Finishing Touches (33 page)

Barbara was just about to get out of bed to go to the kitchen when she heard the key in the door.

‘Shit!’ she cursed aloud. Cassie must have come back from Port Mahon. Her lovely peaceful weekend was up the creek!

Judy O’Shaughnessy was in an awful rush as she slipped her key into the lock of the flat. Her heart sank when she drove up in the taxi to see that Detective
Murray’s car was parked outside the door. She found him terribly hard going and what Barbara saw in him she could not make out. Anyway, she didn’t have time to be worrying about Barbara
and Sherlock Murray, as Aileen had unkindly christened him. Judy grinned as she thought of Aileen. She had thoroughly enjoyed her few days in London, and had come back with her eyebrows and
eyelashes tinted, legs waxed and nails manicured. It was handy having a beautician for a sister. Still, she needed to be looking her best this weekend of all weekends.

Tonight, Andrew Lawson was picking her up at ten-thirty to take her to dinner at Capri, the plush restaurant Laura had once worked in. She knew Andrew Lawson in a business capacity. His firm
often rented cars for his clients at the airport and she had to deal with them. She had met him several times in Sachs nightclub and had even danced with him but it wasn’t until she had found
herself unexpectedly sitting beside him on the plane to London that she had ever got into a conversation with him. He was gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous and she had really enjoyed the flight. When he
asked her what she was doing on the following Saturday night she hadn’t let on that she was going to be in London, just in case he asked her out.

‘Nothing planned,’ she murmured lightly, telling a little fib.

‘Would you care to have dinner with me, then?’ he enquired, his eyes smiling into hers in a way that had left her quite bemused. He had the most striking green eyes.

‘I’d love to,’ Judy responded, hoping against hope that she’d be able to get a flight on the Saturday afternoon instead of Sunday afternoon. She gave him her address
before they touched down. Watching him stride off the plane, his trenchcoat flapping behind him, she thought, wow!

‘Huh!’ teased Aileen when she heard of this development after they met at Heathrow. ‘So I’m being dropped for a dish in a trenchcoat.’ She had just managed to get a
glimpse of Andrew in the arrivals hall.

‘Oh he’s something else,’ bubbled Judy. ‘All the girls on the desk are mad about him. He’s always got women raving over him.’

‘Well, play it cool,’ warned her sister.

‘As a cucumber,’ Judy assured her.

‘What’s the news from home? How are Ma and Cassie and Laura and Barbara?’ Aileen was chuffed to see her sister and they settled down on the taxi-ride to exchange all the
gossip. Judy had been looking forward to the few days with Aileen, although her mother had nearly had a fit when she said she was flying over to London.

‘And leaving me here all alone with not a sinner to call on if I’m in trouble? That’s lovely! The pair of you haven’t a thought for your poor old mother. That other
one’ – thus did Angela O’Shaughnessy refer to her elder daughter – ‘doesn’t give a rap about me. Taking off to London to put make-up on other people’s
faces when she had a perfectly good permanent and pensionable job in the Corporation. I hope you’re not getting any such ideas, my lady!’

‘No, Mother, I’m not,’ Judy said patiently. ‘I just have a few days’ holidays and I thought I’d pop over and see Aileen.’ That remark was a mistake.

‘Oh! And you couldn’t be bothered to spend a few days with your poor mother. This house needs to be papered and painted. I don’t see you helping me the way Cassie Jordan helps
her mother. You could have asked me if I’d like to go with you,’ Angela sniffed. ‘I wouldn’t mind a trip to London myself.’

‘Oh that would be impossible, Mother. I’ve booked on an Apex flight and you have to book them weeks in advance!’ Judy fibbed hastily, with visions of her lovely few days being
ruined completely.

Judy’s mother was so put out that it was only talking to Cassie that made Judy stick to her plan.

‘You’ll get on that plane, Judy O’Shaughnessy, if I have to put you on it myself,’ the older girl threatened. ‘It’s only for a few days and your mother will
be fine, believe me. She can always ring Mam if she has to.’

It was such a relief to get on the plane, away from the tensions of the flat and away from her mother. It really wasn’t working out, sharing with Barbara. Even though they had been friends
for years, Barbara was not an easy person to live with on a day-to-day basis. Come live with me to know me, or words to that effect, someone had once said. Well, it was true of Barbara. When there
had been just Aileen and Cassie and herself in the flat, it had been fun, but then Barbara had arrived and the whole atmosphere of the place had changed. It was amazing how one person could effect
such a transformation. Barbara was so totally self-centred and blithely unaware of the fact that when you were living with other people you had to make an effort and make allowances. She was
incredible, actually, and Judy didn’t know what she was going to do when Cassie left to go to London to live. Judy didn’t think she could cope with Barbara on her own.

It had been so relaxing in London with Aileen . . . well, not relaxing, exactly! Her sister had whizzed her around showing her the sights, but it had been a terrifically exciting few days and
Judy had enjoyed it immensely, particularly the shopping for clothes. The icing on the cake had been Andrew Lawson’s dinner invitation, in honour of which she had bought a little black number
in Richard’s Shop. Judy glanced at her watch as she struggled into the hall with her duty-free bags and case. She’d have to get a move on, as the only flight she could get had left her
very stuck for time.

Rushing into the bedroom, she came to a halt at the sight of Ian Murray sitting bare-chested in Barbara’s bed, surrounded by beer cans and empty plates, and Barbara glaring at her, quite
shameless in a black negligee that hid nothing at all.

‘What are you doing home?’ Barbara demanded. ‘You weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow!’

Judy was speechless. Barbara was making
her
feel like a culprit.

A rare anger ripped through Judy. After all, it was
her
bedroom as well as Barbara’s and she was paying exactly the same rent.

‘I want to get changed, Barbara! If you don’t mind . . . Detective Murray,’ she said coldly.

‘Uh, oh right,’ muttered the embarrassed detective. ‘If you could just excuse me until I get dressed.’

‘Certainly,’ Judy snapped icily. The cheek of that Barbara one trying to make her feel bad about coming into her own bedroom! By golly, when she got her on her own there was going to
be the mother and father of a row. Judy marched into the kitchen to put the kettle on for a badly needed cup of tea. On the table, the bare carcase of a cold chicken sat in lonely splendour. Judy
picked at it absentmindedly as she waited for the kettle to boil. Her eyes widened as a thought struck her. When she flung open the fridge door her suspicions were confirmed. Her chicken had been
devoured. She had cooked it specially so she would have something to eat on her arrival home from London, not realizing that she was going to be wined and dined by Andrew Lawson, and now Barbara
and beady-eyes had gone and scoffed it. It really was the last straw! Judy decided. The straw that broke the camel’s back. Some things were going to change – and how!

‘Cripes, would you look at the radiant bride! What the hell is the matter with you?’ Aileen flung her arms around Laura, who was standing with Cassie in the
arrivals hall in Dublin airport.

‘It’s good to see you. You look great,’ Laura grinned, hugging her friend back.

‘Can’t say the same about you, dear. You need the services of a fairy godmother . . . or a beautician! Hi, Cassie! How’s the girl?’

‘All the better for seeing you, you rip!’ Cassie laughed, as she too was enveloped in a great bearhug.

‘Lead the way to the bar, women. I could murder a Bloody Mary,’ Aileen said, her eyes dancing with pleasure at the sight of the girls. ‘I think the pilot was suffering from
Parkinson’s disease. It was a hell of a jumpy flight.’ Aileen rolled her eyes dramatically and Cassie thought to herself that, really, her friend should have pursued an acting career.
She would have won an Oscar by now.

Ten minutes later, seated at a quiet table in a corner of the bar, they sat sipping their drinks, glad to be in one another’s company.

‘Well, what’s the news? Has anyone disembowelled Barbara yet?’ Aileen asked cheerfully as she took a slug of her Bloody Mary The other two guffawed. Judy had told her sister
about the unmerciful row that had ensued on her unexpected arrival from London. As a result of this, Judy was now sharing a bedroom with Cassie, and Barbara was still in a huff almost a month
later.

‘Except for the fact that Judy is going to a dinner-dance and staying over at Andrew Lawson’s, you’d be sharing Barbara’s room tonight,’ Cassie informed her.

‘A lucky escape, then. I must remember to thank the suave Mr Lawson when I see him,’ Aileen smiled. ‘I’m looking forward to tonight.’

‘So am I,’ Laura said emphatically. ‘I might as well warn you, girls, I’m going to get pissed as a newt.’

‘That’s a fine attitude for the bride-to-be to have, I must say,’ Aileen remarked. ‘What’s wrong with you, anyway? I thought you’d be on cloud nine. You
don’t seem very happy about getting married, if I may say so.’

‘I’m not!’ Laura retorted glumly as she dolefully popped a couple of peanuts into her mouth. Aileen arched an incredulous eyebrow at her friend and caught Cassie’s eye.
Cassie shrugged her shoulders and threw her eyes up to heaven.

‘Why not, for heaven’s sake? If I were marrying someone like Doug Donnelly I’d be ecstatic. He doesn’t by any chance have a twin brother, does he?’ Aileen
demanded.

‘It’s not Doug, it’s the marrying of him. If you know what I mean,’ Laura sighed. ‘Do you know what the parish priest had the nerve to say to me?’ Laura sat
up straight. ‘He told me that I was to give myself totally to Doug. Mind, soul and body!’

‘So! What’s so awful about that? Sounds rather delicious to me. And getting the priest’s blessing to do it too. What more could you ask?’ Aileen was mystified and Cassie
stifled a giggle. She had heard all this a hundred times before.

‘The point is, Aileen, he didn’t tell
Doug
to give himself totally to me, mind, soul and body!’ Laura was almost spluttering with indignation. ‘And then he had
the nerve to tell me not to trouble Doug with trivial little problems like if I’d burnt my fingers getting his dinner, until he’d had time to relax after his hard day at work. He told
me I could mention it casually in conversation later on. Did you ever hear anything like it? What about
my
hard day at work? He didn’t tell Doug not to tell me about
his
burnt fingers when he’s getting
my
dinner! That old fart is living in cloud-cuckoo-land.’

‘Yes, well, that
is
a bit much, I agree,’ Aileen murmured soothingly, trying to keep her face straight and avoid Cassie’s eyes.

‘I should have got married in a registry office. It’s what I wanted to do all along. Isn’t that what I said to you, Cassie?’ Laura turned to Cassie for confirmation.

Cassie answered her friend patiently. ‘Yes, Laura, but your mother would never have coped with that. You know how she’s setting such store by this wedding. And doing everything
properly.’

‘Oh Lord! Don’t talk about my mother and doing the right thing. She’s driving me round the twist: Da won’t sit beside the priest at the top table as etiquette says he
should and she’s going bananas,’ moaned Laura.

‘Have another drink!’ urged Aileen.

‘I have to go to the loo first. I’ll get another round on the way back.’ Laura sighed deeply, excusing herself from the table.

‘Boy, am I glad you’re home!’ Cassie grinned ruefully. ‘I just can’t do a thing with her. I’ve never seen her so uptight.’

‘Sounds like a terminal case of pre-wedding nerves to me,’ Aileen grinned. ‘How’s Doug coping?’

‘Just wishing to get the whole palaver over so Laura can get back to normal. At least he’s got a nice family. That father of hers is an out-and-out bastard, Aileen. I know
she’s dreading going up the aisle on his arm. She resents it because she really hates his guts. She’s just going through this charade for her mother,’ Cassie sighed.

‘Ah, poor old Laura, that’s tough going. Imagine your wedding being so awful that you just want to get it over and done with? It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?’
Aileen’s eyes clouded with concern for her friend. ‘We’ll make a real fuss of her. I’ll get at her tomorrow and give her a massage and a facial and by the time I’m
finished with her she’ll be a new woman.’ Aileen smiled at Cassie and took her left hand in hers to examine the sparkling solitaire. ‘How’s Robbie? Have you set a date
yet?’ She studied her friend intently. She had never seen Cassie looking so well and happy. Her eyes sparkled, her skin glowed, her chestnut hair with its glints of gold was a shining,
luxuriant mane. ‘Love suits you, Cassie,’ Aileen said quietly. ‘I wish I could meet someone . . .’

‘You will, Aileen. One of these days when you least expect it, he’ll be there,’ Cassie assured her earnestly.

‘I know I’m supposed to be a liberated career woman and all that and I’d never say it to anyone else but you but there are times I’d give anything to be married,’
Aileen confessed. ‘I’d like to be married to a nice strong manly man who’d put his arms around me and take care of me and tell the world to go to hell! But the trouble is, I just
can’t find a nice manly man. They’re all married! I wonder if I’m looking for a father figure?’

‘Probably,’ smiled Cassie, who had never met anyone like Aileen for analysing herself and others.

Aileen ran her fingers through her titian curls and sighed. ‘Frankly, I wish I’d grown up in the Fifties. There were real men around then, Cassie. I was watching a film with Rod
Taylor in it the other day and, girl, he was in his prime. What a jaw-line! What a body! And those eyes! And what have we got today? David Bloody Cassidy and John Travolta. I ask you? Tragic,
isn’t it?’ Aileen laughed. ‘Don’t mind me, Cassie, it’s just when I see the pair of you all settled I get a bit panicky. Daft, isn’t it?’