Twisted Love and Money Read Free Page A

business
was a large one by Irish standards, dealing in fruit and vegetables
including organic foods, mushrooms and exotic fruit. The business
had grown rapidly in recent years and dealt directly with retail
and supermarkets, but was little known in household terms.
    Michael O’Byrne
had decided that a little more public profile would be no harm. As
one step towards this he had put a float in the Dublin St.
Patrick’s Day Parade.
    The centre of
the float was lined with straw baskets filled with apples, oranges
and various other fruits. As the Parade progressed Ann and
Ann-Marie would throw fruit to the crowds who thronged the route. A
public address system attached to the lorry played loud music,
interspersed with half-minute commercials on healthy eating and
organic food.
    In front of the
O’Byrne float Guinness Brewery had a Jazz Band on their float and
the music blared out. Behind, the Couriers weaved and dodged on
their motor bicycles in practised formations as they followed in
the Parade.
    The boys on the
motorcycles called, “give us some more fruit Miss…”
     
    The leader of
the couriers was Seamus O’Donoghue. Seamus worked for his
Grandfathers firm. He was to go to University in the autumn, but
this was after a year with the family firm to ‘get a few corners
knocked off’ as his Grandfather had put it, and to learn something
about that part of the business.
    Seamus was
broad shouldered and had dark hair and intelligent brown eyes. Like
the rest of the lads his eyes constantly flashed to Ann and
Ann-Marie. This they achieved as they manoeuvred their motor
bicycles in and out.
    Laughing,
Ann-Marie threw them a morsel from time to time. They whooped
joyously, what really pleased them was her smile and the fullness
of her bosom as she bent closer to throw them the fruit in a way
that would not result in them falling off their bicycles as they
caught it.
    The rest of the
lads just enjoyed the outing, and saw being in the Parade as a bit
of fun. But Seamus was much taken by Ann-Marie’s spirited
performance and resolved to approach the O’Byrne float after the
parade. He had a knot in his stomach at the thought of making an
approach, but the sight of the two women in their costumes had
warmed his blood and he knew he had to talk to them even at the
risk of rejection.
     
    The Parade
lasted nearly three hours and some of the earlier sparkle had to be
pumped up for the Reviewing Stand at the end of the Parade. They
gunned their bikes past the Reviewing Stand and then they were
free.
    Seamus gave
each of his team an envelope, compliments of the company, a cash
bonus for their attendance at the Parade. The group immediately
decided on a few jars out the Firhouse road in Delaney’s Bar on the
Southside of the city.
    “I’ll follow
later,” Seamus promised, “I want to talk to that girl on the
O’Byrne float before she disappears.”
    This was
greeted with hoots of laughter and the lads zoomed away on their
bikes. Seamus caught up on the O’Byrne lorry and followed. It drove
slowly off O’Connell Street, out of the crowds watching the Parade
and circulated back towards the south east side of the city.
     
    When they had
come to the end of the Parade Ann and Ann-Marie had climbed down
and joined the driver in the cab.
    “Drop us off at
the back of Trinity College,” Ann had instructed. They intended to
walk from their to their car, a large expensive BMW, which was
parked in the Underground Car Park in the Setanta centre off
Kildare Street.
    The lorry
driver pulled in past Trinity College, along Merrion Square. The
city centre was thronged with people and traffic and this was the
nearest the driver could get to their car without getting clogged
up in traffic. He pulled in, indicators flashing.
    “I’ll just tie
down the loose stuff on the float,” he said getting out of the cab.
“You ladies can get changed,” he added discretely.
    He got out of
the cab and then began to tie a large tarpaulin over the