Cold Eye of Heaven, The by Christine Dwyer Hickey Read Free Book Online

a full-sized statue of the Virgin leaning against the opposite wall, taking up half of the hall in fact – a statue, if he’s not mistaken, that used to be outside in the garden. On the shelf there’s a smaller version of the Virgin, and another on the cill of a window halfway up the stairs, although he only has a restricted view of this one; feet standing on a bed of plaster roses. A shadow scurries over a door at the back of the hall that he presumes leads into the kitchen. Quickly he presses the heel of his hand on the bell, gives the door another sharp knock. Then he bends to the letter box and sends his voice in. He wants to say –
Hey you, I’m not blind, you know, unless I’m supposed to think it’s them statues is moving?
But instead he says, ‘Eh hell-o-oo, sorry to disturb you, but I was just looking for the priest, to sign a Mass card for me.’
    He listens. A door closes. A hoover begins to howl. Farley feels a ping of rage in his right temple.
    He comes round to the church. The door is locked, the gates chained together. ‘Ah, for fuck sake,’ he says aloud, holding onto the bars and staring in. ‘I mean, Jaysus, what if someone actually
needs
a priest?’ A man comes up beside him, pushing a bike with one hand.
    â€˜Alright there, Farl?’
    â€˜Yea,’ Farley says, ‘I was just looking for the priest, you know.’
    â€˜I’m Timmo’s son,’ the man says as if he can read Farley’s thoughts, ‘you remember Timmo?’
    â€˜O yea, Timmo,’ Farley says.
    â€˜I work in the hospital.’
    â€˜O yea, sure I know. I know that. Timmo’s son. The hospital.’
    â€˜I look after Jackie.’
    â€˜Of course you do.’
    â€˜How are you keepin in anyway – alright?’ the man says.
    â€˜Ah, you know. Not too bad. Bit of a headache earlier, but that’s gone. And the oul eyes have been giving me a bit of trouble, other than that – not a bother.’
    â€˜The headache’s probably on account of the eyes. Better get them checked out, Farley, you need your oul eyes. Do you not wear glasses?’
    â€˜Just for reading and the telly and driving and that. Well, when I used to drive. So just for reading and the telly now.’
    â€˜Better get them checked anyway.’
    â€˜Ah I will, I will. But I’m too busy now. Maybe next week.’
    â€˜Bad bit of news that, about Frank Slowey.’
    â€˜Yea, it was alright.’
    â€˜An interesting character. Very intelligent, I always found.’
    â€˜O, he was. He was that, alright yea.’
    The man blows down into his fist. ‘You shouldn’t be standing around in the cold, Farley. The next couple days’ll be tough enough on you. Anyway, listen I’ll see you at the funeral – right? I’m working tonight so I won’t be going up to the house.’
    â€˜The house.’
    â€˜You know he’s reposing at home?’
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜He’s reposing at home, there’s no removal.’
    â€˜O, I know that, of course I do. So the funeral’s…?’
    â€˜Tomorrow. Ten o’clock Mass.’
    â€˜Tomorrow, that’s right. I wasn’t sure if they said ten or half, you see.’
    â€˜Well, now you know.’
    â€˜I do. Anyway, I better be, I’ve a load of things to do. Up to me eyeballs.’
    â€˜Ah, take your time, nothin is that important.’
    â€˜That’s all very well to say. But see, I have to get the Mass card signed. And like they won’t even answer the door around there. And then. Andthen, I’ve to go down to Thomas Street for a new sole and that, and come back and collect me suit and your woman, the housekeeper that oul bitch is pretending not to be in and like I can hear the hoover and all. As if I’m a fool or something. These people. Who do they think they are? Just who? They should be trying to win people over, not the