The Triumph of Katie Byrne. Barbara Taylor Bradford

at Katie, who was still clinging to the tree, he said, ‘Carly’s alive. I’m going to see if Denise is anywhere nearby.’

      ‘Thank God.’ Katie began to sob again, but this time it was with relief.

      Within the space of several seconds Niall found Denise. She was about fifty feet away, and she too lay on her back on a patch of dry grass, off to one side of the path.

      ‘Denise,’ he murmured, kneeling down next to her, shining his flashlight on her face. He drew back at once, and his throat constricted, tears leaping into his eyes. A trembling took hold of him, and he knew even without taking her pulse that she was no longer alive. Those soft velvet brown eyes which he knew so well were wide and staring, and empty of life. Death was on her.

      An involuntary sob bubbled in his throat, and he stood up swiftly, filled with sudden overwhelming grief. The tears ran down his cheeks unchecked and he wiped them away roughly with the back of his hand. When he looked at Denise again he saw for the first time that her skirt was pulled up to her waist and her tights were ripped. Niall snapped his eyes shut and pressed his hand to his mouth, filled with fury. Denise had been raped. Bastard. Son of a bitch, he muttered under his breath and he began to sob. Who had done this vile, unspeakable thing to her? Who had raped and killed her? Lovely, innocent Denise. Only seventeen. A whole life to live snuffed out. Just like that. Bastard.

      Niall wanted to pull her skirt down, cover her with his jacket, give her a little respect and dignity in death. But he knew better than to do that. Trying to take control of his swimming senses, Niall walked back down the path on trembling legs, wondering how to break the news to Katie.

      Quietly, holding his emotions in check, Niall said, ‘Denise…she’s gone, Katie, she’s been…killed.’ His face was contorted by pain and a terrible anger filled his voice.

      A wracking sob broke free from Katie and she clutched at him. ‘No, Niall! No! It can’t be. Oh God, no.’

      He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

      After a moment, Katie whispered, ‘I want to see her.’

      ‘No, you don’t.’

      ‘I do. I must.’ She broke free of his embrace and ran down the path, the spot of light from the flashlight bobbing around in the dark as she ran. She did not stop until she reached Denise’s body. Her eyes widened, clouded with grief. She gazed down at her friend, and then she turned away, bending double, wrapping her arms around herself, consumed by a searing pain. Tears coursed down her cheeks and she cried out, ‘Not Denise, oh God, not Denise! It’s not fair! It’s just not fair.’

       Chapter Six

      Katie screeched to a standstill, pulled on the brake and jumped out of the pickup truck. Sprinting to the pay phone in the rest area, she grabbed the receiver off the hook and dialled 911.

      Immediately, the emergency operator came onto the line and Katie asked for the ambulance service. Before she could even blink she was talking to the Litchfield County Dispatcher for Fire and Ambulance in the Litchfield area.

      ‘I need an ambulance! My friend’s injured! It’s a matter of life and death!’ Katie exclaimed, her voice echoing with urgency and anxiety. ‘She’s been beaten over the head. She’s bleeding. But she’s still alive. Just. Please send an ambulance. As quickly as possible.’

      ‘Where are you calling from?’

      ‘I’m at a pay phone on Route 7. Up above Malvern, between New Milford and South Kent,’ she swiftly answered, and then gave her the exact details of where she was.

      ‘What’s your name?’ the female dispatcher asked.

      ‘Katie Byrne. From Malvern.’

      The dispatcher asked a few more questions, which Katie answered as precisely as she could, and then, voice trembling, she told the dispatcher, ‘My other friend, Denise…well, she’s dead.’ Her sentence finished in sobs.

      ‘Hang in there, Katie,’ the dispatcher said in a kindly tone. ‘And hold on. I’m putting you through to the state police. Give them all the details, tell them everything you know. The ambulance is being dispatched now.’

      Katie stood clutching the phone, and a minute later a man’s voice announced, ‘State Police Dispatcher, Troop L, Litchfield. Tell me exactly what happened, Katie.’

      ‘One of my friends has been badly injured. The other one is…dead,’ she responded quietly, trying to be as calm and concise as possible. ‘My brother and I found them a while ago. About fifteen minutes ago. But we don’t know what happened. Or how it happened. We need an ambulance for Carly.’

      ‘It’s already on its way. Give me your exact location, Katie.’

      Katie did so, shivering in the cold wind, thinking that she was living a nightmare. She couldn’t believe she was on this phone talking to the Connecticut State Police about Carly and Denise. Only a few hours ago, at four o’clock, the three of them had been laughing together in the barn, and planning their future in New York.

      The state police dispatcher said, ‘Please wait there, Katie. Stay where you are. Don’t leave. Responding state troopers will arrive as soon as they can. There are several patrolling in the area. It won’t be long before one of them gets to you.’

      ‘I’ll wait on the highway. At the entrance to the road leading down to the barn,’ Katie told him, and replaced the receiver. She leaned forward, rested her forehead against the phone, and closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to be strong. And willing Carly to live. Please God, don’t let her die, she whispered silently. Let her live. Fight, Carly, fight.

      Still shivering and turning up the collar of her jacket, she ran over to the truck and climbed in. Instantly, she jumped out and raced back to the pay phone, remembering that Niall had told her to call their mother.

      Dropping the quarter in, she dialled her home. ‘It’s me, Mom,’ Katie said when Maureen answered.

      ‘Where are you both?’ Maureen asked, sounding put out, even cross. ‘Your father’ll be home any minute now, and I’ll be wanting to serve supper. Finian’s starving.’

      ‘Mom, something’s happened,’ Katie began, and her voice faltered. She was unable to go on.

      ‘What is it, Katie? What’s wrong?’ Maureen demanded, at once alerted to a serious problem, since Katie wasn’t one to exaggerate.

      ‘It’s something…terrible, Momma. Carly’s been badly injured, and Denise…’ Katie stopped. She swallowed hard, but her voice choked up as she whispered, ‘Mom, Denise is dead. Somebody raped her, and they killed her…and he really hurt Carly. It was after I left the barn this afternoon.’

      ‘Oh my God! Oh my God! No, Katie! Those poor girls. Oh Lord, where are you? Are you all right? Where’s Niall? Let me speak to him!’ Maureen cried, her voice rising shrilly, sudden panic and shock now getting the better of her.

      ‘He’s not here, Mom. He stayed with Carly in the wood. That’s where it happened…the attacks on…the girls.’ Katie put a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs, but she didn’t succeed very well.

      ‘Listen to me, Katie,’ Maureen whispered, but it was a harsh whisper. ‘Get Niall on the phone.’

      ‘I can’t, Mom! He’s looking after Carly. He stayed with her just in case the attacker came back. He sent me to the pay phone on the highway to call for an ambulance. They put me through to the police and now they’re all coming, bringing help.’

      ‘Katie, Katie, listen to me. I want you to come home. And immediately. I don’t want you there. Maybe it’s not safe. We don’t know who did this…the person could still be around, couldn’t he? Maybe even looking for you.