No Way to Say Goodbye - Anna McPartlin [105]
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Go home,” she said. “Go on – get out.”
He stood there trying to process what she’d said.
“Get out!” Alina roared, angered by his failure even to pretend to fight for her, but he didn’t move. She ran at him.
“Get out of my house!” She shoved him into the hallway. She opened the front door and threw his suitcases into the garden. He followed them and turned to her.
“When the kids ask why their dad doesn’t live here any more, I’m going to tell them,” she said. “There’ve been enough lies in this house.”
The door slammed, and Adam was alone.
What have I done?
Mary, Sam and Ivan were halfway through breakfast when Adam arrived with his suitcases. He dropped them by the table and sat in beside Sam, facing Mary and Ivan.
“What’s this?” Ivan asked.
“She threw me out.”
“About time,” Mary said.
“OK, rub it in.”
“Maybe if one of us had said something a little earlier, your marriage wouldn’t be in such a bloody mess and Penny wouldn’t be an alcoholic.”
“That’s all I need! First my wife and now you! Anyone else want to jump into the ring?”
“She’s right,” Ivan said. “It was only a matter of time before it all ended in misery.”
“Jesus.” Adam sighed. “Have you anything to say?” he asked Sam.
“Your friends have summed the situation up perfectly.”
“I’ve been a selfish arsehole,” Adam realized.
“Yes, you have,” Mary agreed.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and began to cry.
Mary escorted Adam to her room so that he could compose himself in private. While he took a shower she called the hospital to check on Penny. She was told that if there were no complications she’d be discharged the next day. She ordered some breakfast for Adam, which arrived just after he emerged from the bathroom.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Are you all right?” she asked. All trace of animosity had disappeared.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll let things settle and call the kids tomorrow – or do you think tomorrow is too soon?” For the first time in his life Adam seemed unsure.
“I think tomorrow would be fine.”
“OK.”
Ivan had phoned his friend who had been to the drying-out facility in Dublin. Now he had a contact name and number. He made the call and Lorraine Ryan explained that they would be happy to admit his friend but only if she was a willing patient. He told her he’d ring her back. An hour later he met up with the others in the hotel lobby.
“Do you think she’ll agree?” he said worriedly.
“I’ll talk to her,” Adam said.
“She needs to hear it from all of you,” Sam said.
“He’s right,” Mary said.
“OK, so today we go home and tomorrow we come back and talk to her,” Ivan said.
“I’ll stay here,” Adam said. “She’ll be awake later.”
“Are you going to tell her about Alina?” Mary asked.
“No,” he said, “this isn’t about me. It’s about Penny.”
“At last he sees the light,” Ivan said.
Adam agreed to phone them that night with an update and, all going well, they agreed to meet back at the hotel the next morning. Adam walked them to the door and Mary hugged him, assuring him that everything would be all right. It’s a little late for that, he thought.
Garda Sheehan was on Mary’s doorstep just in time for afternoon tea. She made a pot and put out some sandwiches. He patted his belly and mentioned that he shouldn’t indulge, but of course he did. He was munching his third before he brought up the subject of Penny’s car. He took out a pen and notepad. “And you’re sure she left it here?” he asked, referring to the brief details with which she had provided him over the phone.
“I rang her from the road. She said she’d drop it over. Mine is in the garage and she was going to Dublin anyway,” she said, lying through her teeth.
“So you never actually saw it?”
“No. It was gone when I got home. I was waiting for the AA for ever.”
“And you’re sure she left it here?”
“I’m sure.”
“Did she phone you and tell you she’d left it?”
“No.”
“Then if you didn’t see it, how do you know she left it?”
Crap, I should have said yes. “My neighbour saw