‘Yeah?’
‘You are my brother.’
‘I knew that. I’ve known about you all my life.’
‘So why did you never get in touch before?’
‘I explained it in the letter. I didn’t know where you were. You didn’t show up on any internet searches until Thomas Diamond’s death.’
‘Sorry, yes, you did explain. But if you knew about me and my mother and you knew what our birth father had done, why didn’t you ever go to the police?’
‘It’s hard to explain. He had me brainwashed for a long time. He told me I had an illness. I hardly knew right from wrong – I can’t say it all over the phone. Will you come and meet me?’
I had discussed what would happen with Mark if the results proved that we were siblings.
‘Peter, we have an uncle, Denise’s brother.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, he’d like to meet you too. He will collect you in Dublin and bring you to my home.’
‘When?’
‘Tomorrow?’ The next day was Saturday. I would cancel my weekend piano playing. Lucas would have to find a replacement.
‘That would be good. Thank you. Mary – I mean, Sally, do you remember me?’
‘I’m afraid not.’
‘Did my mother, Denise, did she talk about me?’
‘We have so much to talk about, Peter, let’s wait until we’re face to face.’
There was a pause. ‘I’m not very good at talking.’
‘Oh well, we’re definitely siblings. It’s taken me nearly two years of therapy to get over that.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yes. Do you have friends? A wife? Girlfriend?’
His voice trembled. ‘No.’
It wasn’t time to ask him about his daughter. ‘I can’t believe I’m talking to my own brother.’
‘You haven’t told the media, or the police?’
‘Absolutely not.’
He gave me the address of the hotel and we ended the call. Mark wanted to vet him, to make sure he wasn’t violent or threatening in any way, and he arranged to collect Peter early the next morning. Peter wanted to know how he would get back to Dublin afterwards. Mark told him not to worry. We could put him up in the Abbey Hotel in Roscommon for a few nights. We had no real plan for what would happen.
I was on tenterhooks the next morning, constantly going to the window at every noise to see if Mark’s car was parking. I received one text from Mark.
Stopped at a service station. He seems normal but extremely quiet.
Sue and Martha called to the door to see if I was okay. I’d missed my yoga class that morning. I didn’t invite them in for coffee the way one is supposed to do with friends, but I didn’t tell them a lie either. ‘Sorry, I should have told you I wasn’t coming. I have some family business to attend to.’
‘Are you okay?’ said Sue. ‘You seem a little agitated?’ and indeed I was looking behind her down the lane, hopping from foot to foot.
