Nurse Donahue greeted me at the nurse’s station on my way in. “Try not to get your hopes up, dear. He doesn’t remember what happened and he may not remember ye yet either.”
I nodded, grateful he was awake at all and eager to move on and see him.
“The kidnapper who took him has taken our friend Leslie now. We really need him to remember where he was held or who took him. Can I ask him?”
“You can’t push him, dear. Pressure will only make things worse,” Nurse Donahue said. “Tell him everythin’ ye can remember about that night. I know it’s graspin’ at straws, but there’s always the slim chance it will jar somethin’ in his memory—somethin’ ye can use to find yer friend, but it’s important not to push him and take things slowly,” she warned. “He’s been unconscious now for a week. He’s bound to feel disorientated.”
“Thank you,” I said, as we turned the corner to reveal Cullen’s room. “Have you told the police that he’s woken?”
“Just,” she said. “They wanted to be the first to see him, but Cullen needs to see a friendly face – he doesn’t need an inquisition.”
Through the glass I saw Cullen, propped up against a pillow, his eyes open. It was the best thing I’d seen in weeks.
“I’ve brought someone to see ye,” Nurse Donahue said, entering the room. I followed behind, and when he saw me, he smiled so wide that his dried lips cracked and bled.
“I’ll leave ye to it,” Nurse Donahue said.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, moving inside the room.
“Like I got hit over the head for a week straight.” He locked his gaze on mine. “I can’t remember a thing, Soph”
I smiled at the sound of my name. “You remember me?”
He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Of course, I remember ye. What kind of question is that? Yer my favourite girl.”
I felt a blush creep up my face. The words were simple, but the depth of emotion in his eyes had my heart beating a little harder and faster.
“C’mere and give yer man a hug. What took you so long, anyway?”
I chuckled and threw myself on him. He winced but didn’t move me off. “God, Cullen, you scared me. I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t understand why you’d cancel the alterations on my wedding dress. I thought you didn’t want to marry me anymore.”
“I would never have done that, Aeval. Ye’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Now get up here.”
I climbed into the bed with him and snuggled close. We didn’t speak for two minutes. I didn’t even allow myself to think. I just reveled in the comfort of his arms. Then I remembered Leslie.
“Have the doctors told you anything, Cullen?”
“Aye, they’ve explained a little,” he said, his face appearing somewhat vacant. “But I can’t say I’ve taken much of it in, really. I know I’ve been in a coma for a week.”
“Do you remember anything about what happened, anything at all?” I asked, knowing that this sort of conversation wasn’t what Nurse Donahue would have had in mind.
He shook his head and glanced at the door. “Where’s Les? Ye two are never far apart.”
“She’s, uh…had to make a pit stop,” I said, grasping at the first excuse that might pass muster.
Cullen frowned and I knew he didn’t believe me for a minute. He was my own personal lie detector.
“What’s goin’ on, Sophia?”
“I hate to pry, Cullen, but I need you to remember what happened.”
Cullen looked up at the ceiling. “Lord, I wish I could. It’s all kind of fuzzy. I remember looking at buildings with you and Leslie, and I remember you kissing me goodbye and then I had to get ready…” He shook his head. “But I don’t remember why I was even getting ready.”
“It’s the concussion,” I said. “In a day or two, it will probably all come back. Why was your brother’s journal out? Were you reading it?”
“I can’t remember. Damn it!” He banged his hand on the railing and I jumped. “Sorry.” He gave me an apologetic look. “Do ye have any idea how frustratin’ it is to know that somewhere in yer foggy brain is the answer to why someone tried to kill ye and not be able to access it?”
I glanced over at the door to see if the Nurse had heard us. I had no doubt Cullen would be okay, physically, but the longer his memory took to return, the more likely Leslie would be hurt.
“Tell me why I was gettin’ ready to go out, maybe it will jog somethin’.”
“Your stag night, honey,” I said. “You were supposed to meet the boys on Grafton Street.”
“Aye,” he said, looking as though he was trawling through his mind for buried clues. “The weddin‘– ye said I cancelled yer dress. Did I cancel the weddin’, too?”
“No, the wedding is still on.”
“Good. Good. All is right in the world then.”
I bit my lip, wondering whether or not to tell him. “It’s not. I’m sorry to tell you this but Leslie’s missing. I think it might be the same person who took you,” I said.
“What?”
“Is it my turn yet?” Móraí interjected, coming into the room. “I snuck in when that nosy nurse turned her back.”
“Móraí? You’re back from your trip?” I said, getting down from the bed. I suddenly wondered if she’d seen Sam and I on her property the hour before.
“Aye, I hurried back as soon as I heard what happened.”
I backed up out of the way and she walked to Cullen’s bedside and kissed him on the forehead. It was the most affection I’d seen her give her grandson. She’d always favored his brother. Perhaps the near loss had melted some of the ice around her heart.
“I’ll wait outside. I don’t want to upset the nurses.”
“Wait just a minute there, Aeval. You need to be after tellin’ me about yer wan,” Cullen said.
“We’ll talk after. I’ll be in the hall.”
He frowned but didn’t try to stop me again.
“I don’t think I should have told him about Leslie,” I lamented, as I sat outside the room with Da on a couple of plastic chairs. “You should have seen his face.”
“Ah, Cullen’s a tough lad. Besides, he had to find out sometime.”
“He didn’t have to find out now.”
“Maybe he did,” Da replied. “Look who just arrived.”
I looked up to see Ó Cléirigh and O’Brien talking with Nurse Donahue. They turned and Ó Cléirigh spotted us instantly. “Sophia,” he said.
I stood up. “Inspector, did you get my messages about Leslie?” I asked.
“I did but we haven’t found her yet. Ye’ve already spoken with Cullen?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Anythin’ we might be interested in?” he asked.
“He can’t remember anything,” I said.
Ó Cléirigh nodded, as if that was what he had expected.
“I’m sorry about earlier when ye called to tell me about yer friend,” He said. “It wasn’t a good time to talk but I should have heard ye out first.”
I was taken aback by the apology. “That’s okay.”
“I understand how frustratin’ all this is,” he said, glancing over to look at Da.
“Are you going to speak with Cullen?” I asked.
“Yes,” he replied. “Although we don’t expect him to be able to help, if what you and the doctor say is true.”
“Right,” I said.
“We’ll do our best not to upset him,” O'Brien promised. “Oh, have ye seen Sam lately?”
“He dropped me off. That’s who I was with when you called me back about Leslie.”
“Do ye know where he was goin’?”
“Back to the cathedral.”
SIXTY-EIGHT
“ Thank the lord, ye’re back,” Cullen said, as I walked into the hospital room.
“Like I could stay away,” I smiled, giving him a kiss and then sitting down in the chair next to the bed. He looked better than when he’d first woken but st
ill groggy.
“Has the Inspector told ye anything new,” Cullen asked, closing his eyes briefly as if he had just suffered a blast of pain.
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Cullen grimaced.
“Are you okay?” I said, rising from the chair. “Nurse!”
“Don’t fret, love,” he said. “The doc said I would get some twinges from time to time. The body’s way of telling me I’m not dead.”
“Amen for that,” I said.
“Ye poor thing. C’mere. Ye’ve been through hell.” Cullen broke out into a series of gasping coughs.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” I asked, my panic once again rising.
Cullen nodded.
“Time for a checkup,” The Nurse said entering the room, she looked at me. “Ye can stay if ye’d like. It’s just a routine bandage change. Minimal nudity.”
“Don’t tell her that. Sophia’s a real firecracker. She’ll get jealous if she knows how yer always getting’ me naked,” He said with a wink.
The nurse laughed and I grinned. “Lie still ye wee pervert, and hold yer tongue for once while I check those bandages.”
“Where did Da go?” Cullen asked as the nurse went about her duties.
“He took your grandmother home. She was driving the staff nuts and he looked like he could use a break.”
The nurse made notes on Cullen’s clipboard and hung it back on the end of the bed. “All done, and looks good. Do ye need any pain meds?” she asked.
“I’m brilliant, Thanks,” Cullen said.
She held up a plastic tube with a remote attached to it. “Well, if the pain gets too bad, just push this little button and help will be on the way. No need to be so bloody stubborn.” She gave us both a nod and exited the room.
“She’s sure got your number. You sure you don’t need the drugs?” I asked.
“They make me sleepy, and we need to talk.”
I gave him a scolding look.
“I promise I’ll take them as soon as we’re done.”
“Okay,” I said. “What’s up?”
“I’m after rememberin’ somethin’,” he announced in between the trailing coughs.
“Really?”
“It’s all pretty vague,” he said. “But I think I remember two voices. One female and one male, I just can’t place them yet. It’s like a nightmare. There are shapes and voices—the woman referred to me as her son.”
“Her son?”
I know that’s not possible. Gah, I sound daft. I know Ma is dead, so I’m confusin’ things. It’s just so frustratin’, Aeval.”
“It’s okay,” I soothed, noting Cullen’s anguished expression. “Give yourself a break. You almost died. You get several memory-lapse-free cards for that.”
“I know but I think I used them all up yesterday.”
“You’ll remember more things, given time.”
“But we haven’t the time.” He sat up straight in the bed and winced.
Lie back down. You’re not supposed to sit up like that.
“This mornin’,” He said, ignoring me, “when I woke, I was sure I saw a man. He was starin’ at me through the window. He was blurry but I blinked and he was gone.”
“It was part of a dream?”
“It could have been, or just my imagination. But it seemed real.”
“Maybe it was one of the hospital staff?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Damn it!”
I cringed a bit as Cullen pounded his fist against the bed rail.
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“Middle-aged, maybe,” he said. “It’s hard to say. Dark hair, I think. I don’t know, Soph. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said, wondering whether Cullen was actually capable of remembering anything accurately. “I just can’t help but wonder...do you think Les is still alive?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything bad has happened to her.”
Cullen bent forward and embraced me. “I’m sorry for upsetting ye. I’m gonna remember and we’re gonna find her. Get comfortable,” he said and pointed to the chair. “We’re gonna work together.”
I poured us both a glass of water and slipped into the chair. Cullen reached for a pad of paper and pen on his table and handed it to me.
“Okay. So, what is the last thing you remember from Saturday?”
He stared at the wall for several seconds, his brow creased. “I remember cleanin’ out the attic, takin’ a nap and I definitely remember ye crawlin’ into bed beside me to kiss me goodbye. Ye looked so hot in that little white jumper. That would be impossible to forget.”
He smiled for a moment, and then his expression turned thoughtful again. “I remember thinkin’ I needed to shower. I turned on the radio. Then I got myself a beer and the phone rang.”
“Who was it?”
“I can’t remember.”
“What song was playing on the radio?”
He frowned. “I don’t…no.” He looked at me. “I don’t know. Why don’t I know? Why is that important, anyway?”
“I helped a medical student one time. They were writing a paper on amnesia and how the brain works. One of the case studies was about a DJ who had witnessed a murder but couldn’t remember anything until the song that had been playing during the shooting came back on and it triggered his memories and with it the identity of the killer.”
Cullen nodded slowly.
I leaned forward in my chair. “Give me your mobile, let’s put some music on. It’s a stretch but I know what radio station you were listening to because it was still playing when I came looking for you. Radio stations tend to play the same songs over and over again.”
Cullen stared at his phone for several seconds, and then handed it to me. “It’s a stretch, to be sure, but at least we’re tryin’, right?”
“In the meantime, you work on who called you. If that’s the last thing you remember then my money is on that being the trigger.”
SIXTY-NINE
C ullen could hear voices. First, they were distant, spiraling around in the darkness like specters. Then the volume increased, the clarity sharpened, and he could make out two voices—a man and a woman.
In his mind he tried to move but his hands were tied.
A figure loomed up in front of him.
Cullen’s eyes snapped open, his breathing heavy, his sheets wet with sweat. Standing on the outside of the hospital room, looking in with his face pressed up against the glass, again, was a man. The man’s eyes burned into him, and the sight chilled him to the bone. He blinked and the figure was gone. At first, he thought the guy had been really standing there, but it must have been just a hangover from the dream. Things were still hazy, reality blurring with imagination.
But one thing was clear; his memory was returning.
It took him a few moments to realize that there was Christmas music playing. No, it was the phone ringing. Using all his energy he reached over towards his left and wedged the receiver between the pillow and his ear. His arm was aching, as if he had just lifted a ton weight.
“Hello?” Cullen said, trying to sit up as much as the equipment would allow, his voice coming out croaky, like an old man.
His question was met with silence.
“Hello?” he said. “Aeval, that you?”
“Sorry to disappoint ye there, Goldie, but it’s me,” a male voice said.
“Who?”
“Forgot me already?” the voice said with a chuckle.
“Jaysus,” Cullen said, “who is this?”
“I spared your life, my brother,” the man replied.
“Liam?”
“I visited ye, stood by your bed and could have ended it all—but I didn’t.”
“Ye’re not Liam. Ye can’t be. Liam’s dead,” Cullen whispered, glancing towards the window, imagining his long dead brother standing there, talking to him through the glass. “Where’s Leslie? What have ye done with her?”
Silence.
“Cut the shite, ye bastard,” Cullen pleaded. “Let her go or I swear ye’ll live to regret it.”
“It’s too late for favors,” the man replied and hung up.
SEVENTY
A large evergreen tree decorated with candy canes and silver bells glowed outside Cullen’s hospital room. There were even presents under it.
“Holy Snowballs! This place turned into a winter wonderland overnight,” I commented.
Cullen’s face lit up. “It must be the 8th of December. It’s tradition here in Ireland to decorate and shop.”
“That explains why the streets are so busy.” I set down the tray of coffees I’d carried in. “Why today?”
“The immaculate conception was on this date. Ye’re not a very devout catholic, are ye now, Aeval?”
“No, honey, I’m not really a devout anything.” I chuckled.
“I hope one of those is for me.”
“You know it, Caramel Brulée Latte.”
“Ye’re a very naughty girl, Aeval, and I’m glad for it. We just won’t tell the nurse in case it gets me in trouble.”
“Get you in trouble? No way. Nurse Donahue’s sweet on you, but she can get in line.” I winked and handed him the cup.
“Did ye bring a sandwich, too? I haven’t the stomach for jello again.”
“I pulled the takeout bag from my purse and handed it to him. “Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich.”
Cullen opened the bag with ferocity and happiness swelled inside of me at his energy.
“So how was your morning?”
“Gah,” Cullen said, practically choking on his first bite.
“Perhaps you should stick to jello. You were on a ventilator.”
Cruel Fortunes Omnibus: Volumes One to Four Page 66
