One Night in Paris

by Kate Sweeney

  Maureen stood with Conall and Michael. She watched Kevin, whose bottom lip trembled, then he smiled.

  “I remember when I first saw you,” he said to Maureen. “You were crying, your long red hair in a tangled mess. You were holding on to Michael, both of ya hiding under that crate. It was just luck that I was walking in that neighborhood that morning and found ya.”

  “It wasn’t luck,” Maureen said. She noticed Con gently nudge Michael away from him. Now there was distance between them. She knew what Con was doing. If Kevin started shooting, one of them could hopefully get to him. She gave Annabel a quick glance, hoping she’d stay put. “You were meant to be there. You saved us.”

  “You did, Kevin,” Michael said in a pleading voice. “I love ya like the father I never knew.”

  “And I loved ya like the children I’d never have,” he said sadly. “I love ya both.”

  For a moment, Maureen relaxed when he started to lower the gun. Then just as quickly, he shoved it under his chin.

  “No!” Maureen screamed and ran to him just as he pulled the trigger. She knelt beside him and cried, looking away from all the blood. “Kevin, why?” she cried.

  Michael was on the other side, crying, as well. She blindly put her hand out to Michael, which he took. They held on to each other, just as they always had.

  *******

  Annabel watched in silence as they wheeled Kevin’s body, wrapped in a black bag, toward the ambulance. Maureen and Conall were talking to several men; Annabel supposed they were detectives. Maureen glanced at her from time to time and smiled sadly.

  Finally, Maureen walked up to her. Annabel flew into her arms. “I am so very sorry, Maureen.”

  Maureen clung to her. “I know. I know.” She held her at arm’s length. “Look, I need to go down to headquarters. Michael will have to come along and give a statement. They’ll drive ya back to Trevor’s. You stay there.”

  “Of course, I will,” Annabel said. “How long will you be?”

  “I don’t know. It’s a mess, but I’ll be along as soon as I can.”

  “Is it over?”

  “Yes. They’re on the way to get Tommy at the airport.”

  Annabel heard the hesitation in her voice. A chill ran through her. “You’re coming back to Trevor’s, aren’t you?”

  “Annie…”

  “You’re not going to just fade away, Maureen. I won’t let you.”

  She took Annabel’s hands. “My life is just not…”

  “Then we talk and work something out,” Annabel said defiantly.

  When Maureen did not meet her eyes, Annabel pulled her hands away. “If you want to work something out, of course. Well, I suppose I should be thinking about ending this adventure.”

  “Annie. There’s just so much still…”

  Annabel patted her cheek. “You can only run so long. I’ll be at Trevor’s, though I don’t know for how long. I still have the rental car. With all this, I know that sounds a little mundane.” What was she talking about? A rental? Good grief. She stopped, trying to figure out what to say next.

  “If you’re ready, ma’am?” A female police officer walked up behind them. “I’ll drive ya home.”

  Maureen still did not look at her. Annabel stood tall. “Home it is.”

  *******

  “She’ll come for you,” Trevor said, glancing at his watch. “She said she had to talk with these people. Though it is rather late.”

  It was nearly one in the morning. Everyone was exhausted.

  Annabel shrugged, not caring. The look of finality on Maureen’s face earlier that night was unmistakable. Her heart broke when Michael came back alone an hour earlier.

  “I still can’t believe what happened,” Trevor said. He looked at Michael, who stared at nothing in particular. Michael had explained to Trevor and Deirdre what had happened; he looked so sad and so tired. “It’s amazing. All the time, Maureen was working for Scotland Yard.” He shook his head.

  “You?” Michael sounded shocked. “How do ya think I feel? I had no idea. And I feel like a prize jackass getting mad because she didn’t tell me. Maureen was right. How could she tell me when I was so fucked-up?”

  “Why was Conall involved?” Annabel really didn’t care, but at least it took her mind off Maureen, and she stopped looking at her phone and the clock.

  “Apparently, Tommy had something on him. They still won’t tell me. Maureen said it was none of our business. But he struck a deal with the police. He probably did something with his casino. I really don’t know.”

  “So the numbers on that book were ID numbers for policemen. Is that it?” Deirdre asked.

  “Yes,” Michael said. “Maureen told the inspectors, she realized it when she saw Kevin’s old uniform at her flat. It hit her then the numbers were ID numbers. Though at the time, she didn’t think Kevin was on the list. When she realized it, she called Conall. Then she got the call tonight from Dublin that Tommy was on the move. I suppose they had an informant who told them when he was going to Paris. Maureen needed to move fast.”

  “And she did,” Annabel said.

  “She was so pissed when she retold them how you came into Conall’s office. Told me she was torn between wanting to strangle ya and kiss ya. Did ya really shoot the floor?”

  “You did?” Trevor asked, hiding his laughter.

  “It was an accident,” Annabel said in her defense, which there really was none. She had no business with a gun. “I didn’t know who Conall was. I wasn’t at all sure he was a good guy.”

  “So ya hit poor Liam with a rock and took his gun.”

  “Yes. And when he took me to that old abandoned building, I was petrified when they weren’t there. So was he. The only other place he could think of was perhaps they went back to Conall’s office, which is where I found them.”

  “I should have known something was wrong when Kevin showed up here a few minutes later.” Michael shook his head.

  “Don’t blame yourself for that one, Michael. I was completely relieved,” Trevor said.

  “As was I. I thought it was all over with and we were safe,” Deirdre said.

  “In a million years, I never thought…” Michael shook his head in disbelief. “He must have followed us back after we met him about the book.”

  “That’s when he must have recognized his badge number on the ledger,” Annabel said. “And needed to find where you were staying.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Maureen thought, as well. She said Kevin had to be following us when we went to Maureen’s flat. Then told Doyle to come here and have a look while we were out. Maureen thinks we might have surprised them the way that car was speeding away when we pulled up. She figured they weren’t through looking for the book. Ya know, the house would have been in worse shape if they had more time.”

  “Thank God they didn’t,” Trevor said, stifling a yawn. Annabel noticed he too looked at the clock above the mantel. “It truly is like something out of a book. I’m sorry, Michael. Truly, I am.”

  “Thank you,” Michael said. “I’m still stunned that Kevin would do that. But who am I kidding? Look what I did with Tommy.” He put his head back and closed his eyes. “I hurt so many people.”

  “But it’s over now.” Deirdre sat next to him on the couch. “You have your life back now. And wouldn’t it be a grand legacy to Kevin if ya lived a full happy life, Mick?”

  He nodded but said nothing. Deirdre leaned over and kissed his forehead.

  “Michael, did Maureen say anything to you when you left?” Annabel asked.

  “No, she really didn’t have a chance. She was still talking to the detectives and inspectors. I gave my statement, told them everything I knew. God, they went over it and over it so many times, I was about ready to confess to something, anything just to get out of there. If it wasn’t for Maureen, I’m sure I’d be in jail right now.”

  “I can’t believe you knew nothing of what she was doing,” Deirdre said. “She’s good at keeping a secret,
that’s for sure. I suppose living alone for so long, ya get used to hiding and…” She glanced at Annabel. “I’m sorry, Annabel. I’m sure she—”

  “No need to apologize. I knew what I was getting into when she climbed into my rental car that morning.” Annabel fought the tears that threatened to overtake her.

  “Speaking of rentals. You left your cell and I answered it. Seems they want their rental back,” Trevor said with a sad smile.

  “I know. I thought of that. I’ll take it back tomorrow. I-I may just leave, Trevor.”

  “No,” he said softly. “Why? Don’t leave, Bellie. She’ll come back.”

  She looked at Michael, who frowned but said nothing. Apparently, he did not have the same optimism as Trevor. He was Maureen’s brother after all; who would know her better? Certainly not Annabel.

  Chapter 22

  When Maureen didn’t call or show up by early morning, Annabel had enough. Despite Trevor nearly crying and pulling on her legs begging her to stay, Annabel threw her bags into the rental, kissed Trevor, and drove back to Dublin Airport. She’d worry about updating her return ticket then.

  As luck would have it, it started raining. She stared at the road, listening to the lulling sound of the wiper blades and the rain pelting her windshield. Her bottom lip quivered as she shifted gears. She just couldn’t figure out why Maureen wouldn’t at least call.

  “Oh, well.” She sighed. “I wanted an adventure, and I got it. I said there were no strings, and there aren’t. I’m an adult. So is she.” She took a deep breath, still watching the road as she drove. “We’re from two different worlds anyway. Star-crossed, that’s it. How could I live here? I’m sure she wouldn’t move to Nebraska of all places. No one wants to live in Nebraska, not even Nebraskans. She could have called me, though.” She thought talking out loud to herself would make her feel better—it did not. She missed Maureen, and her heart ached at the thought of her.

  She pulled into the airport and drove around to the rental dealer and parked. She stared out the window, waiting for the rain to subside.

  She let out a hysterical screech when the passenger door opened and someone jumped in.

  “Don’t talk, just drive,” Maureen said. She was drenched. She looked like a drowned redheaded rat; she looked tired. She looked absolutely wonderful.

  Annabel glared, her heart thumped so loud... Damn this woman. “And just what do you think you’re doing?”

  “Reenacting the scene of the crime,” Maureen said, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Ma’am.”

  “Where have you been?” Annabel asked, ignoring the urge to kiss the life out of this woman.

  “Long story short. Tommy got away from them. We chased him around Dublin all night. We got him before he drove his car into the Irish Sea. Conall got to slug him. It was fun.”

  “Fun? You…” Annabel glared at her. “Are you a policeman?”

  “Woman, policewoman, or officer to be politically correct. I’m shooting for inspector in a couple years. If I’m lucky…”

  “If I don’t kill you first. You lied to me.”

  “Yes, I did. Now let’s get out of here. I’m catching cold. I have two tickets waitin’ for us in the airport.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “And why are you leaving? I went to Trevor’s to get you. He was so sad, then so happy I think I gave him a migraine. He was crying when I left him.” She ran her fingers through her wet hair. “And yes, you are. I can’t go to Paris alone.”

  Annabel’s heart melted. “You’re taking me to Paris?” When Maureen nodded, she screeched again and launched herself at Maureen, hugging her wet body as close as she could. “What’s going to happen to us, Maureen?”

  “God only knows. We’ll figure it out. But for now…” Maureen kissed her tenderly, then pulled back. “Let’s have our one night in Paris.”

  About the author

  Kate Sweeney, a 2010 Alice B. Medal winner, was the 2007 recipient of the Golden Crown Literary Society award for Debut Author for She Waits, the first in the Kate Ryan Mystery series. The series also includes A Nice Clean Murder, The Trouble with Murder, a 2008 Golden Crown Award winner for Mystery, Who’ll Be Dead for Christmas? a 2009 Golden Crown Award winner for Mystery, Of Course It’s Murder, What Happened in Malinmore, A Near Myth Murder, and It’s Not Always Murder.

  Other novels include Away from the Dawn, Survive the Dawn, Before the Dawn, Residual Moon, a 2008 Golden Crown Award winner for Speculative Fiction, Liar’s Moon, The O’Malley Legacy, Winds of Heaven, Sea of Grass, Paradise, Love at Last, Someday I’ll Find You, Moon Through the Magnolia, Stone Walls, Second Time Around, and Love in E Flat.

  Born in Chicago, Kate moved to Louisiana, and this Yankee doubts she’ll ever get used to saying y’all. Humor is deeply embedded in Kate’s DNA. She sincerely hopes you will see this when you read her novels, short stories, and other works. Email Kate at ksweeney22@aol.com.