She’s sticking her head out from one of the office doors. She must have seen me pass by.
‘Olive. Hi.’
Olive is wearing a tight leather skirt to the knee with a silver-grey silky shirt tucked inside. Her hair is tied back and her face is brightened with a big smile and very little make-up. I’m sorry now I didn’t put more effort into what I was wearing.
‘How lovely to see you,’ she says, leaving the room and walking towards me. ‘And Shay, how is the little lad?’
‘He’s great, eager to see his daddy at work.’
Olive bends down and brushes Shay’s face with her finger.
‘Hello, Shay.’
A gentle waft of unfamiliar perfume hits my nose. A pleasant, though brief reprieve from the smell of industry.
‘Are you going to see your daddy?’ she says.
‘Yes, we were passing by, so just decided to pop in.’
‘Well I’m sure he’ll be delighted, won’t he, Shay?’
Olive takes a step backwards and turns her attention from Shay to me.
‘Will you drop into my office when you’re finished with Conor? Deirdre would love to see the baby.’
‘Of course I will,’ I say, delighted with the opportunity to talk to women my own age.
Deirdre is Olive’s assistant. Between them, they do almost everything in admin according to Conor, even the accounts. Apparently the guy who’s supposed to do the accounts is away with the fairies and spends most of his time doing crosswords or Googling other possibilities for his life. Conor says he can’t replace him because he’s the son of one of Seamus’s best friends. A man who helped him set up the business all those years ago. Just like Pat did. Conor seems to owe a lot of people on his dad’s behalf.
* * *
Conor is on the phone when I open the door. I can see a smile warming his face. He is happy to see us. He ends his call, stands up from his desk and walks around to where I’m relieved to be unloading Shay onto a nearby chair.
The sun beams in from a nearby window catching Shay’s eyes, so I turn the chair around. The comfort of Conor’s kiss landing on my head relaxes me.
‘Well, this is a nice surprise,’ he says.
‘I was bored, had to get out of the house.’
‘You must be feeling back to normal so.’
‘Almost.’
Conor removes his jacket before lifting his son out of the seat.
‘Hey little man. How are you?’
His whole body oozes with happiness when he sits at his desk. Shay is wiggling in his arms. There are no signs of stress on Conor’s face. No frown on his forehead. No pale skin or jittery moves. In fact Conor looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. Certainly not folding under the weight of whatever news Detective Fintan Ryan gave him. But he could be acting for my benefit. Again.
Olive knocks on the door before sticking her head in.
‘Would you like a cup of tea? Coffee?’
She’s so nice to me. Maybe she’s the one I should be trying to get information from.
‘I don’t have time,’ Conor says. ‘I’ve got that meeting in ten minutes… but Laura might.’
Conor stands, cooing at his son as he walks over to put Shay back in the car seat. Feeling slightly awkward, like a fish out of water amongst these two former lovers, I look to Conor for guidance. Should I have coffee with his ex?
‘Go on,’ he says, winking at me. ‘You’re in no rush, are you?’
Nodding my head, I accept Olive’s offer. ‘Tea would be lovely.’
Olive leaves the room. Conor is putting on his jacket to follow.
He kisses me on the forehead. ‘I’m glad you called in today.’
I wonder if he would say that if he knew I was here searching for information. Hoping to find some clue as to what is going on with him. What was the detective afraid of? Why was that card sent to me?
With Shay’s car seat on my arm, I walk towards the door.
It must feel strange for Conor, having to walk day after day through the building where his father died in such a horrible accident. Maybe he’ll open up to me if I walk beside him.
‘I’d love you to take me around the brewery someday to see the giant vats and all the beer flowing through the pipes,’ I say.
Conor rushes in front of me to open the door.
‘Sure, we’ll do that someday,’ he says.
Walking out the door I feel my nerves growing. I didn’t expect to be having tea with my husband’s ex today. But