Page 201 of Releasing 10
Don’t let yourself remember.
“I’ll take you with me, though. Wherever I end up, I’ll always have your pictures.”
Protect yourself and don’t ever go back there.
Never again.
“And I’ll aways be with you, too. You’ll never forget me, munchkin.”
Just block it out.
“A girl never forgets her first.”
Let yourself go.
Just drift off.
“And I’ll always be your first everything, munchkin.”
Up, up, and away.
TARGET ON THE BACK
Hugh
APRIL 30, 2000
IT TOOK SIX DAYS FORCAOIMHE’S BODY TO BE RELEASED BACK TO THE FAMILY, ANDeven then, her parents were told it would take time for the autopsy report to be finalized.
When my babysitter returned to Old Hall House, it was in a brown coffin that had to remain closed because of the damage caused to her body while in the river.
The whole town showed up to the wake to pay their respects to the family, and there had been a steady flow of traffic coming and going from the house all day. She would spend her last night in her family’s home, surrounded by the people who loved her most.
When tomorrow came, on what should have been her nineteenth birthday, Caoimhe Young would be laid to rest after twelve o’clock mass, in the adjoining graveyard of St. Patrick’s Church.
Forever eighteen.
I hadn’t left Liz’s side for a moment until today, when I had to go to town with Mam to get measured for a suit for the funeral. When I got back to Lizzie’s house a couple of hours later, I found her exactly where I left her. But it wasn’t Gibsie keeping her company, like I had implicitly instructed him to do.
It was Mark.
Lizzie was sitting on the tree swing, with her feet trailing in the mud, while that prick sat on the second swing we had added a few years back.
The minute I saw him, I was incensed.
“Hey!” I roared, climbing over the wooden fence and bolting toward them. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Mark narrowed his eyes as I approached. “I’m talking to her.”
“No, you’re not,” I countered, moving to stand between them. “You have nothing to say that she needs to hear.”
I didn’t want him anywhere near Liz. It had taken me six days to get her out of that bed, and I wasn’t about to let that prick upset her with talk of her sister.
Besides, the time for talking was weeks ago.
The fact that he and Caoimhe hadn’t reached outonceto my family or his in those three weeks didn’t sit well with me.
If he was telling the truth about Liz having a mental breakdown—and I couldn’t prove he wasn’t—it meant they had kept her in that house for three fucking weeks without seeking medical intervention.
