The Devil's Own

The Devil’s Own Maria McDonald Copyright © 2023 Maria McDonald The right of Maria McDonald to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in 2023 by Bloodhound Books. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publisher or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. www.bloodhoundbooks.com Print ISBN: 978-1-5040-8291-4 Contents Love best-selling fiction? Waterford Christmas 2022 1. Brian 2. Arthur’s Journal 3. Brian 4. Arthur’s Journal 5. Brian 6. Arthur’s Journal 7. Arthur’s Journal 8. Brian 9. Arthur’s Journal 10. Brian 11. Henry’s Journal 12. Brian 13. Arthur’s Journal 14. Arthur’s Journal 15. Brian 16. Edith’s Journal 17. Brian 18. Edith’s Journal 19. Edith’s Journal 20. Jean 21. Arthur’s Journal 22. Brian 23. Arthur’s Journal 24. Brian 25. Henry’s Journal 26. Brian 27. Henry’s Journal 28. Brian 29. Edith’s Journal 30. Jean 31. Edith’s Journal 32. Brian 33. Arthur’s Journal 34. Arthur’s Journal 35. Brian 36. Henry’s Journal 37. Brian 38. Edith’s Journal 39. Edith’s Journal 40. Jean 41. Arthur’s Journal 42. Arthur’s Journal 43. Brian 44. Henry’s Journal 45. Brian 46. Edith’s Journal 47. Edith’s Journal 48. Brian 49. Henry’s Journal 50. Brian 51. Arthur’s Journal 52. Brian 53. Edith’s Journal 54. Brian 55. Arthur’s Journal 56. Brian 57. Edith’s Journal 58. Jean 59. Henry’s Journal 60. Jean 61. Edith’s Journal 62. Brian 63. Arthur’s Journal 64. Brian 65. Edith’s Journal 66. Arthur’s Journal 67. Edith’s Journal 68. Edith’s Journal 69. Edith’s Journal 70. Brian 71. Brian Acknowledgements You will also enjoy: Author’s Notes A note from the publisher Love best-selling fiction? Love best-selling fiction? Sign up today to be the first to hear about new releases and exclusive offers, including free and discounted ebooks! Why not like us or follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest news from your favourite authors? Facebook Twitter Instagram Waterford Christmas 2022 Waterford city at Christmas is a treat. Twinkling lights adorn the streets. Shop windows beckon shoppers with tinselled displays of colourful gifts. My favourite bookshop excelled this year. Situated right in the middle of the shopping district, “The Book Centre” has a myriad of children’s books, adult thrillers, memoirs and the classics, all interspersed with boxed candle sets, novelty mugs, key rings and board games. Stepping inside, my heart lifted at the sight of the display directly in front of the door. The banner above the exhibit of new releases said “Bestsellers”. There it was with a sticker across it reading “Book Club choice of the month”, and above the tagline on the intriguing cover “A tale of two soldiers”. I lifted it as delicately as if it were a precious jewel. It felt lighter than I expected, considering its size. I flicked through the pages to the acknowledgements at the back then smiled at the signature inside the front dust jacket. The shop was overheated, packed with Christmas shoppers wearing coats and hats damp from the earlier rain. But nothing could mask that unmistakable yet elusive smell of Chapter 1 Brian Monday 21st September 2020 It all started when we were clearing out the old house in the Curragh Camp. After forty years of service with the Irish Defence Forces, I was due to retire. Jean and I had spent all our married life in the Curragh Camp, rearing our three children in married quarters, twenty of those years in this house. The attic had been full of the usual accumulated rubbish, Christmas decorations, suitcases, the kids’ old toys. Most of it was going in the skip or to charity, and I had nearly finished when I noticed the cabinet. In fairness, its presence in the farthest corner of the dimly lit attic was expertly camouflaged. Covered entirely by a moth-eaten army blanket, it was shrouded in a labyrinth of cobwebs. Layers of thick dust fluttered in the air when I lifted it, causing me to sneeze in violent outbursts. On closer examination, I realised it was an old British Army metal cabinet. They were standard fixtures in the company office when I first joined the army: a throwback to the days of British rule. The British were long gone.