‘Do you want to go up to your room and play while I talk to Orla?’ Lou asked Jack. He’d finished his juice and was looking restless.
He nodded happily and leaped up from the table. ‘Bye,’ he said to Orla as he raced to the stairs.
‘So what does school liaison officer involve?’
‘We just go in to talk to the kids about safety and crime prevention – road safety, bullying, staying safe online… stuff like that. And drugs, of course, in secondary,’ she added with a wearyroll of her eyes. ‘We teach them a bit about the work of the Gardaí as well. The programme doesn’t kick in until fifth class anyway, so I won’t be bothering Jack any time soon. How old is he?’
‘Five. He’ll just be starting school this year.’
‘So you’re from Dublin, Lou?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And what brought you to this neck of the woods?’
Lou briefly told her about inheriting the cottage.
‘Ah, I was wondering why it hadn’t gone up for sale.’
‘Did you know Noreen?’ Lou asked.
‘No. I only got transferred here last year and she was in a home then. This house has been empty since I’ve been here.’
‘Oh, that’s a pity. I was hoping you might be able to tell me a bit about her. I never knew her at all.’
‘Sorry.’ Orla gave her an apologetic smile. ‘Seamus on the other side would have known her, though. He’s a retired fisherman, lived here his whole life. He’s in convalescent care at the moment after a hip replacement, but I think he’s due home in a week or so. He’s eighty-two but still completely alert and fit as a fiddle – well, apart from being banjaxed with arthritis.’
‘So are you from here originally, Orla?’
‘Yeah, but I only managed to get a transfer back here last year. I was in Galway before that.’
Time passed quickly as they chatted and got to know each other, and by the time they’d finished their wine, Lou felt she’d made a new friend.
‘Well, I’d better go and let you get on,’ Orla said, standing. ‘Thanks for the wine.’
‘Thank you for the present.’
‘You know where I am now,’ Orla said as Lou walked her to the door. ‘If there’s anything I can help you with or if you feel like a chat any time, just knock.’
‘Thank you – and likewise.’
