Page 9 of The Guilty Girl

‘Not my thing.’

She headed away from the noisy house. ‘Music sounds a bit mental. Seems to be a big crowd there. I’m sure Mrs McAllister won’t be too pleased if the place gets smashed up. I’d say she’s walking around flicking a duster everywhere.’

‘She’s not there. Shit.’ Sean clamped a hand to his mouth.

‘What? The adults are not at home?’

‘I’m saying nothing. I’m tired. Can you drive faster?’

‘I wouldn’t have let you go to it if I’d known it was going to be a free-for-all.’

‘It’s grand. Just music and drinks. Celebrating the end of exams before everyone heads to college. I know I’ve another year left, but sometimes I like to have a little fun, you know. Maybe you should try it.’

His words stung. Lottie bit her tongue, holding back a retort. Sean was right. She was boring and couldn’t think when she’d last had any fun. But at her stage of life, on the wrong side of forty, she supposed it was to be expected.

‘I just hope they’re behaving themselves,’ she said, ‘and no one gets hurt.’

‘Why would anyone get hurt?’

‘I’ve seen the aftermath of wild parties. Trust me, Sean, things can go belly-up very quickly. Are there drugs there?’

Her son remained silent.

6

Hannah saw Cormac palming the pills into his pocket. She rushed over to him.

‘She’s a bitch,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘That’s all there is to it.’

‘What did she do to you?’

Angrily she jabbed at her phone. ‘She … Doesn’t matter. I tried to talk to her about something, but she totally ignored me.’

‘What do you mean?’

Swallowing her rage, she said, ‘Did you see the guy at the front door acting like a bouncer? He’s my athletics coach. Noel Glennon. Teaches PE at our school too. I only wanted to know why he was here.’

‘Did she tell you?’

‘No, but it seems weird and creepy for a teacher to be at a teen party.’

‘Suppose so. And she wouldn’t tell you why?’

‘Nope. Lucy can be such a pain.’

‘Ask him yourself, if you know him.’

‘It’s too embarrassing. He must be thirty or even forty years old. It’s wrong. It gives me the creeps. I’m going home.’

‘Wait. Don’t go yet. I got you a present.’

Hannah gawked as he opened up the fingers on his fisted hand to reveal two pink pills.

‘You need to lighten up a little,’ he said. ‘Have some fun. Take one. Just the one. You won’t regret it.’

She looked doubtful. ‘There could be rat poison in them.’

‘Ah, come on,’ Cormac insisted. ‘That’s just in the movies. You’ve got to live.’