Alex Barclay - Harm's Reach

‘How do you feel about that?’ said Ren.

He shrugged. ‘Weird. I mean... in general. I guess I don’t understand going through all that for someone else. Aunt Laura was a good person. She and Ingrid were close. And Robert...’

‘And Robert what?’ said Ren.

‘Well... just I guess he gets people to do what he wants...’

‘What do you mean by that?’ said Ren.

‘Just he’s that kind of guy,’ said Conor. ‘He’s a nice man, I guess, but he likes to be in control.’

Hmm.

‘Do you like Robert?’ said Ren.

A flicker of something crossed Conor’s face. ‘Yes.’

‘You can be honest, here,’ said Ren. ‘You have to be honest... by law.’

He nodded. ‘I did like him. I do like him. He can be intimidating, that’s all. He’s a rich guy... he’s just different to regular people...’

‘Different how?’ said Ren.

‘I don’t know...’

‘And how do you get along with Ingrid?’ said Ren.

His face softened. ‘Good. I like Ingrid.’

‘And did you have a problem with her insisting you stay on at the ranch after your aunt’s death?’ said Ren.

‘That was Robert,’ he said.

‘No — it was Ingrid,’ said Ren.

Conor frowned. ‘Who told you that? Robert?’

Ooh — you do not like that man.

‘How did Robert get along with Laura?’ said Ren.

‘Good,’ said Conor. ‘They liked each other a lot. Aunt Laura’s very smart; they had lots to talk about.’

‘Did you ever get the sense there was anything more between them?’ said Ren.

‘No. No... no way.’ He paused. ‘But then, I’ve been away a lot...’

Ren nodded. ‘OK, back to when you were meeting Laura.’

‘I was coming from rehab that day,’ said Conor. ‘I forged a note from the Faules saying that I had chores at the abbey, so that the driver would let me out there. When he was gone, I walked to where I was to meet Aunt Laura...’ He stared at the ground, preparing for the next part. ‘She was already dead.’

‘I’m so sorry that you had to find your Aunt Laura — that you had to see her that way,’ said Ren.

‘That’s... that’s when I found out she was pregnant...’

Oh, dear God.

‘That must have been a terrible shock,’ said Ren. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘What time was that at?’ said Janine.

‘It was about — I don’t know — twelve thirty by the time I made it there?’ said Conor. He was clenching his jaw. His knee started bouncing up and down. ‘It was terrible.’

‘What did you do?’ said Janine.

‘I freaked,’ said Conor. ‘As I was walking toward the car, I could see this darkness on the windscreen. I thought it was shadows from the trees or something. It was... blood. I pulled open the driver’s door. She was dead. I knew she was. But I pulled her back to just... to just make sure she was... to check that she definitely wasn’t still breathing... but I knew, I knew...’ He welled up.

‘It’s OK,’ said Ren. ‘Take your time.’

‘Then... I couldn’t really move her back. And I was afraid I’d, you know, destroy evidence. I panicked. I ran back to the ranch.’

‘And did you have blood on your clothes?’ said Ren.

‘Yes,’ said Conor. ‘I did.’

‘What did you do with them?’ said Ren.

‘Put them in the garbage,’ said Conor.

‘Did anyone see you?’ said Ren.

‘I guess not,’ said Conor.

‘Did you sit inside the car?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Conor.

‘Are you sure about that?’ said Ren.

He nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘Conor, we found your fingerprints on the dash on the passenger side of the car...’

He started to cry. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘It’s all a blur. I guess I sat inside. I don’t want to think I did. The car was horrible.’ He shook his head. ‘I remember now. I... I wanted to get something to clean my hands. I was... covered in blood. I... thought there might be something in there... a cloth, whatever.’

‘Did you find anything?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Conor. ‘No.’ He rubbed his face.

‘Conor, why didn’t you tell the Faules about what happened?’ said Ren. ‘Or why didn’t you call the authorities?’

He looked up at her, fear flickering in his eyes.

Ren thought of the ranch, the burnt-out car, the Faules’ rehab facility plans, the murder of Laura Flynn, the terrible collision of circumstances that could destroy a business like The Darned Heart overnight.

Oh my God. Did you tell the Faules and they silenced you?

Conor Gorman shifted in his seat. ‘I don’t know why I didn’t do anything,’ he said. ‘I was freaking out. I... she was dead. There was nothing anyone could do... I mean... I was covered in blood. What if someone thought I did it? I was... getting treatment for anger issues... I didn’t think any of that would look good.’

They waited for him to continue. He didn’t.

‘You said earlier that you were aware of the possibility of destroying evidence,’ said Ren, ‘so you must know that as time passes, evidence is also compromised.’

‘Yes,’ said Conor. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight. I... just... I can’t believe it now, even.’

‘Do you know anything about the car that was burnt out at the ranch that morning?’ said Ren. ‘Someone made a call about it at twelve thirty p.m.’

‘No,’ said Conor. ‘I heard afterwards, but just that it was an accident.’

‘Conor, did you steal the car from the ranch to get to where you were meeting your aunt?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Conor. ‘I didn’t. I told you. I got dropped off by the bus. You can ask the driver.’

‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘Conor, can you talk to us about why you were sent to The Darned Heart in the first place? I’d like to hear your side of things.’

‘I was causing trouble,’ he said. ‘The atmosphere had gotten really bad at home. I was convinced they were all, like, planning something or trying to get rid of me. I found out at rehab that that was probably because of all the dope I was smoking. It makes you think stuff like that. And I’d been doing a lot of it, and a lot more drinking, sneaking out, staying out late. I totally believed that Aunt Laura had regretted taking me in after my mom died and that I was embarrassing her, so by the time Robert was sending me here, I was kind of OK with it. Until I got here. I didn’t like it. I tried to run, but Kenneth caught me before I even left the building. It didn’t matter... I didn’t want to be there, everyone knew it and, luckily, the Princes said I could come back and spend New Year with them and Laura in the Hamptons.’

‘And when did you go back to the ranch again?’ said Ren.

‘A couple days after that... after I crashed Robert’s car. It was bad. I knew I could have died. Aunt Laura begged me to sort myself out, told me she couldn’t provide for us without her job, and that we were lucky to have the Princes and that I wasn’t to do anything to rock the boat. Obviously, now I know she was pregnant by then too, so... it was probably even worse for her. I didn’t want to mess things up... it was my mom’s anniversary and it just hit me hard — she wouldn’t have wanted this for me. There was no way that she did everything she did, worked so hard, to have a son who was a loser. Like, she was doing all this for me, and then I grow up and be a druggie or a drunk? That was it for me. So I agreed to go to the ranch and to do my last semester there and stay through the summer.’

‘Who chose The Darned Heart?’ said Ren.

He shrugged. ‘Robert, I guess. I mean, he was paying for it. They were able to get me a place quickly... I know there’s a waiting list because it’s so out of the way — it’s not one of the famous ones that the paparazzi stalk. And the staff doesn’t leak information. There are some seriously famous kids here.’