“If you decide you have more to say, I’m going to be at the pub tonight. I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me.”
“If you’re at the pub, there will be someone who knows far more than I do. Stevie is the one who found her. He’s the one who knows.” She pressed her hand to her mouth as if to shut herself up.
Maribel stepped out into the raging rainstorm and broke into a run. The puddles were deep, and her clothes were heavy and wet. But somehow the rain felt like a baptism. Like the washing away of foolishness. Mary had given her the closest thing to the truth she could manage. It wasn’t everything, but at least it was something.
Chapter 25
Aden
* * *
Walking Main Street, Aden’s mind whirled. There were only so many ways out of this town and even fewer ways to flee the country. Especially for a young kid with very little money. How did Ian make his way out of town, to an airport, and then overseas? He must have been planning it. There had to be more to the story. Off in the distance he heard the horn of a barge blow. The port was close. Were some of the ships bound for the US?
The rain had slowed to a mist, and he zipped his coat as he made his way toward the docks. It was a long shot. Completely unlikely he’d find anything, but what else would he do with his day? The only real alternative would be to sit in his room, raid the mini bar, and rehash every word that had passed between him and Maribel. That was ridiculous. He had been right. Every time he closed his eyes and imagined his life with her, the only things he saw were his own failures. The time would come, just like it always did in his life, when the fork in the road required a choice. He’d go left and the real answer was to the right. She’d need him to stand by her, and he’d fall short.
It wasn’t that Maribel was the kind of woman who would be crushed by his failures. It was the opposite. She’d love him in spite of them. She’d accept all the things he wasn’t. In the process she’d bargain away little pieces of herself. The best pieces. She’d hold his face in her hands and love him in a way he’d never been loved. Aden knew he didn’t deserve that. His past was ample proof.
As his feet hit the docks, he pushed the thoughts of Maribel out of his mind. There was no solution that could be reasoned into reality.
“Hey, I’m wondering if you can help me out.”
There was a man in a little open-air shack writing down something that seemed important. His wire-rimmed glasses sat low on his nose and his bushy white hair blew in the sea air.
“Are you a ship?”
“Uh . . . no.”
“Then I don’t care what you want. I’m the recorder of the port, not a tour guide.” He never looked up as he opened a large binder and scrawled something down.
“How long have you been doing this?”
“Longer than you’ve been alive.” Again he gave no look of interest.
“And the records go way back? I’m looking for a record of ships leaving and their passengers from decades ago. Do they still exist?”
That had the man’s attention. “Of course they do. These records are my life; you think I just toss them out when the years go by?”
“But you couldn’t pinpoint a day and access it quickly, right? I’m sure it’s not easy to wade through all the records you’ve ever kept.”
“Dated, alphabetized, and preserved from the elements. You can go to any port in the country, and you won’t find a more well-maintained set of port records. Don’t believe me? I’ll bet my life’s savings on it.”
“No need,” Aden laughed. “I believe you. But if someone wanted to sneak out of here or use a different name to gain passage to a ship traveling overseas, I’m sure it wouldn’t be that hard, right? That would invalidate the records if they aren’t accurate?”
“Do you need a boot to your arse?” The man slammed his pen down. “No one, I mean no one, stows away on a ship from my port. I take this job very seriously. I know every crew member and every passenger who passes over this dock, and I make damn sure I know who is getting on vessels here. It’s not some revolving door without a lock.”
“Of course.” Aden nodded apologetically. “So you could get me the records for these three dates?” He slid a paper over to the man and held his breath. There was no way to know for sure if Ian had traveled by ship or if he’d have used his real information on any kind of manifest.
The man rang a loud metal bell and waited. When a woman came walking up the dock, Aden stepped back.
“What is it, Marsh?” The toothless woman looked extremely put out. “I was in the middle of watching my shows.
“I have to go take this foreigner to the records. Stay in the shack until I’m back.” Marsh led her in and pointed to his chair. “It won’t take more than fifteen minutes. Clock me.”
Marsh had clearly taken the bait. Not only was he going to give Aden what he needed, he was going to prove how quickly he could get the information he wanted.
“I’m Aden Murphey, by the way. Your name is Marsh?”
“Short for Marshall. You can call me Captain Louise.”
“Yes sir.” Aden nodded and walked quick to keep up with the man and his wooden cane. How a man could walk that fast with a bum leg on a dock moving with the sea was a mystery. Maybe a miracle. When they reached the stone building at the top of the sea rocks, Aden wondered when it was built. It looked like it predated anything he’d seen here so far.
“This used to be the ship watch,” Marsh explained. “Early settlers would perch up here and build fires to lead ships in. No lighthouse at that time. Now I store my records here. It’s strong. Dry. Safe.”
“You don’t get tired of writing all this stuff down and bringing it up here to store away?” Marsh pulled the cord of a generator and brought the lights to life. Aden looked at the rows and rows of boxes that lined the walls of the stone building.
“Sometimes,” Marsh admitted. “But this is a necessary job. I take the responsibility very seriously. My records have solved crimes, saved lives, and righted wrongs.”
“Really? What kind?” Aden watched Marsh climb a small stepladder and reach for a box with a twelve-digit code written on the front in bright blue marker. He never looked at the scrap of paper Aden had handed him with the dates on it.
“Oh, long drawn-out stories you don’t want to hear.” Marsh opened the lid, reached right in and pulled out three logs. “Now tell me who is it you’re looking for on these?”
“Ian O’Malley. I want to know what day he sailed out of here after Elsie died.”
Marsh’s weathered face tightened. “Why?”
“Because I don’t think the story of him poisoning her is true.”
“And you’re some news reporter or radio guy who wants to come in and upend this place for the sake of entertainment?”
“No.” Aden reached his hands out for the files and looked Marsh square in the eye. “I don’t work in entertainment, and I don’t plan to exploit the truth for any personal benefit. You have my word on that.”
“I’m not giving you these records.” Marsh raised his brows defiantly.
“I promise you my intentions aren’t malicious. I’m not trying to make trouble for the people in town. I’m trying to help clear the name of a seventeen-year-old kid I don’t think killed his pregnant girlfriend. I know the alternative might be unsettling, but the truth matters.”
Marsh put the records back in the box. “I agree.”
“Then why not give them to me?”
“Because you won’t find his name on those logs.” Marsh reached in and grabbed another record. “It’s the one from two days before you want. He sailed out of here on a shipping freighter bound for New York. He took a job as a hand on the ship to pay his passage.” He handed over the record and pointed to the name Ian O’Malley.
“He left two days before she died? You knew this all along?”
“I did.”
“But you let the town go on thinking he was a murderer?” Aden’s head was spinning.
“No one ever came and asked before.” Marsh shrugged and put the lid back on the box. “If you’re taking that with you, make sure you get a copy back to me.”
“Yeah,” Aden said absentmindedly as Marsh put the box away, switched off the generator, and left him standing alone in the old stone building. That was it. Nothing dramatic. No explanation. He’d handed Aden proof that Ian wasn’t even in the country when Elsie died. When his mind cleared only one thing echoed through his brain.
Now what?
Chapter 26
Maribel
* * *
She was out of clever ideas and quickly running out of time. The lead she’d gotten was at the pub she was heading to, and it was time to bite the bullet and press for answers. Aden had been shut out, but maybe they’d be more willing to talk with her if Kenan was there.
“I saw you coming in earlier,” Kenan remarked as he led the way into the pub. “You got caught in that storm. You were soaked.”
“It came out of nowhere,” she laughed. “I felt so foolish walking through the lobby like that. A hot shower has never felt so good.”
“A few beers will feel even better. This place is like home to me. I’d like to say I waited until I was old enough to drink, but I was being served here once I could reach the bar.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you on the wedding stuff. I’ve been distracted. I know how important having the wedding here would be. Just know I haven’t stopped working on it.”
“Maribel”—Kenan pulled out a chair at small table and waited for her to sit—“I’ve never been anywhere in my life. I keep telling myself I’m trapped here and bound by my responsibilities to Gallamare. If I left, I’d be abandoning the people who have dedicated their lives to me and now need my help in return. It’s a weight to carry. But I want you to know that this week, the time I’ve spent with you, it’s felt a little lighter. I’m sorry you’re going through a tough time. But know that you made my time a little easier. Wedding or not, I’m happy you came.”
“Thanks, Kenan,” Maribel said with a blush. “You shouldn’t feel so trapped here. It’s a big world, and you’re a talented man. You have to take a risk, and you’d be amazed what could happen.” Before her lips could close around the last word he leaned in and kissed her. The shock of it bowled her over. Her words of encouragement were not meant as an invitation, but she could see how they’d ended up there. Her hand gently touched his chest as she backed away. “I’m sorry, Kenan. I’m in no shape to go around kissing someone. Especially someone as kind as you. My life is complicated enough right now.”
“I understand.” He brushed a thumb across her cheek, their faces still close. “I thought maybe I could help you out with your situation.” Kenan gestured with his head toward the door. Aden was standing with the light of the setting sun streaming in behind him. A pained look spread across his face but then washed away quickly.
“Maribel.” He cleared his throat and glanced quickly around the room. “I need to talk to you.”
“She’s in the middle of something.” Kenan glared up at Aden and grinned. “Give her some space.”
“Maribel, I have something I have to tell you. It’s important. You’ll want to hear it.” Aden turned his body so his back was to Kenan. “Come on.” He extended his hand to Maribel, but she didn’t take it.
“I don’t think now is a good time.” Maribel licked her lips nervously. She had a plan. There was someone here who held the truth, and she was going to find a way to get to that. Now with Aden and Kenan ready to duke it out, she knew her window of opportunity was closing.
“What are you doing back here?” the bartender from Aden’s earlier encounter shouted and slapped his hand on the bar. The entire place fell silent. “Boys, that’s the guy I was telling you about. He’s poking ’round asking questions about Ian O’Malley. I tossed him out of here once, but he doesn’t seem to get the hint.”
The grumbling voices of random men around the bar started to rise. “What do you want to know about Ian? He’s a murderer. He’s a monster.” The bartender rounded the side of the bar, and a few men gathered behind him.
“Wait a second,” Kenan said, standing up quickly. “There’s a misunderstanding here. Maribel and Aden are here for work. They’re planning a wedding.”
“No they ain’t,” the bartender laughed. “They’re planning to dig up the past and bring us trouble around here. Something we’re not going to let happen.”
“There is a wedding,” Kenan said firmly as he looked at Maribel. She glanced at Aden who gave her the slightest gesture of his head. He wanted her to say no. Because if she said yes and everything blew up, someone would be able to connect the dots between the bride-to-be and their questions about Ian.
“I can explain, Kenan.” Maribel popped to her feet and touched his shoulder, but he was rigid with anger.
“Has this been some kind of game to you? Are you just morbid and macabre wanting to know about some dead girl? You writing a book, and I’ll be the town fool you used?”
“No, it’s not like that at all. There is more to the story than you know.” She looked toward Aden for help, but his jaw was set as he watched the men gathering behind the bartender.
“There is a man named Stevie here, right?” She glanced at the men until they all looked at the bar. A silver-haired man with his hand on a beer cocked his head to the side. “Okay, so someone told me you know the truth. Someone told me today you know what really happened to Elsie.”
“Enough,” Kenan stepped back, sending his chair flying to the floor. “You two need to go. I’m not talking about leaving this pub, I mean get a flight out of here. Now.”
“It seems a little late for that.” Stevie slid off his bar stool and curled his face up in anger. “My name’s been brought into this now, and I don’t like it. I’m going to kick this guy’s ass.”
“Yeah,” the group cheered. “Let’s get him.”
“Wait,” Aden shouted back. “She’s got nothing to do with this. I know men like you, and you aren’t going to hurt her.”
“We don’t hit women, just slimebag assholes like you.” The bartender cracked his knuckles.
“Then let her go outside.” Aden looked at Kenan with fire in his eyes. “Take her outside.”
“No,” Maribel protested as Kenan reached for her arm. “There’s five of them. You aren’t going to stand here and fight them over this. It’s stupid. You are all delusional. You think because you don’t like what happened you can will some other truth to be real. Wake up.”
“Kenan,” Aden said through his ground together teeth. “Get her outside. Now.”
“No,” Maribel shouted again as Kenan looped an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet. The men were closing in on Aden as the door shut with her outside. “Put me down. I need to get back in there. They’re going to kill him.”
“They won’t,” Kenan said, planting her on the ground but blocking her entrance back in. “He brought that on himself.”
“No, I brought it on him,” she cried. “I can’t leave him in there alone. You have to help him.”
“You think I’m the kind of man who’s going to go break up a fight for a guy I don’t know? You lied to me. You came here to destroy something you can’t even begin to imagine.”
“And now I need your help,” she gulped out.
“I am helping you. I’m doing what he asked. You don’t need to see the man you love get his ass beat. You’re welcome.”
“Aden is the kind of man who, if the roles were reversed, would be in there throwing punches for you right now. Please, do the same for him.”
“You have no idea what you’ve done by coming here. You have no clue what you’ve done to me.”
“If you won’t help him, move out of my way so I can.” She planted her hands on her hips and ignored the giant tears flooding down her cheeks. “I’m serious.”
“Stay here.” He pointed to the exact spot on the grou
nd where she stood. “I’ll get your boyfriend, but the two of you are leaving this place and never coming back.”
“Fine,” she promised, not caring about anything but Aden’s safety now.
When Kenan opened the door a loud ruckus poured out, but she didn’t make a move to go in. She’d screwed things up enough. She wasn’t going to make it worse. She’d give Kenan sixty seconds. The longest minute of her life.
When Kenan and Aden spilled out of the pub, Maribel stumbled backwards. “Go,” Kenan said as he wiped blood from his lip. “Get out of this town before I change my mind and toss you back in to the wolves.”
“I had it under control,” Aden barked, looking only mildly banged up.
“I’ll admit you clearly have had your share of bar brawls, but that was only a couple guys who were already half in the bag. You don’t want this entire town getting wind of what you’re doing.”
The bartender stumbled out behind Kenan. “What the hell are you doing, fighting for this asshole?” He held his hand to his already swollen eye. “You of all people should be stringing him up from a tree.”
“Shut up, old man,” Kenan demanded as she shoved his way back inside the pub pulling the bartender behind him.
“Are you all right?” Maribel asked, taking a better look at Aden. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start that. I found something today I thought could help. The lead brought me here. But why were you here?”
“Because someone told me you were.” Aden took her hand and pulled her down to the long road leading back to the hotel. “I found something too. But it doesn’t matter. It won’t matter to these people. I need to get you out of here before something else happens.”
“What did you find?” Maribel asked, stopping in her tracks and digging in her heels. “Is it proof that he’s innocent?”
“It doesn’t matter now. No one here wants the truth. They certainly don’t want the truth from the two of us. I don’t intend to find out how far these people are willing to go to hide the truth.”
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