by Liz Gavin
Keira got a sheet from the bed and handed it to Declan.
“Good thinking,” he thanked her as he tied Paul’s feet and legs.
When he was sure the man didn’t pose a threat to them any longer, Declan stood up and pulled Keira into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, as he heard her sobbing against his chest. He fought his own tears and had a hard time keeping them at bay. His heart had stopped when he had heard Keira’s shout from the corridor.
His world had fallen apart when he entered the room and saw her being attacked. He would have killed the son of a bitch if she hadn’t stopped him. His blood was still boiling. He had to cool down and tend to her needs, though. He reluctantly let go of her and took a step back to examine her, searching for bruises and finding too many for his own peace of mind.
“Look at you, love. He hurt you badly. I will kill him.”
She grabbed his upper arms when he turned to the spot where Paul was sitting on the floor.
“Hold me, please, Declan. Just hold me tight. I need to know you’re real.”
Unable to deny her heartfelt plea, he obliged. Folding his arms around her, cocooning her trembling body against his rock solid one, Declan soothed her nerves.
“I’m real, baby. You’re safe with me, now. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”
She closed her eyes, relishing his warmth as it enveloped her bruised body and battered soul. His strength restored hers. Keira ran her fingers through his soft hair and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, Declan,” her voice broke off and tears welled in her eyes before rolling down her dirty face.
CHAPTER 5
“Don’t cry, honey,” he kissed her eyelids close, the bitter taste of her tears stung his tongue, and his heart sank deeper. “I can’t bear it, love. I’ll kill the bastard if you shed one more tear.”
“You’re right, he doesn’t deserve this satisfaction,” she looked up into Declan’s mesmerizing green eyes. “We have to call the police.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said and reached inside his back pocket for the cell phone. “Hello, this is Declan Slane. I want to report an attempted rape.” He paused and listened to the other person. “My girlfriend. I don’t know who the son of a bitch is. He’s tied up waiting for you.”
Keira knew that wasn’t the best time to feel happy because Declan called her ‘his girlfriend’. The truth was she was ecstatic as a warm sensation spread from her heart throughout her nerve endings.
When Declan got off the phone, Paul decided to remind them of his presence.
“So, Keira, is this the boyfriend whose age you don’t even know?”
Before she could say anything, Declan slapped Paul’s mouth hard with the back of his hand, “You don’t get to talk to her ever again, vermin. Shut the fuck up!”
“What are you going to do about it, huh, big guy? You heard her. She doesn’t want you to hurt me, remember? Why do you think that is?” he scoffed. “She likes me. She’s a liar and a cheat. You shouldn’t believe a word she says. She begged me to tie her down and fuck her hard …,” he never finished the sentence because Declan’s boot connected with the side of his head, and he tumbled to the floor, unconscious. Blood trickled from the gash that Declan had opened in his temple.
“I told you to shut up, sod.”
“Declan, please, don’t believe anything he…”
“Come here, love,” he held her in his arms again, kissing the top of her head softly. “Hush, baby. I know you. There’s nothing he can say that will make me doubt you. He’s a demented, sick man,” he rocked her, running his hands along her hair, until her felt her heartbeats had gone back to normal. “Now, put some clothes on. The police will be here any minute.”
“Oh, gosh!” Keira looked down at her ripped blouse, for the first time realizing she wasn’t wearing much else. Tears clouded her vision as the enormity of what had just happened hit her hard. She sobbed, “I’m sorry, Declan.”
“Keira, you’ve got nothing to apologize for. You’re in shock. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t take a shower, before the police could examine you. Just sit down on the bed. Try to relax. I’ll grab a robe from the bathroom for you.”
His calm and patience soothed her wrecked nerves. She sat on the bed, staring into space. Her mind was threatening to shut down to ward off the horrific images that kept popping up in her head. She thought she heard somebody calling her name but the sound was faint and distant. Her body shook. Then, she realized it was Declan. He had put the robe on for her, without her noticing it, and was now shaking her lightly to call her back to reality.
“Keira, honey, the police is here. They need to talk to you, sweetie.”
She blinked a couple of times until her eyes focused on two men wearing Irish Garda vests standing in front of her, “I’m sorry, detectives. I’m Keira Ashe.”
“I’m Inspector Heller, Miss Ashe. This is Inspector Dwyer.”
They shook hands and she asked the police men to sit down. There was only one chair left intact, though. Inspector Heller took it. Declan sat beside her on the bed, a protective arm around her waist. Heller had a soft, soothing voice that matched his elderly countenance. Inspector Dwyer, on the other hand, looked much younger and energetic, in his mid-thirties.
“We’re very sorry you had to go through such an ordeal, Miss Ashe. But, the two of you helped us catch a criminal we had been trying to find for the last couple of years. I know it’s going to be tough on you, but we need you to tell us everything you remember about the attack,” Heller asked, as a couple of gardaí took away a still unconscious Paul in a gurney.
The next half-hour was a nightmare for both Keira and Declan. She had to relive the worst moments of her life, while Declan had to hear the details of what had happened to her, while he wasn’t there, without reacting to the story. His flesh crawled in horror.
“Have you known Mr. O’Hallon long?” Inspector Dwyer asked.
“I met him about a week ago when my car broke down?”
“Wait a minute! Was he the guy who stopped to help you? He is married, isn’t he?”
“No, Paul didn’t stop to help me. He drove the tow truck.”
Declan opened his mouth to ask her why he was hearing that part of her story for the first time, when Inspector Heller interrupted him, “Do you remember the name of the truck company he worked for, Miss Ashe?”
“No. I have the car rental number, though. They can give you that information.”
She got her cell phone, gave him the number, and glanced at Declan out of the corner of her eye. He looked royally pissed off and she didn’t blame him. She had kept him in the dark for his own good. Thinking he’d worry about her in vain, if she told him about Paul, she hadn’t said anything. Now, Declan was hurt and Paul turned out to be a very real danger.
“Did you see him again, miss?”
“No. At least, I don’t think I did,” she hesitated because a couple of scenes flashed before her eyes as she remembered things she hadn’t noticed when they had happened.
“What’s the matter, Miss Ashe?” the insightful Inspector Heller asked, “Do you remember anything specific?”
“I’m not sure. Would it be possible to see things and not realize I saw them?”
“That’s quite normal, actually. Tell me what you remember.”
“In Waterford, when I was at the car rental getting a new one, Paul arrived with the tow truck. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Now, it seems an odd time for him to deliver the other car. When he offered me a ride to the office, he said he had to go there early in the morning. I got there around noon. The next day, I thought I saw him on the other side of a street, but he had disappeared when I looked again. I thought dismissed it thinking I had seen someone who reminded me of him,” she wanted to tell the detectives about the tours in Cork. She feared Declan’s reaction because she hadn’t told him about that yet.
“Would you rather speak in private?” the detective sensed her hesitation.
“No, thank you.”
“Keira, you know I’m here for you, no matter what. I told you I know and trust you. If you feel more comfortable talking to them alone, I’ll go out to get some air.”
“Thanks, honey. It’s not necessary. I didn’t tell you about Paul before because I thought you’d worry about me over nothing. I was horribly wrong.”
He kissed her cheek in response and she basked in his tender gesture. It spoke louder than any declarations of trust he could have given her.
“When I arrived in Cork, I discovered Paul was a guest at the same hotel I was staying. He took the same tours I did but, then again, so did a couple who owns a B&B where I stayed in Wicklow. I didn’t think much of it.”
“Apparently, he followed you down here. Don’t worry, though. He’s in custody. He won’t do you any harm, now,” Heller exchanged a meaningful look with Inspector Dwyer. He hesitated briefly before adding. “Judging from what you told us, I’d dare say he’s really the suspect we have been looking for in connection to a number of rapes. We’ve been trying to find him for over two years. Unfortunately, we had little to no clues to follow,” he paused again, studying Keira’s expression.
“You see, the few victims, who survived the attack, never saw his face. The others were killed, leaving us without solid leads,” Inspector Dwyer picked up telling the story. “We think he has used his position as a tow truck driver to choose his victims. He stalked the women traveling alone and attacked them by surprise. You were the first one with whom he tried to establish some kind of connection, Miss Ashe.”
“I’m just relieved this nightmare is over. I want to go home and forget all about it.”
The gardaí looked at each again and Heller cleared his throat before saying, “Unfortunately, miss, that wouldn’t be advisable. I mean, you’re a tourist so I can’t hold you here against your will but your presence during his trial would be crucial to our case. You are our only eyewitness. The other women might be able to identify him as the driver who towed their cars, but they didn’t see their attacker’s face.”
Keira felt like the ground had given way under her feet. She hadn’t thought she’d need to testify. She hadn’t considered her role in the future trial. Declan saw her face growing pale and, guessing the reason correctly, put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. “Don’t worry, love, we’ll figure something out. Does she have to stay here in Cork until the trial?”
“No, not at all. We already have her statement. We’ll conduct the investigations, which may take a while,” Dwyer answered. “We ask Miss Ashe to stay around for a couple of days until we get all the lab results back and are sure we don’t need to talk to her again. After that, she’ll only need to be here again for the trial.”
“Which would take place when, exactly?”
“That’s hard to pinpoint, miss.”
“Give me a ballpark number, then.”
“Three to four months.”
She moaned and dropped her head down, pressing her hands over her face.
“Keira, you don’t need to think about it now. You can go home and return for the trial.”
“It’s not that easy, Declan. I saved money for years to come here in the first place and I don’t have a job back home to be able to pay for another ticket, soon.”
He held her closer and kissed her hair, looking at the gardaí over the top of her head, “We’ll find a way, sir.”
“Our job is done here,” Heller said as he stood up to leave. “Dwyer will write down your contact information, Miss Ashe, while I write down Mr. Slane’s,” he gestured Declan to follow him, as he took a few steps towards the door. When they were out of Keira’s earshot, he spoke in a low voice, “Mr. Slane, she’s been through one of the worst experiences of her young life. It may seem she has handled it well. In fact, she’s still in shock and very vulnerable. She’ll need all the support she can get from you.”
“Unfortunately, I know that all too well from first-hand experience, sir. I thank you for your concern. Rest assured I’ll take good care of her.”
After the detectives left, Declan called Front Desk, “Hello. Can you get us another room, please? I don’t want Keira to stay in the room where she’s been attacked.”
“Certainly, sir. We’ll send somebody to help with your luggage right away.”
Once they moved to the other room and the bellhop left, Declan and Keira sat on the bed. They didn’t speak for a while, just held hands. When he couldn’t stand the silence any longer, he took her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm.
“Keira, you should call your parents to tell them what happened.”
“I don’t want them to worry.”
“The gardaí said they had been looking for this bastard for years. His arrest is bound to appear in the newspapers. Your parents will probably hear the news through the media and it’ll be worse, don’t you think?”
“You’re right. If I call them they’ll know I’m fine,” but instead of getting her phone, she buried her face in his chest. “I don’t want to talk about it all over again.”
“I know you don’t, love. I’ll be right here by your side.”
She didn’t move for another couple of minutes. Declan nudged her and pushed her away until she looked at him.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Keira. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She still hesitated because the thought of talking about the attack one more time made her sick to the stomach. But, Declan gave off strength and self-confidence with such ease she knew she could draw both from him.
“What if we lay down together? Would you hold me while I talk to my folks? I’d feel safe, then.”
“Your wish is my command, madam.”
He lay down, opening his arms to hold her. She settled beside him, rested her head on his wide chest, and called her parents. Declan didn’t say a word, just ran his hands slowly up and down her arms all the while she talked to them. She managed to avoid the gory details. Nevertheless, there were many parts of the story when she had to stop and take a deep breath to keep her emotions in check. On these occasions, he kissed her head, laced their fingers together or squeezed her arms to remind her he was there for her. She smiled back into his eyes or blew him a kiss to thank him for those little gestures.
“We’ll find a way to go to Ireland, honey. I don’t know how, but we will. We won’t let you go through this alone.
“There’s no need for that, dad. I’m not alone. Declan’s here with me.”
“That’s not the same, honey. You’ve told us about him and he sounds like a good person. But, you need your family. You need us.”
“Dad, I know you guys love me and want to protect me. But, you don’t have that kind of money right now. We don’t have it.”
“I shouldn’t have remodeled the restaurant.”
“Dad, don’t say that. You needed to do that. The restaurant had too many problems. It was an investment. It just takes time to get it back, that’s all. You couldn’t have known something like this would happen. Nobody could.”
Her father went silent and Keira heard her mother’s soft sobs. She had been listening to their conversation, too.
“I’m proud of you, honey. You sound very calm and self-assured. Much more than me or your mother,” her father chuckled and she knew she had convinced him she was fine. “And you are right, as well. We cannot afford the trip now.”
They talked for some more minutes and she hung up.
“I’ll call my sister tomorrow,” she whimpered, hiding her face in the curve of Declan’s neck.
“No way, lassie, it’s going to be worse tomorrow,” he pulled her away from him. “It’s like ripping off a bandage. You should yank it off, not pull it off slowly.”
“Oh, I know you’re right but it’s so hard,” she complaint while she pressed her sister’s number on her cell phone. “Hi, sis. Can you talk?”
Declan heard Megan’s voice on the other side of the line gro
wing louder and angrier as Keira told her what had happened. He couldn’t make out her exact words but he knew too well how she felt. He only kept soothing Keira while the sisters talked.
All of a sudden, Keira shouted into the mouthpiece, “No, I’m fine, Megan! I’m not alone! Declan’s here with me. I’ve just told you he came in before anything happened.”
She looked at him and rolled her eyes. He smiled and could only imagined what Keira’s sister was raving about. However, he didn’t need to guess for too long.
“Megan wants to talk to you,” Keira handed him the phone.
“Why?” he mouthed as he grabbed the thing.
“I don’t know,” she mouthed back, shrugging and resting her chin on his chest to watch him talk to her older sister. That was going to be fun.
“Hello?”
“You tell me the truth now, mister, or I swear to God I’ll hop on the next plane to Ireland and I’ll rip your heart out with my bare hands while you watch it,” Megan shouted without stopping to breathe. “Is my sister unharmed? What did that motherfucker do to her?”
Declan noticed Megan was crying. She had probably held the tears back while she talked to Keira. He tried to calm her, “She’s fine, Megan. She’s shaken, obviously, but that bastard didn’t have a chance to go through with his attack. I came in and knocked him unconscious. I would have killed the son of a bitch without qualms but your little sister didn’t let me,” he smiled at Keira, kissing her nose. “She was afraid I’d go to jail for that.”
“That’s so Keira,” Megan took a deep breath and stopped crying. She whispered, “Thank you, Declan. We, my family and I, could never thank you enough.”
“There’s no need for that, Megan,” it was his turn to choke up. “Do you want to talk to Keira again?”
“Yes.”
While Keira talked some more with her sister, Declan caressed Keira’s arms and played with her hair but he got distracted. His thoughts traveled far away into his past. Dark memories clouded his face. Keira called his name a couple of times without getting a reply.
She had finished talking to Megan but when she turned to Declan and saw his expression, she got worried. Placing a cool hand on his cheek, she finally got his attention. He looked down at her and smiled, “Hey, you! I didn’t notice you had stopped talking.”
