Kill For Love by RAY CONNOLLY Read Free Book Online Page A

worried expression. Politely she listened, tapping her foot
occasionally when she thought it appropriate, smiling when Jeroboam smiled at
some joke in the lyrics, looking pretend disapproving when the words became
violent or sexy. Throughout, Jeroboam listened, transfixed, as only teenage
boys can be by overloud rock music, smiling up at her occasionally, reassuring
himself that she really was enjoying it.
    At last the record ended.
    "Yes, well, that
was...really good, wasn't it...? I mean, interesting…sort of rhythmic more than
melodic, I suppose. But, yes, I think I can see what you like about Twist-O and
the Koolboys."
    "Do you really like it?"
    "Yes. Sort of. I mean, not
as much as you, obviously. But I don't suppose you're crazy about…well,
Coldplay, are you?"
    "Coldplay!" He looked
at her as though she'd said a dirty word.
    "Don't worry, just teasing.”
Suddenly a thought struck, and she dived back into the bag for a couple of
other CDs she’d bought. "What about Jesse Gadden? Do I get street cred if
I listen to him? Is it still called 'street cred'? It sounds a bit old
fashioned. I don't want to get the terminology wrong."
    Jeroboam screwed up his face as
he looked at the records.
    "You don't like him? Millions
of people think he's the best thing since, well...the last best thing! But I
don't know." And opening the cover she slipped a disc into the CD player.
    Miserably the boy waited. After a
moment Gadden’s high voice razored through the room.
    "This one makes dogs' eyes
water," she joked weakly.
    Jeroboam wasn't amused. He got
untidily to his feet.
    She turned the music down.
"You're leaving? Don't you want to listen?”
      He shook his head, already on his way out.
    “Okay! I'll keep your CD here, if
you like, and we can play it again next time."
    She followed him to the door,
wondering what she'd done to upset him. "Anyway, it's been an excellent
day. What about next week? Do you want to call to make a plan?"
    He nodded.
    "Right! I'll wait to hear
from you. You don't like Jesse Gadden, is that it?"
    He shook his head. Then opening
the front door he stepped quickly out, and trotted away down the road.
    Some people can be very precious
when it comes to their taste in music, she grumbled to herself as she closed
the door.
    Then, pouring herself a large
glass of wine, she turned the volume of the CD player up. Jeroboam might not
like Jesse Gadden, the Motts next door probably didn't like Jesse Gadden, she
wasn't even sure that she liked Jesse Gadden, but if this interview with him was
ever to happen she was going to make sure she was thoroughly prepared.

    She read right through the
evening, curled up on the cream sofa in her living room. While she'd been out reporting
during the week, Beverly,
the intern, had been scouring the websites and cuttings for biographical
information on Gadden, the result being a thick folder stuffed with print-outs
and photostats. The girl had been proud when she’d handed it over, but, as the
evening wore on, Kate became increasingly disappointed. There was so little
hard information.
    Fetching a notepad she compiled
some basic facts. Born in l975 in Waterford
and christened Jesse Gadden Monaghan, a Wikipedia biography suggested his mother
might have been a traveller. Neither a father nor any other family members were
mentioned. The only certainty was that his mother had died when Gadden was
five. After that there’d been a series of orphanages and boys’ homes. Then
there were references to performing as a folk singer in Galway and Dublin in the nineties.
He'd also, it was rumoured, hustled a living in Paris
and Amsterdam
and busked on the London Underground, but there were no dates for this. As for
friends there were no details, other than the name of his first manager in Dublin, Kevin O'Brien.
Then at some point Petra Kerinova had appeared.
    "KERINOVA," she jotted down. "WHO IS SHE? WHAT FOR? LOVER?"
    On this there were no hints.
Indeed for a rock star the amount of gossip