Savage (A Blood Feud Novel)

Chapter Ninteen

Richard O'Grady had spent the next several months in solitude. After the death of his late mother, the reporter Carolyn O'Grady, Richard and Patrick had a falling out.

Richard was determined to find his mother's killer and was doing all he could, but Patrick had enough. An argument had ensued. Richard called his father a coward.

"Do what you want to do then, I leave you to your fate," Patrick had said before storming off.

The next day he had packed his bags and move down south to Dublin. It was now only Richard alone in the family house, and he hated feeling alone.

Lena, his on and off girlfriend, was renting a place just a block away from Richard. She would come by to visit with Richard now and then. Most times, like she currently was doing, she spent a week in his home.

Richard hardly had any friends in town. Most of the teachers at the school he was working at were from other parts of the country. There was, however, one person who Richard thought about. Rachel Carter.

Richard found her to be attractive but also weird and eccentric. He didn't believe the rumors that had cost Rachel her job. He was aware that Jessica Savage was behind the whole episode.

She was a troublemaker, and he had experienced firsthand how rude and snobbish she could be.

He had tried defending Rachel to the school board, but no one wanted to believe otherwise. Richard had wanted Jessica to renounce her statement before she died.

He felt terrible about her gruesome death. No one deserved to die in such a way. Jessica had been a student at Richard's mathematics class. She was bright but also hard to manage. She often had a tantrum if things didn't go her way.

Richard would dread the times he would be called over to the school Chancellor's office and come face to face with her parents, especially the cop father, Officer Grant Savage.

Richard hated Officer Grant. He had a hate-on for Richard and often called him during late hours so as a way to keep Richard on his toes. Grant was an imposing man and a bit of a brute. Richard wouldn't say he was glad about Jessica's death, but at least he would not hear from the cop again.

He was standing at the Boleyn Bridge, wearing his brown coat and he kept his hands in his pockets. Outside the weather was mild and sunny. The snow had begun to subside. A woman approached Richard just as he turned to go back.

"Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change for an old widow?" the woman asked.

Richard shook his head and walked past her. The old woman said something, but he paid no attention.

When he got home, he noticed Lena wasn't there. He took off his coat and placed it on the hanger. Richard went to the kitchen and grabbed a can of Sprite and a small wrapped sandwich. He sat down and started to eat. The clock on the kitchen wall read eleven-thirty.

Richard wasn't sure if he planned for the afternoon. It wasn't like there was anything for him to do aside from the occasional walks along the Boleyn River and going to a couple of bars.

The Boleyn Academy seemed like the only great thing about the town. The students were from other parts of the county. It was an A Level program for the brightest and scholarly, but it made no difference to Richard.

He felt a buzz in his left side pocket and quickly grabbed his mobile. It was Rachel.

"Hey," Rachel said on the other end of the line. "I thought I'd phone you and see what's going on with you."

"It's nice to hear from you," Richard said. "How are things at your end?"

"Meet me at the bar, Gilligan's, tomorrow evening and I'll tell you," Rachel said.

She hung up.

Richard placed the cell phone on the table. Rachel wanted to meet with Richard, and he was excited about it.

He thought about Lena for a moment. Richard and Lena hadn't slept together for a while, and they were growing a bit distant at the moment. There were times he wondered why he was still with her.

Perhaps it was the fear of none intimacy. Or maybe Richard wanted Lena to be here just for the sake of being here.

Richard stood from the table and went upstairs to his room. He undressed and took a warm shower.

After showering, he called Lena to check up on her. Lena didn't reply. Heshrugged, meaning it was enough blessing for him to go ahead to see Rachel.