‘We’ll give Bob first preference.’
‘I have it here.’ Bob’s voice came from the adjoining room.
‘Bob.’ Pete straightened up. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
Bob entered the room. He looked tired. ‘I wasn’t going to come in but then I realised there was nowhere else I’d rather be,’ he repeated Kitty’s line, which told Kitty he’d been there since the beginning and had heard it all. ‘I needed to get something from Constance’s office – her address book, God knows where she’s put it – and I couldn’t help but overhear talk about covering her story.’ Bob smiled. ‘Pete, I think that’s a marvellous idea. Well done.’
‘Would you like to write it?’ Pete asked.
‘No. No. I’m too close to it.’
‘What is the story?’ Pete asked.
‘I have no idea,’ Bob shrugged. ‘The envelope is sealed, it’s never been opened.’
Kitty was vindicated. She tried not to leap up and punch the air.
‘Okay,’ Pete looked at Cheryl, pleased with himself, and about to do the honours on her behalf but Bob sensed that and interrupted.
‘I’d like Kitty to write it.’
Pete and Cheryl were surprised.
‘I think she’s better suited,’ he explained gently, as ever thoughtful and apologetic to Cheryl.
Cheryl tried to look accepting.
‘Even though you don’t know what it’s about,’ Pete said, defending his number one.
‘Yes. Even though,’ Bob replied, handing the envelope to Kitty.
They all looked at her in suspense. Kitty carefully opened the envelope. A single sheet lay inside. She slid it out and was faced with a list of one hundred names.
Chapter Five (#ulink_3c582e2e-9aab-54d6-9cec-d714605547ca)
1 Sarah McGowan
2 Ambrose Nolan
3 Eva Wu
4 Jedrek Vysotski
5 Bartle Faulkner
6 Bridget Murphy
7 Mary-Rose Godfrey
8 Bernadette Toomy
9 Raymond Cosgrave
10 Olive Byrne
11 Marion Brennan
12 Julio Quintero
13 Maureen Rabbit
14 Patrick Quinn
15 Gloria Flannery
16 Susan Flood
17 Kieran Kidd
18 Anthony Kershaw
19 Janice O’Meara
20 Angela O’Neill
21 Eugene Cullen
22 Evelyn Meagher
23 Barry Meegan
24 Aiden Traynor
25 Seamus Tully
26 Diana Zukov
27 Bin Yang
28 Gabriela Zat
29 Barbara Tomlin
30 Benjamin Toland
31 Anthony Spencer
32 Aidan Somerville