Cock & Bull - Laura Barnard Page 0,75

he asks desperately, looking at me every few seconds.

‘Go on,’ she cheers. ‘Tell him, tell him.’

‘Just shut up will you!’ I snap at her.

‘Jesus,’ Clooney says, hurt clouding his eyes. ‘There’s no need for that, Phoebe. I thought we’d had a nice day today.’

‘No, sorry, I wasn’t speaking to you.’ Ugh, my head hurts.

He frowns back at me. ‘And who, may I ask, are you talking to?’

Oh god. ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, okay? So just drop it.’

We pull into Drum Road and Clooney parks up. He turns in his seat to face me, his gaze serious.

‘Phoebe, you said you trust me. You either do or you don’t, so which is it?’

Ugh, I am not going to get out of this and at least this way someone will know. I haven’t even told Ella for fear of her having me locked up. It’s a big burden to bear on your own.

‘Okay, but swear you won’t laugh?’ I warn, already second guessing whether this is a good idea.

‘I can’t promise anything of the sort,’ he says with a light grin. His eyes scan over my face, looking for answers.

I take a deep breath and try to swallow down the discomfort of doubting him. I suppose I have nothing to lose.

‘Okay, well… wait, promise you won’t try and have me committed?’

‘Oh Jeyses, Phoebe.’ He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘You’re driving me mad. Just spit it out.’

‘I hear voices,’ I blurt out, trying and failing at being funny.

He frowns back at me. Oh, those were definitely the wrong words. He’ll obviously think I’m crazy with that one.

‘I mean, not like in my head,’ I try to explain. ‘But, well I hear ghosts speak to me.’

He stares at me, not moving one muscle on his face. I wait for this reaction, sick with terror.

‘Is this a joke?’

I snort a laugh. ‘Yeah I thought it would be really funny to tell you I’m a nutcase.’

He strokes his stubbled jaw. ‘I mean, I heard the rumours that Breda spoke to the dead, but I just assumed it was a load of bull.’

Ah, so it was common knowledge in town by the time she died. I suppose it’s something that eventually catches up with you. The thought of anyone finding out about it fills me with dread.

‘I found her hidden diaries and turns out she had the gift too.’

‘Right, so….’ he rubs at his forehead. ‘Have you always heard them?’

I shake my head. ‘No, it started when I was working at the funeral home.’

Recognition meets his face. ‘So that’s why you were doing all the crazy stuff that got you fired.’

‘Yes,’ I nod. It’s nice to explain it to someone. ‘They just won’t shut up until I do what they ask.’

‘Pfft, how rude!’ ghost girl says.

‘And how you knew Nora’s letter from her mam was in her dress at the wedding.’

I nod.

‘You’re sure about this?’ he presses, chewing on his bottom lip.

‘Yes. Trust me, I wish I were wrong. I have one here right now that wants me to go tell her mum something.’

He looks up at the houses. ‘Wait, Helen? You have Helen here right now?’

‘That’s me!’ she shouts.

‘Apparently.’ I shrug. Then I get an idea. ‘Helen, you knew Clooney. Tell me something about him that I wouldn’t know.’

Clooney’s shoulders become rigid. What’s he so worried about?

‘Let me think. Oh, I know, his last girlfriend was Orla.’

‘Orla?’ I repeat, staring at him. ‘Who is Orla?’

The colour drains from his face.

‘No one.’ He looks away, avoiding my gaze, his playful mood abruptly over.

He just lied to my face. It’s so obvious.

‘She says it was your last girlfriend. I thought you didn’t do girlfriends?’

‘Oops, awkward,’ ghost girl says, having no idea how much she’s just landed Clooney in it.

He shrugs, no warmer. ‘I don’t. It was just Orla.’

Damn that hurts. What was so special about Orla? What did she have that I clearly don’t?

‘And where is Orla now? I haven’t met her, have I?’

I think back to all his fan girls at the pub. I didn’t think any of them were particularly special. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all beautiful, and I’m definitely no outstanding stunner myself, but something tells me this Orla was model worthy stunning.

‘No.’ He shakes his head, looking out of the window. ‘She moved to England.’

My head is reeling. Clooney had a girlfriend. A girlfriend named Orla and now she lives in England?

‘Why did you break up?’

I know I have no right to ask. I’m just the girl