Wren is up early and tries to get back into what used to be her normal routine. She puts on some running clothes, eats a light breakfast and heads out for her morning run. She stops and puts the mail in the box on her way and heads down the road. She knows if Norman found out he’d have a fit that he’d think it wasn’t safe but, she had to get back to normal. She spent the time out thinking about how to convince the police that she wasn’t grasping at straws and there really is a connection between Rachel and the gang. In the end she knew they would never listen to or believe her and she settles on a simple plan. She will have to follow Rachel until she meets back up with them. But her plan also means she needs some very special supplies. She cuts her run short and heads back home. She knows where to get what she needs if only he will help her with them.
She gets back home and after a quick shower is soon in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt with a black denim jacket. She tosses her purse into the Mustang and heads for the East side of the river and into Illinois. She cuts her speed as she pulls onto the route one-eleven exit. At the end of the ramp she heads left and enters the traffic lane and at the first street she makes another left. She passes a couple bars, a gentleman’s club, and other adult establishments. Not too far down the road she sees what she’s looking for and pulls into Mike’s pub and showgirl hall. She parks and nervously walks up to the door.
She pushes the heavy wooden door open and steps into the cool half lit building. It’s decorated as any traditional Irish pub would be expected, large wooden beams crisscrossing the cream colored ceiling with large wood and iron lights hanging down, and a short emerald green carpet. A large burly man walks up to her as she stands there looking around.
“I need to see your I.D.”
Wren pulls her wallet out and hands him her license. He studies it for a while and hands it back.
“You're fine, to go on in. He turns and walks back over to a table in the corner. She goes on and a woman appearing close to her own age meets her.
“Here alone, sweaty?”
“Yeah, just me.”
The girl leads her on around a corner and into the main room, she sits her at a table off to one side and leaves her there. Wren looks around and the decor is much the same as the entrance hall. With tables and chairs made of heavy wood, a light cloud of smoke hanging in the air giving it a slightly hazy look even at this early hour. For the most part it could pass for any number of Irish pubs in the area except for the stage and catwalk at one end. There are a few guys sitting here and there eating breakfast talking to their waitresses. As she sits looking around a waitress comes up to her table, wearing an old fashioned but sheer white waitress apron cut short, edged in emerald lace to match the emerald of the thong showing through the sheer fabric, a pair of impossibly tall emerald heels finished off her outfit. She is bare from her navel up, with only her long dark hair hanging freely down her back.
“What can I do for you?”
“Half a pint of Guinness and I’d like to speak to big Mike.”
“Big Mike doesn’t speak to anyone, is there anyone else that can help you?”
“He’ll see me. Just tell him Elizabeth O’Malley’s granddaughter is here.”
Wren watches as the woman sneers at her.
“Just tell him and everything will be fine. Otherwise, well let’s just say it will be much more pleasant if we stick to that.”
The young woman just stares at Wren and then walks away. Wren, however annoyed by her disposition, is impressed by the speed at which she can walk in those heels. The woman goes to the far opposite corner of the room and disappears behind a large wooden door. A few minutes later she reappears followed by an older man leaning heavily on his cane. Wren watches as the woman points toward her and the man starts making a beeline straight to her. She stands up as he gets near her table and hugs him tightly as he arrives.
“Uncle Mike, it's so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you Wren my dear. But, tell me what has got you in such a temper that it brings a young lass like you into this part of town?”
“It’s a long story so we better sit down.”
“If it’s a long story you plan to be tellin’ maybe we should go back to my office where it’s quieter and with less distractions.”
They head toward the large wooden door that uncle Mike had emerged from and disappear into the back rooms. Around a corner and into a moderately sized office, with a large mahogany desk with blood red leather chairs sitting directly in the middle of the room. Unlike the rest of the club there is no carpet in this room, just a light colored wood floor. The walls are painted a light beige not paneled like the rest and the ceiling is smooth and white. As Wren starts to close the door the woman shows up carrying a tray with two large Irish beer mugs.
“Just put them on the desk Jolene and don’t worry about billing the young lass.”
She sets down the drinks and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
“A half pint only?”
“I drove over and don’t want to press my luck.”
“Fair enough, there’s been enough tragedy for the family lately. Now we are in private and you should answer my question, what brings you over here?”
“You know about the rape gang and how victim eighteen escaped.”
“Ah yes, I’ve heard. Funny how the newspapers never gave any details about the lass.”
“Because Norman went to some great efforts to suppress that information. I was victim eighteen.”
“No! That can not be. You’re pulling a very bad prank on your old uncle.”
“I wish I was. You see it all started like this. . .”
Wren went through the whole thing with uncle Mike leaving out the details of the rape its self at his request and didn’t stop until she had got to the present time.
“So now what is it you plan on doing? Why come to me?”
“I need help, I need to keep this from happening to anyone else.”
“So it’s revenge you’re after.”
“Not completely, you see after I read about victim nineteen in the paper I knew I had to do something. I know the link and I can exploit it, even if the police won’t. I don’t feel any more women should have to go through what I did and if I don’t do something they will and then I; I will have a share in the gang's guilt by my silence.”
“Well, it’s not I you need be talk’n to but your cousin Sean. You see over the years I, like many my age, have tried to keep out of the businesses of our youth. Sean took over from your grandfather on supplying the things you need. I’ll write down the directions to his shop but he’s no trouble to find. Now if I remember right, you speak the Irish?”
“Yes, grandma taught me when I was very young.”
“Good you give him the family greeting in Irish and he is bound by blood to help you. Now have you given any thought to how to cover your tracks.”
“I’m not following you uncle.”
“I assume you are going to do your work under cover of darkness. So what you be needing is an alibi that can account for where you were if the police get too close. So I am offering you a job.”
“A job here? Wouldn’t that be just a little awkward?”
“Nah, I don’t really have much to do with the night shift any more.”
“But if they pull your schedules.”
“Won’t find any, never write them down, never have never will. The girls all like the flexibility and they know how many we need on at a time. So if they come and ask I can say you were here. All you need do is show up often enough to be seen so the regulars know your face.”
“I don’t know, it just seems weird.”
“Do you know how Henry and Elizabeth met?”
“I know she was a waitress straight from the old country.”
“Did you know they met right here. It’s the truth I be tellin ya. It was prohibition and I had gone back to the old country to arrange for a shipment of Ireland’s finest. I had just arrived and the inn where I was stay’n had a little pub attached. I went down for me dinner and this nice young lass was a waitin’ tables. She came over and asked me for my order and we got to talkin’. I found out she had been orphaned during the war and now had aged out of the orphanage. She so wanted to hear about America, she felt if she could just get there her troubles would all be over. I told her I could use a good hard working lass like her and made her an offer. I would pay her way and put her in a flat and she could repay me from her wages. Well she told me she’d have to think it over. Three days later she found me.”
“How much will it cost me and how long will it take me to pay you back?”
“I told her what my fare back was to be so figure on that. Then ten percent of her pay toward her debt. How long depended on her tips. She accepted and we saw a local barrister to have it drawn and witnessed.”
“Are you trying to tell me that Grandma O’Malley was a nude waitress? There is no way I can believe that.”
“Because she wasn’t, back then the most we had were burlesque girls, a fan dancer, and a stripper. Now at that time Henry your grandfather was out of work with the railroad and was working for me as a bouncer. The two met soon after she came here and became friends. She soon discovered though that the best tips were made on the stage and soon found her second home up there on that very stage you saw out there.”
“What did she do?”
“She started out working with a comic then when he left she… took to fan dancing. You see she could do it very well and unless you really knew better she appeared naked though she really wasn’t. Well, your grandpa took to dating her outright about that time and after about six months brought her home to meet Mom and Dad. Mom didn’t take too well to Elizabeth and told her so straight to her face. She told her to get out of her house and to leave her poor, pure son alone. Well you knew your grandmother she stood her ground even when Mom was right up in her face. When she told her to leave her poor son alone Elizabeth hit her hard in the gut. No one expected that, and we were all speechless then she let in to Mom with her thick Irish accent.”
“Aye I’ll leave but I’m taking Henry with me. I’m not stay’n where I’m not wanted. And to think we come over to share in our good news and this is the way I’m treated. Mark my words we’ll not be castin’ a shadow on your doorstep ‘ere again.”
“Now this is when Dad finally asked one simple question.”
“And what good news were you planin’ on sharing?”
“That we are engaged and I am with child!”
“Now Mom made another mistake.”
“Is it Henry’s?”
“Elizabeth’s answer was fast and hard. Poor Mom had to be pulled up off the floor by Dad.”
“I’m sorry dear. was all Mom could say the rest of the evening. After their first encounter they got along quite well.”
“But mom was an only child and that would make her too old.”
“Aye, she was an only child but she was not Elizabeth’s only pregnancy. Henry and Elizabeth buried several still born children and lived through many a miscarriage before they had Margaret. When Henry found out Elizabeth was pregnant with your mom he wouldn’t let her lift a finger. He’d come home from the brewery and do everything your grandma would let him do. He swept, mopped, and a few other heavy things but he never put together how it was that his meals were still on the table when he got home. When Margaret was born, oh did he spoil her. I don’t think I have ever seen such a rotten child. As you well know she never changed either.
You know it hurt the family somethin’ fierce when it got out what she did to you. We were all lucky lass that Elizabeth stepped in when she did, and that you turned out so much like her. Speakin’ of which if you really are like her you’ll be want’n this conversation over so you can get over to see Sean.”
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