Page 64 of Calling Frank O'Hare

‘Bronagh’s words not mine. According to her, he’s been up and down like a yo-yo. One minute depressed and the next, picking fights with her for no reason.’

‘That doesn’t sound like Martin. Is it trouble with his business, do you think?’

‘No. All good there. Bronagh thinks it’s down to the second complaint.’ Siobhan paused for effect, and also because she knew this wasn’t going to go down well. She wasn’t close in the conventional sense to Frank, but there were certain things she knew about him that he didn’t know she knew.

‘And that is?’ Frank was sounding a bit tetchy, as if he had any right to be.

‘Eve Macintyre. Bronagh says they’re having an affair. He’s been seeing a lot of her anyway, and Bronagh’s convinced.’ She stopped. That was enough for now.

Frank cleared his throat. ‘She’s back in Belfast then?’

Jesus. Was that the only question on his lips right now? Was that really the only thing that sprung to mind after that shocker? Sometimes Frank was such a disappointment. ‘Well, obviously.’

‘What about Billy?’

‘Bronagh didn’t mention him. You haven’t seen him yourself recently then?’ she said, in the full knowledge that he hadn’t.

‘Not in a long time.’

No of course not. How can a friendship come back from that? If you could call it a friendship. Wankers, the pair of them. ‘Are you going to talk to Martin about it?’

‘I guess so. Unless you think I should keep quiet in case he does another runner.’

Oh, so now he was asking her advice?Too little too late, brother dear. You are not getting out of this one by sticking your head in the sand.‘I think you should talk to him. Do it when you’re somewhere remote, so he’s got nowhere to run to.’

‘Good idea. I’ll do that. We’re staying in the Cairngorms tomorrow. I’ll do it then.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Frank’s sudden positivity and determination was unexpected and blew her away, but only for a minute or two. ‘Will you listen to yourself, five days in the wilderness and you’ve gone all “can do”. You want to be careful there.’

Frank laughed. At one of her jokes. It was unnerving. ‘Must be something in the air up here. You should try it.’

‘Thanks all the same, but if I’m gonna find myself, I’d rather do it in a spa, with a bottle of Prosecco. Listen, I’m going to book a flight home for Martin. I’ll send it to you. I’ll send it to Finn as well, in case your ancient phone doesn’t pick it up.’

‘That would be great. Thank you. I’ll let Finn know. Could you give us three days? That’ll be time to get back to Finn’s first.’

Three days was one more day than she’d have liked, but she was in a good mood now, what with Frank laughing at her jokes and all. ‘Okay. Let me know when he’s on the plane.’

‘Will do. Well, you have a good night, Siobhan. I’ll speak to you again soon.’

Siobhan stared at the phone. What just happened there? Did her miserable curmudgeon of a brother wish her a good night? Did he say thank you? That Highland air must be one strong fecking elixir. She’d better call Ma with the latest.

She checked the time. The news would be starting right about now. Maybe later then. There were some things you didn’t mess with.

42

The conflict business

Road trip day five had been a success in Frank’s eyes. Right up to the point where Siobhan had delivered her news. From that moment on, the day hadn’t looked so good. So Martin was playing away. With Eve of all people. What was he thinking? What was Eve thinking? Only Finn left to go and she’ll have left her mark on the lot of them. Frank wondered if Billy knew, or even if she was still with Billy. She must still be with him, otherwise Martin would have gone to her when Bronagh threw him out. Unless he had and she’d told him she didn’t want him. He wouldn’t put it past her.

Frank had tried Netta unsuccessfully, then called Siobhan from the harbour in Mallaig while the others waited in a pub. When he got to the pub, he made out there was no news. He didn’t want Martin doing another runner. As he said to Siobhan, he’d bide his time and wait until there was nowhere for Martin to run to, except the top of a mountain. Even Martin wasn’t that much of an escapologist.

Frank wasn’t one for conflict. That was probably his downfall. If he had been willing to face difficult conversations in the past, things might have turned out differently, but it had always been hard to ignore that first golden rule when it had been drummed into you from the moment you could talk. He’d been reasonably successful at staying out of trouble when others around him were up to their neck in it. He’d done that by keeping his head down and avoiding said conflict. But he could see now that hadn’t always been the best strategy. In truth, he hadn’t really stayed out of trouble. He'd just pretended it wasn’t there. But that was before this week. This trip was forcing him to revisit the past and this time, Frank was going to take it on with his head up. Today, he’d thrown himself into the freezing cold water without fear. He was a new man now, or at least he was going to be from this day on. So that meant facing things, even if those things ended in a massive bust up. So there it was, his plan of action. Get Martin somewhere remote. Confront him about his affair with Eve and his lying. Get him back to Glasgow and on the plane home. Let the parents talk some sense into him.

Frank waited until they’d set up camp on day six. Stunning as the Cairngorms were, he wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted. He was a man with a plan, and he was about to invoke it. ‘So, I spoke to Siobhan yesterday. She’s been talking to Bronagh.’

‘How’s Bronagh doing?’ Martin’s face was full of concern, the lying, sneaky bastard.

‘She’s bearing up, as far as I know. She filled Siobhan in on the details behind her throwing you out.’

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