Free Secrets and Shadows by Brian Gallagher

no idea where to start.

    Barry was delighted with himself as he walked down Arbour Hill. He had heard the saying that good things come in threes, and this week it had been true. First there had been the incident when Johnny Keogh had challenged Shay McGrath. Barry still had no idea why Keogh had done it, but whatever the reason, it had worked, and McGrath hadn’t come near him over the last two days. Then yesterday after school, Charlie Dawson had introduced him to some boys who lived near him on Norseman Place, and they had all played football together. The boys were going to play again later this afternoon, and Barry had been invited to that also. And today a letter had come from his mother in the Saturday morning post.
    It was a cheery letter that gave lots of news from Liverpool, and she had heard from Dad, who had written to say he was safe and well on his ship. His mother had agreed to thinking about sending him to the summer camp next month, and meanwhile she had included a ten shilling note – enough to cover the cost of the school tour and still have three whole shillings left to spend.
    He reached the end of Arbour Hill and turned into Stoneybatter, smiling as he remembered a cheeky piece of Liverpoolhumour that Mum had also included in the letter. It seemed that an umbrella shop in Clayton Square had been bombed by the Germans, and a sign had been put up saying, ‘Damaged by Adolf Hitler and Company. Repairs by Tysons.’ It was the kind of humorous, never-say-die response that made him proud of his hometown, and he crossed Stoneybatter and made for Kinsella’s cake shop in good spirits.
    Barry looked through the window and saw that Grace was behind the counter. He hadn’t seen her for several days and he entered the shop and greeted her brightly.
    ‘Grace!’
    ‘Barry,’ she answered.
    ‘I’ve great news,’ he said.
    ‘Yeah?’
    ‘Remember that bully I told you about, Shay McGrath? Well, he got a taste of his own medicine, and now he’s leaving me alone.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘He was told to back off by a really tough lad called Johnny Keogh.’
    ‘Yeah, I know him,’ said Grace.
    Barry looked at her in surprise. ‘You do?’
    Grace hesitated, then sighed. ‘I wasn’t sure whether to tell you, but there’s no point lying.’
    ‘About what?’
    ‘I got Keogh to do it.’
    ‘What?!’
    ‘I found out who was the toughest kid around, and I got him to threaten McGrath.’
    ‘I don’t need you fighting my battles, Grace.’
    ‘What, you’d rather be bullied?’
    ‘No. But–’
    ‘But what?’
    Barry tried to come up with an answer, but he couldn’t. He knew that on his own against McGrath and his gang he couldn’t have won. But it still hurt his pride that a girl had had to come to his aid.
    ‘You’re lucky I was able to persuade him,’ Grace said.
    ‘How did you?’
    ‘Every week I get two free tarts here. I promised one of them each week to Keogh.’
    Barry was taken aback. He realised how far Grace had gone on his behalf and suddenly he felt ashamed of how he had responded.
    ‘Sorry, Grace. I…I didn’t mean to sound…that was really decent.’
    ‘It’s all right, I hate bullies.’
    ‘Even so, giving away half your stuff for me….’
    ‘Forget it,’ said Grace dismissively.
    Barry took in her glum face and he felt even worse. ‘I don’t blame you being annoyed at me,’ he said.
    ‘It’s not that.’
    He looked at her again, realising that she seemed more downbeat than he had ever seen her before. ‘What’s wrong then?’
    ‘I think I’m going to lose my job.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘There’s five shillings missing from the till. When Miss Kinsella comes back this evening she’ll find out.’
    ‘Where’s the money gone?’ asked Barry.
    ‘Three kids came in here this morning when I was on my own for a bit. I had to go into the back to get loaves that had just come out of the oven. I think they must have taken the money out of the till.’
    ‘Would you not have