Cecelia Ahern - Lyrebird

‘I told him,’ Barry interrupts, behind him.

‘Barry,’ he warns, and Barry leaves the hut swearing.

‘We are given a list of people who are allowed to visit. It’s a very strict list. If you want to visit somebody in the house you’re supposed to contact the production office, who then alert us. We’re not allowed to let any Tom, Dick or Harry just waltz in. And you’re not even family. And it’s ten o’clock at night. Too late for visitors.’

‘I understand that, I appreciate that. And that’s the way it should be, but I know that Laura wants to see me. I’m not on the list because she didn’t know that I was able to visit, but I can and now if you let her know that I’m here, I promise you this won’t be a waste of time.’

He looks at Solomon like he’s trying to figure him out.

He picks up the phone and the relief floods through Solomon.

‘Simon, it’s Richie. I’ve got a visitor for Lyrebird. Yeah. He’s here right now. Not on the list but he wants to see her.’

‘Solomon Fallon,’ Solomon says, realising he hasn’t even asked him his name.

‘Solomon Fallon,’ he says down the phone. He listens. They wait. ‘They’re checking,’ he says. He looks around as he waits a little longer.

Something’s up. Solomon senses something amiss. He looks at the phone and realises that Richie isn’t even on the phone. He hasn’t made a real phone call, this is all a farce. When Solomon listens carefully he can hear the dial tone on the other end of the phone.

‘This is bullshit. Fucking bullshit.’ He swipes all the paperwork off the table and storms out and gets into his car. Barry outside salutes him, while Richie shrugs as if it was worth a try.

‘Contact the production office,’ Richie repeats firmly, tapping the hood of the car with his hand.

Solomon puts his foot down and drives away at top speed, his blood rushing, his heart racing with anger.

A knock on the door wakes Laura the following morning and Simon from StarrGaze Entertainment tells her that Curtis is here. She slips on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt and an oversized cardigan that she hugs around her body for protection. It’s one that Solomon chose for her in Cork. She leaves her freshly washed hair down so she can hide her face and pads barefoot downstairs to the meeting room.

Curtis sits at the head of a dining table. The dining room faces the front of the house, Laura pauses at the door and looks at the window.

‘Sit down,’ he says.

‘Can they see us?’

He looks out the window. ‘You’re worried about being seen now?’ He stands up and closes the curtains anyway.

‘Thanks,’ she says quietly, nervously.

‘StarrGaze has done a lot for you. We welcomed you, treated you well, gave you an international platform, flew you to Australia, paid for your clothes, hair, hotels. We haven’t held back on anything.’

‘I know and I truly-’

He continues as if she hasn’t spoken. ‘We are a family show. Our demographic from sixteen to thirty-four is over seventy per cent.’ He maintains his hostile stare, as if to emphasise that she really needs to grasp this. ‘We expect you to adhere to the contract you signed, which stipulates that you will not do anything to harm the good image and brand of StarrQuest and StarrGaze Entertainment.’

He doesn’t let her get a word in edgeways.

‘We’ve talked and we reached the decision that you can proceed with the remainder of the show. We will allow you to perform in the final.’

He leaves a long pause and Laura looks at him, eyes wide. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might be removed from the show.

He looks as if he’s waiting for something.

‘Thank you,’ she whispers, her throat catching, feeling like she’s been given an extra life that she never even knew she needed.

‘You’re welcome,’ he says sombrely. ‘But you have an uphill struggle. You have a lot of people to convince, a lot of minds to change.’

Laura nods, her head racing.

He stands up and speaks as though his words have been learned, rehearsed, written for him. ‘I recognise that your life has changed immensely. It’s a lot to take on board. StarrQuest has a qualified therapist available to you, if you so wish. I advise you to speak with him. Would you like me to arrange an appointment?’

Laura thinks of sitting down with somebody else from StarrQuest and having to explain herself. It wouldn’t make anything better. It would make her relive it all over again and all she wants to do is forget it happened.

She shakes her head.

‘If you change your mind, you should tell your handler. I suggest you don’t talk to anyone before your performance. No media. And that’s not a suggestion, it’s a direct request on behalf of StarrQuest .’

‘Okay.’ She clears her throat. ‘What about the documentary? Jack was going to speak with-’

‘With Mouth to Mouth productions – yes, your relationship with them has ended.’ He says this with an air of finality.

She feels tears rush to her eyes. It’s confirmed. It’s real. She is truly disconnected from Solomon and that breaks her heart, and she feels her face flush and her eyes become hot with tears. She’s afraid to ask if it’s because Bo and Solomon don’t want her now as a result of Monday night’s behaviour or if it’s Curtis simply getting his way. Despite her loss she’s relieved she can hide from Solomon, she’s too embarrassed to face him now. She had tried to convince herself that he may not have seen the papers but she needs to be realistic, his brother is in the photographs, his family will all see them, his friends, his kind neighbours that she met at his mother’s party. All those people who were so good to her will see what a mess she made of herself.

As Curtis leaves, he stalls, almost as if he’s having second thoughts, a change of heart, if he had one. Laura’s heart hammers as she waits for him to say that it’s okay, she can see Solomon. Or she’s out of the show.

‘This story will run in a few days. I was given a copy in advance that you should see, to give you a chance to respond to it.’

He places a large brown envelope down on the table and he leaves.

She stares at the brown envelope, her heart pounding.

There’s a knock on the door and she turns around. It opens but there’s no one there. Then a face appears at the doorframe, but not a human face. It’s Alan’s ventriloquist doll, Mabel. Alan is nowhere in sight.

Mabel clears her throat.

‘Hi, Mabel.’ Laura smiles.

‘Mabel wants to know if Lyrebird wants a cup of tea. Lyrebird hasn’t eaten since she arrived yesterday I hear. Alan is making one.’

‘Thank you, Mabel,’ Laura smiles. ‘You’re very kind. You can call me Laura though.’

‘Okay, Laura,’ she says shyly, and Laura laughs. Even though Mabel doesn’t blush, she’s so lifelike and Alan is so good at moving her entire face that she seems real.

Alan then sticks his head around the doorframe. Laura likes Alan. He auditioned the same night as her. He’s a nice man. A peculiar man. Forty years old and lives with his parents, he puts all his money into Mabel and his act. He has a kind heart and is hugely talented.

‘Congratulations, Alan. I didn’t know you’d gotten through, I missed the show last night.’ She feels embarrassed for shutting out a night so important to her fellow contestants, her selfishness breaking through again.

‘Thank you. Feeling pretty rough today, Mabel made me stay up and drink a bottle of Jameson to celebrate.’

Laura laughs.

‘Mabel told me she can call you Laura, does that mean I can too?’

‘Of course.’

He steps inside, almost tiptoes, as if he shouldn’t be here. He’s like that everywhere, acts as though he shouldn’t be there, as if he’s in people’s way, but as soon as Mabel is on his arm, he becomes another man, witty, charming, naughty even. He says things as Mabel that Laura doesn’t imagine Alan even thinks. He brings nothing but joy to people.