Free Murder in Ballyhasset by Noreen Mayer Page B

and they arranged to meet in the Green Lemon pub late on a Sunday afternoon. While Libby waited, she ordered herself a drink at the bar and sat down at a table in the corner.
    Shortly after this Pamela entered the lounge, spotted her and came over. She seemed flustered. 'I'm sorry I'm late, but I was on duty all day yesterday, and before that I've been up to my eyes in work.'
    'No problem. What did you want to discuss?'
    'I want you to help me find my boyfriend,' Pamela said in a flat voice. 'I haven't seen him for  a week. I rang his house again last night and this morning to see if he was back but there was no answer - it's very odd.'
    Libby asked Pamela to describe what happened after the party.
    'We talked after everyone left. Then I went home.'
    Pamela saluted some young people who walked in. 'They're all hospital staff. We usually drink here because it's so handy for us, with the hospital being straight across the road.'
    Libby shuddered as she imagined a crowd of loud doctors sitting together after work, discussing diseases. She sipped her fizzy drink and then said, 'Shane Collins is a good friend of Conor, I know.'
    'That's right. They sometimes go on drinking binges, which I dread.' Pamela stiffened her shoulders.
    'What's the harm in having a few drinks?' Libby asked.
    'It's not the drink that's the big problem, it's the drugs. Shane's a bad influence on Conor, he takes cocaine.'
    Libby's eyes opened wide. 'Conor takes drugs?'
    'Well, just a little, now and again. He only takes it when he's with Shane.'
    'Does Conor have a drink problem?' Libby asked.
    The doctor hesitated. 'Not now, but he used to. He went sober years ago, but he breaks out now and again.'
    'I see.'
    Pamela shifted her position on the seat. 'The thing is you never know what Conor's going to do next, if he's pissed.'
    Libby asked her curiously, 'Does he get into fights?'
    'Yeah, sometimes,' Pamela said. 'The bouncers here banned him for a while for being drunk. The owner Pat Sharpe doesn't like him.'
    It sounds like he's got a drink problem all right, thought Libby.
    Pamela's lips tightened. ' I'm starting to think something bad has happened. I hope Conor's not... I hope he's not dead or anything.'
    'I'll try to find him.' Libby grimaced. 'You haven't given me much information to go on, though.'
    'Sorry,' said Pamela, with a weary smile. 'Brendan doesn't know where he is. I asked him. He should know since he works with Conor. Conor's gone a week now.'
    The pub was starting to get fuller. Beside them, some men were having lunch, talking loudly and ordering pints. In the background, she heard the clink of glasses as the barman collected empty glasses from the tables.
    Libby said, thoughtfully, 'So its a full week now since anyone's seen him.'
    Pamela hesitated, fiddling with her hair. 'Yes. I should have looked for him sooner but I've had a lot on my mind lately. I found out last Saturday that I'm pregnant.'
    So that's why she's got nausea, Libby realised. She knew then why Pamela looked exhausted - her face was drawn, and her eyelids drooped. 'Did you tell Conor about your pregnancy?'
    'Yeah, after the party. He was shocked.'
    So he got scared after that news, Libby guessed.
    Later on, Libby rang Brendan Sullivan who said that Conor was probably at his house in Galway. He said Conor had taken a week's holidays and gave Libby the address of Conor's house.
     
    ***
     
    Libby drove to Galway on that same Sunday, in the evening. She wanted to check out Conor's second house. She arrived at the address Brendan gave her, stepped out of the car, and walked up the driveway.
    It was a small semi-detached house, which had the hallmark signs of having been newly built, the paintwork was fresh, no curtains were on the windows and the lawn was just beginning to sprout grass.
    There was a car parked outside the front porch. She rang the doorbell loudly. There was no answer. Just as she was about to walk away, the door opened slowly.
    To her surprise, Conor stood