I picked up some warm, freshly baked, croissants and drove to Alison’s house. She answered the door with a huge smile on her face and welcomed me inside.

“You look lovely, Alison,” I said as I appraised her in a pink floral dress.

“I fancied a me day for once, Des,” she said. “I also fancied another kiss.”

I took her in my arms and kissed her deeply, her arms encircled me and stroked the hair on the back of my head as it deepened and lingered. Our bodies closed together, and I was sure she must have felt the arousal that I failed to conceal. I could feel every little curve, bump, and line of her body through the thin fabric of her dress. She stepped back a little and let out a breath. She took my hand and led me to a seat in the dining room as we both gathered our thoughts. I handed her the bag of pastries. She smiled and brought a tray into the room. She looked distracted.

“What is it, Alison?”

“I hardly slept last night, Des.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to text you every hour on the hour.”

“For what?”

“To ask you to come back.”

“I’m here now.”

“I’ve never in my life said what I’m going to say now.”

“Ok, say it.”

“Please don’t think less of me if I do.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Will you make love to me, Des?”

“Yes, I want to so much, Alison,” I said, “but what about the coffee?”

“We can make more coffee.”

I followed her up the stairs to her bedroom, hypnotised by the beauty of her stride and the elegance of her sublime little bum. She stood by the side of her bed, and I unzipped her dress and allowed it to float to the floor leaving her in a seductive pink lace bra and thong. I undressed quickly as she laid down on the bed, reaching for me as she did so.

“It’s been such a long time for me, Des, and I’m not that experienced,” she whispered.

“You’re so beautiful, Alison, let’s see how we get on.”

We kissed with a depth that I never knew could exist. The room was light and airy, nothing existed beyond its walls. Her hands were all over my back and chest as I let my tongue slowly taste her skin, exploring her from her shoulders to her neck and elegant throat. A soft sigh emanated from within her as I kissed between her breasts and an encouraging groan as I released her bra.

Her breasts fell forward slightly, and my hand gently massaged one and held it softly as my lips found her soft pink nipple. She breathed in deeply as my teeth accidentally touched the side and it immediately hardened and became erect as she watched me enjoying her.

I slipped my hand between her legs and felt the inside of her thigh, her legs moved in time with the rising of her hips as my hands explored her softness, causing a tantalising feeling to build inside me and clamour for connection and release. I touched her vagina with the outside of my hand, it was impossibly wet, her thong glistened with dampness as I moved my face between her legs, gently pulling it down and off, leaving her hairless mons exposed to my tongue.

“Des,” she moaned.

“Yes?”

“I’ve never done oral.”

“Are you uncomfortable with it?”

“No, but I want to feel you inside me first please.”

I smiled at her, and she relaxed as I slid my body up to take her in my arms. The head of my penis found its way to her vaginal opening, and she adjusted its trajectory with her hand, exhaling loudly as I entered her tight, moist opening. I penetrated her fully, moving slowly and deliberately, trying to delay my climax. She moved against me, her hips and lower body undulating seductively and passionately in time with my movements.

“I think I’m gonna come, Des,” she breathed.

“I am too, Alison.”

“Don’t pull away, please. It’s safe,” she cried out. "Oh Jesus, Des, hold me please, I’m coming.”

We both came close together, her first and me shortly afterwards. It was a tumultuous feeling of release for us both and we laid together afterwards, listening to each other breathing, exchanging soft kisses, and coming back down to a haven provided by each other’s arms. Her steady breathing told me that she was sleeping so I closed my eyes and joined her, awakening later that evening with the sight of her beautiful blue eyes watching me, a smile on her beautiful lips. I rolled on my back and brought her with me.

“You’re an amazing lady, Alison,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry, Des, I just wanted you so much.”

“Are you really sorry?”

“No,” she giggled, and I kissed her.

“I suppose this means were not going out?” I said.

“Were you going to do oral on me earlier?”

“I wanted to.”

“Let’s order a Chinese and I can take a shower. Will you show me how?”

“How to give oral to a woman?”

“No, silly, I’d like to try it on you.”

“A man could so easily fall in love with you, Alison.”

“Here’s hoping, Des.”

I kissed her and we ordered some food. While she was in the shower, Devon called me on the phone.

“Are you watching TV?”

“No,”

“Where are you?”

“Alison’s.”

“Switch it on. The media is going fucking mental.”

“Why?”

“They’re dragging the Travers and Cullen out of their houses.”

“Fuck off,” I said, running downstairs and switching Alison’s TV on.

She walked into the room wrapped in a towel and asked what I was doing.

“Can you switch on the RTE News, love?”

She took the remote control and toggled it on. I caught the end where Cullen was being unceremoniously dragged from his house and placed in the back of a police car. Cynthia stood on the step waving to him, a huge smile on her face.

“Do you know that man, Des?” Alison asked.

“Yes, he’s pure slime,” I said. “Devon called to say this was on the news, it looks like I missed most of it.”

“Do you want to see it from the start?”

“Do you tape the news?”

“No, I can play it back on my Sky box.”

“I love technology.”

We watched it back together as they reported on a people trafficking complaint filed by an anonymous source that afternoon. The two Travers brothers, along with the eminent Dr. Andrew Cullen, leaders of the ring, were taken into custody following an irrefutable trove of video, audio and written evidence that had been received at Ballymun Garda station that evening.

It included evidence of the widespread physical and sexual abuse and illegal use of unvetted foreign workers who had been used as untrained care staff in the home. A full investigation by Immigration, Police, Revenue and Health officials had begun and the care homes had been closed with immediate effect. All of the patients had been dispersed across the city into competing homes and they expect a clamour for compensation from patient’s families in the coming weeks.

A forensic team was at work in the facility and at certain rooms at The Regency Hotel where claims of horrendous abuse was alleged to have been visited on unvetted foreign nationals on a regular basis.

It showed footage of Denis and Michael in their shirtsleeves being handcuffed and frog marched into two police vehicles. It also showed footage of patients on stretchers being wheeled into ambulances, yellow and blue flashing lights lighting up the exterior of the homes, but I'd never forget the sight of Andrew Cullen being dragged into a police car, drool falling from his mouth, snot running from his nose, his shirt pulled open and a large stain on his trousers where he had soiled himself, as he struggled with the handcuffs holding his wrists together behind his back.

I switched the TV off and sat back, stunned. Alison watched me as I picked up my phone and dialled Loomes.

“Good evening, Des, what can I do you for?”

“I thought you weren’t releasing that until tomorrow, Chas?”

“Yes, I wasn’t, but Liverpool are on TV tomorrow, and I didn’t want to miss it.”

“Ok, that’s fair enough. Well done.”

“You owe me €500.”

“I’ll give you a grand, you’re a good lad.”

“Any time Des. Nice work.”

“You too.”

Alison searched my eyes for clues, so I told her most of the story. She held my hand as I spoke. The Chinese delivery arrived, and it joined the coffee and croissants on the kitchen table as we went upstairs.