Page 57 of Calling Frank O'Hare

Frank pulled her up. ‘Do you want me to help you to your room?’

‘No, I can manage to walk all the way to the lift on my own. You go and see to your guests. You might want to keep an eye on Finn as well. I think he’s on something. Probably got it from your missus.’ She waddled off, only to be stopped by Adrian who gave her his arm and walked her to the lift. That was a fella who took his best man duties seriously.

Frank couldn’t see Finn anywhere, but he noticed Gavin at the bar. He’d been trying to get him alone all day. He went over and pulled up a stool.

Gavin pushed a glass of champagne over to him. ‘Finishing it off before your brother-in-law does.’

It was a poor joke that Frank didn’t appreciate. It was okay for Siobhan to say Dermot was a twat. It was even okay for Frank to say it. But it was categorically not okay for Gavin to imply it. ‘I can’t believe you let Ellen get high today. For fuck’s sake, Gavin.’

‘You make it sound like I had a hand in it. It was all done and dusted by the time I came in to do my brotherly duties. It was far too late by then to do anything except brave it out. If you were so concerned about it, why didn’t you check her bags before she left?’

‘Why would I do that? How could I have known?’

Gavin frowned and smiled at the same time. ‘Isn’t it obvious? Good grief man, do you walk around blindfolded? It’s not as if I haven’t given you enough hints.’

38

The episode – 1984

Frank switched on the hall light, closed the door, took off his wet coat and hung it up. London was bleak and dreary in October at the best of times, but tonight was a filthy one. He was glad to get in.

He was working in a book shop now. It wasn’t what he’d envisaged doing when he’d finished his degree but that was hardly surprising. While others had spent the last months of their university life working towards their future career, Frank had spent his making plans with Ellen for a future that he could see, in hindsight, was all about her. He’d entered university with all sorts of ambitious ideas about being a journalist, or a writer, or an artist, or all three. When he exited, his only ambition was to be Ellen’s husband. That was sort of crap really, but at least it was an ambition fulfilled. But if you’ve done everything you set out to do by the time you were twenty-two, what did you do with the rest of your life? He had no idea.

The remainder of the flat was in darkness. Ellen must have gone out. He went into the kitchen, filled the kettle and switched it on. Before it had a chance to boil, he’d switched it off again because he thought he’d heard something in the living room. There it was again, a whimpering sound like a hurt animal. Instinctively, he grabbed a knife. He heard it again. His first thought was the Balaclavas had come for him, something he’d been dreading ever since the day they got Billy. Oh fuck. Had they taken it out on Ellen?

He switched the living room light on and a scream rang out that chilled his bones. ‘Ellen!’ Anger overtook his dread and his fear went. He was ready to slash any bastard that had touched her.

But there was no one here that he could see, except he could still hear her. He followed the sound and found her crouched behind the sofa.

She saw the knife and screamed again. ‘Don’t kill me.’

He threw it down. ‘It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I thought we had intruders. I thought they’d hurt you.’

‘But we have. They’ve come for me. They’re going to kill me.’

‘Who? When did they come? What did they say? What were they wearing?’ So they had found him. He was done for, and if he didn’t act quick, Ellen would be too. ‘Where are they now, Ellen?’

She pointed at the window. ‘There. Look.’

The flat was on the fourth floor and it was a sheer drop from that window. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing to see except his own reflection. She was confused. It was the terror. He’d seen it before, back home. He knelt in front of her. ‘They’re not there now. It’s okay, you’re safe.’

Ellen edged away. ‘Don’t be stupid, Frank. They’re right behind you. There’s one on your back and he’s going to kill you too.’

After an hour of trying to persuade her there was nothing there, Frank accepted something was wrong that he couldn’t fix on his own. He didn’t know what had happened but one thing was sure, the men in balaclavas had not called. He rang the only person he could think of that might be able to help. Gavin said he’d come straight away.

Gavin brought a doctor friend with him. ‘He specialises in this sort of thing.’

‘What sort of thing?’ said Frank.

Gavin shrugged. ‘I’m not a doctor.’

‘What has she been taking?’ asked the actual doctor.

Frank was confused. ‘Taking?’

He looked at Frank like he was an idiot, or an accomplice. Or an idiot and accomplice. ‘Your wife has taken something that has induced a psychotic episode. Do you know what it was?’

‘What? No. I’m sorry, this has come as a shock. I just came in and found her like this. She doesn’t do drugs. She told me she’d stopped after we got married.’ He turned to Gavin, hoping his brother-in-law would back him up. ‘I thought the last time she took them was on our wedding day. She promised me…’ It was useless. Frank could see that now. Ellen had broken her promise and Gavin was not about to offer any words of support.

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