One Hundred Names (Special Edition)

to come in but then I realised there was nowhere else I’d rather be,’ he repeated Kitty’s line, which told Kitty he’d been there since the beginning and had heard it all. ‘I needed to get something from Constance’s office – her address book, God knows where she’s put it – and I couldn’t help but overhear talk about covering her story.’ Bob smiled. ‘Pete, I think that’s a marvellous idea. Well done.’
    ‘Would you like to write it?’ Pete asked.
    ‘No. No. I’m too close to it.’
    ‘What is the story?’ Pete asked.
    ‘I have no idea,’ Bob shrugged. ‘The envelope is sealed, it’s never been opened.’
    Kitty was vindicated. She tried not to leap up and punch the air.
    ‘Okay,’ Pete looked at Cheryl, pleased with himself, and about to do the honours on her behalf but Bob sensed that and interrupted.
    ‘I’d like Kitty to write it.’
    Pete and Cheryl were surprised.
    ‘I think she’s better suited,’ he explained gently, as ever thoughtful and apologetic to Cheryl.
    Cheryl tried to look accepting.
    ‘Even though you don’t know what it’s about,’ Pete said, defending his number one.
    ‘Yes. Even though,’ Bob replied, handing the envelope to Kitty.
    They all looked at her in suspense. Kitty carefully opened the envelope. A single sheet lay inside. She slid it out and was faced with a list of one hundred names.

CHAPTER FIVE
Sarah McGowan
Ambrose Nolan
Eva Wu
Jedrek Vysotski
Bartle Faulkner
Bridget Murphy
Mary-Rose Godfrey
Bernadette Toomy
Raymond Cosgrave
Olive Byrne
Marion Brennan
Julio Quintero
Maureen Rabbit
Patrick Quinn
Gloria Flannery
Susan Flood
Kieran Kidd
Anthony Kershaw
Janice O’Meara
Angela O’Neill
Eugene Cullen
Evelyn Meagher
Barry Meegan
Aiden Traynor
Seamus Tully
Diana Zukov
Bin Yang
Gabriela Zat
Barbara Tomlin
Benjamin Toland
Anthony Spencer
Aidan Somerville
Patrick Leahy
Cyril Lee
Dudley Foster
Josephine Fowler
Colette Burrows
Ann Kimmage
Dermot Murphy
Sharon Vickers
George Wallace
Michael O’Fagain
Lisa Dwyer
Danny Flannery
Karen Flood
Máire O’Muireagáin
Barry O’Shea
Frank O’Rourke
Claire Shanley
Kevin Sharkey
Carmel Reilly
Russell Todd
Heather Spencer
Ingrid Smith
Ken Sheeran
Margaret McCarthy
Janet Martin
John O’Shea
Catherine Sheppard
Magdalena Ludwiczak
Declan Keogh
Siobhán Kennedy
Dudley Foster
Denis MacCauley
Nigel Meaney
Thomas Masterson
Archie Hamilton
Damien Rafferty
Ian Sheridan
Gordon Phelan
Marie Perrem
Emma Pierce
Eileen Foley
Liam Greene
Aoife Graham
Sinéad Hennessey
Andrew Perkins
Patricia Shelley
Peter O’Carroll
Seán Maguire
Michael Sheils
Alan Waldron
Carmel Wagner
Jonathan Treacy
Lee Reehill
Pauric Naughton
Ben Gleeson
Darlene Gochoco
Desmond Hand
Jim Duffy
Maurice Lucas
Denise McBride
Jos Merrigan
Frank Jones
Gwen Megarry
Vida Tonacao
Alan Shanahan
Orla Foley
Simon Fitzgerald
Katrina Mooney
    There was no summary, synopsis or anything to explain who these people were or what the story was. Kitty looked in the envelope for more but there was nothing.
    ‘What does it say?’ Pete asked, no longer able to stand the silence.
    ‘It’s a list of names,’ Kitty replied.
    The names had been typed and were numbered along the left-hand side from one to one hundred.
    ‘Are the names familiar?’ Pete asked, stretching his body so far over the table he was practically crawling on it.
    Kitty shook her head, feeling a failure again. ‘Maybe you guys will recognise them.’ She slid the page down the table and the other three jumped on it like lions on a piece of fresh meat. They placed it in the centre of the table in front of Pete and huddled round it. Kitty watched their faces, hoping for some signs of recognition but when they finally lifted their heads, looking as confused as she had, she sank back in her chair both relieved and confused. Should she know what the names meant? Had she and Constance had a conversation about it before? Was there a hidden message?
    ‘What else is in the envelope?’ Pete asked.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Let me see.’
    He doubted her again, and she in turn doubted herself, despite looking inside it twice. Quickly seeing there was no further information he tossed the envelope back on the table and Kitty dived for it and held it protectively as if he had thrown a baby.
    ‘Did she keep notes?’ Pete asked Bob. ‘In a book or on file? Maybe there’s something in the office.’
    ‘If there is, it will be downstairs,’ Bob said, looking at the names again. ‘My dear Constance, what on earth