by Cindy Kline
“I just have a couple more questions, if that’s okay?”
“Anything to help you find out who did this.”
“Where were you and your mother when you found out about Henry’s accident?”
“We were at the hotel in Dublin, just getting ready for bed. We’d stayed up late packing because we were planning on coming home the following morning.”
“So, tell me about Craig. I understand you’ve known him for a long time?”
She smiled. “Since we were kids. He and Patrick were best friends, and I had the biggest crush on him growing up. It wasn’t until I turned sixteen that he noticed me.”
Molly smiled back, “Then what happened? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“We dated the next few years, then Craig and Patrick went off to university, and I broke it off.”
“How did Craig take it?”
Imogen frowned. “Not well. He promised to wait for me, but…”
“But?”
“I’d realized by then what I felt for him was more of a schoolgirl crush than genuine love. I didn’t know what that felt like until…”
Molly smiled. “Until you met Henry?”
“Aye. It was love at first sight, at least on my side. I’m not sure if Henry ever really loved me at all,” she looked at Rory.
“Ma…” She took hold of his hand.
Molly looked at Imogen. “Henry and I talked quite a lot. Actually, he talked. I listened. He loves you, and I have a feeling by the time this is over, he may realize just how much.”
There were tears in Imogen’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“Imogen, I can’t thank you enough for answering these questions. Keith and I have a few more things to check out. I hope to have additional information for you soon.”
Imogen smiled and looked at Keith. “Did you get to see the miniature garden Mum has in her room? She’s very proud of it.”
“I did. It was lovely. I hope you don’t mind, but I even took some pictures. I’m always looking for new plants to grow at home.”
“Let us build you that fire, and then we can get out of your hair,” Molly smiled.
Imogen smiled, “You really don’t have to, but if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it. Let me go get some more wood.” She left the room, and a few seconds later, she heard a door open.
The two of them moved to the fireplace. “Okay, Molly. Let me see if you remember what I taught you.” He smiled.
Molly bent down on the brick placed in front of the stone fireplace and opened the screen. There had been a fire built lately, but there was still wood that hadn’t burned along with something else. Molly took a small broom sitting nearby with the rest of the fireplace tools and swept some ash aside. It was half of a manila folder. She pulled it out from under the ash and blew some of the ash away. “Keith, look at this,” she turned to show it to him, and there was half piece of paper stuck to it.
He took it from her, then with wide eyes, looked at Molly. “I think this is part of the file we’re looking for.”
“Quick, put it in your pocket.”
“But it will get my jacket all dirty.”
“Then find something to wrap it in, for goodness sake!”
Molly spread the ash out evenly, added some newspapers she found next to the tools and laid them out. She added the wood left from the previous fire on top of the paper and then waited for Imogen to return.
Keith was looking around the room. “This has got to be the cleanest living room I’ve ever seen. There isn’t a bag anywhere.”
Molly glanced at one of the chairs. “There, by that chair, there’s a knitting bag. Look in there.”
There was some clacking of knitting needles, and then she heard some crinkling. A few seconds later, he was back with a bag. He had just stuck it in his pocket when Imogen returned with an armful of wood. Keith got up to help her carry it in.
A few minutes later, there was a crackling fire in the fireplace. “Imogen, you’re all set.”
She stood there with her arms wrapped around her middle. “I feel like such a fool, but Henry always lit them. I guess I should probably learn.” She smiled.
Molly came over and gave her a hug. “I’d be more than happy to teach you,” she told her. They walked arm in arm to the closet where they got their coats.
“Molly, please give your mother my best. Tell her I’ll be in touch soon.”
“I will.”
“Mrs. Pierce, do you mind if we look at your view?” Keith surprised Molly by asking.
“Not at all. It is lovely. You can get to the cliff on the other side of the porch.”
They thanked her and said goodbye, then the two of them walked out of the house and toward the backyard.
Although the sun was shining today, there was a brisk breeze coming off the ocean, and Molly zipped up her coat.
“So, when you got here a couple of days ago, you thought this place was too remote. I’m glad you see its beauty.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. You know how I get when I’m tired, and then after the long drive from the airport, my first instinct was to lash out. The more I’m here, though, the more I appreciate the incredible exquisiteness.”
They could hear the waves hit the cliffs below their feet. In unison, they walked around the house and stood looking outward. To their right, they could see the top of Dooley Lighthouse and Dooley Bay beyond, but the cliffs were the real gem.
“These are all part of the Cliffs of Moher, which runs over two hundred miles of the coast. They’re made mostly from shale and sandstone and are supposedly over three hundred million years old.”
“How tall are they?” Keith asked as he walked closer to the edge.
“They rise over two hundred meters, or over seven hundred feet, out of the water and stretch for most of the Wild Atlantic Way.”
“I keep seeing that tourist information. What is the Wild Atlantic Way?” he asked as he thankfully stepped back from the cliff.
“It’s a driving route from County Donegal, runs through nine counties, and stretches over fifteen hundred miles. It’s all rugged country, but breathtakingly gorgeous.”
As they walked back toward the car, Molly asked Keith, “Did you get the pictures?”
He patted his pocket where she’d seen him put his phone. “Oh, yeah. And I’m pretty sure one of them is aconite.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Keith and Molly hurried to the car, Molly unlocking the doors so they could hop in without having to wait in the chilly wind.
Keith pulled the bag out from under his coat and handed it to Molly. “So, what is this?” She unfurled the plastic bag and looked at what was inside.
“It’s from a private investigator,” Molly said as she read the letterhead. “Sneed Investigations, Dublin,” Molly scanned the contents, and read them aloud, “Case number 63214, to Ronan Moore concerning the death of Patrick Moore, October 31, 2015. My initial findings have been positive in the investigation into the details of Mr. Patrick Moore’s hit-and-run accident. Upon review of the case, a witness has been located, a Mr. Ewen Green, who says…”
Molly looked at Keith and then flipped it over, but it was blank.
Keith’s eyebrows raised, “Is that all it says?”
Molly nodded as she started the car.
“So, what now?” Keith asked as he pulled the seatbelt across him and latched it.
“I think we need to get hold of this Mr. Green.” Molly backed out of the driveway and drove down the road.
Keith smiled at her, “Would you let me take you out to lunch? We haven’t really talked since I got here.”
Against her better judgment, she agreed, and she drove them to a small restaurant up the coast specializing in seafood. The Seafood Grotto was owned by two men who left their high-stress jobs in Dublin and started the restaurant on a little strip of beach outside the village of Kerrigan.
Dan Hughes and Kevin Fewley greeted them at the door. “Molly, it’s so lovely to see you again,” Dan
gave her a bear hug and looked at Keith. “Ah, turned in the detective for a younger model, eh?” He was grinning and nodding his head until Kevin hit him in the arm. “Ow, what was that for?”
Kevin turned to Molly and said, “Ignore my better half, Molly. Tact is not his forte,” and gave Molly a kiss on the cheek, then held his hand out to Keith. “Welcome, I’m Kevin Fewley.”
“Keith McGuire. Nice place you have here.” We followed Kevin to a table.
Still rubbing his arm, Dan smiled. “Ah, an American. Yes, we’re still very proud of our little restaurant here. We only opened about six months ago, but so far, the response has been good. You must let us know how we compare to seafood restaurants wherever you come from.”
“McGuire?” Kevin looked at Molly, “Isn’t that your…”
“Yes, it is. Keith is my future ex-husband,” Molly answered as Kevin held out a chair for her, and she sat down. Molly didn’t miss the eyebrow-raising between the two men but chose to ignore it.
“I will send your server over shortly. Can I get either of you a drink from the bar?”
Keith ordered a whiskey on the rocks, and Molly ordered water since she was driving.
The place wasn’t very busy, but it was a weekday and barely eleven o’clock. However, she loved this place. She and Liam had come here on their first date and several later dates, not just for the excellent food, but because Kevin was a good friend of Liam’s from university. The restaurant held only twenty tables, but the views were magnificent, as it was right on the ocean, next to Kerrigan Bay. She and Keith watched the seagulls dive for their lunch, squawking at one another as they did so.
“Molly, I wanted to apologize,” Keith said, unrolling his silverware and placing his napkin on his lap.
Molly turned her face from the view to his. “What for?” She leaned back as a server came and filled their water glasses, and another server set Keith’s drink down in front of him.
“For everything, for the affair, for the way I treated you, and for showing up here unannounced thinking I could win you back.”
Molly took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to figure out what to say to him. “Keith, why did you marry me in the first place?”
“Because I loved you, of course.” He looked out at the ocean, then down at the table.
“Are you sure it wasn’t because you were having doubts about your sexuality?”
He looked around. “Shh…not so loud.”
“Keith, not only is no one listening, the owners are gay. Besides, the Irish are much more accepting than American’s are.”
He sat back in his chair and took a large gulp of whiskey. “It was Mother’s idea. She thought it was time I got married, and…”
“And I was convenient.” Molly wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but it didn’t surprise her about her mother-in-law.
His eyes finally met hers, and he smiled. “Yes. Plus, I really liked you, and I loved you. I still do, but more like a sister.”
When they’d gotten married, their sex life had been disappointing, but she loved him or thought she did, and her vows meant something.
“Keith, I can’t tell you the affair didn’t hurt, but it made me realize I’d been unhappy for a while. I missed my family and friends, and I missed Ireland. My moving back was for the best, and you need to get on with your life too. Are you still with…?”
“Lloyd, Lloyd is his name, and yes, we’re still together.”
“Then why fly all this way to see me?” Molly took a sip of her water and picked up the menu.
His eyes were downcast, and he was playing with the spoon sitting by his plate. Then he shrugged.
She took his hand in hers. “Maybe you wanted to make sure you’d made the right decision?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. He’s been pressuring me for the two of us to move in together, and you know Twin Pines, Molly. It’s a small town. Even now, people will talk.”
“Keith, if they’re small-minded, people are going to talk regardless of where you live. Those who know you and love you want you to be happy, and those are the only people whose opinions you should care about.”
“You’re right,” He looked me in the eye and squeezed my hand. “You’re right. I’m not going to think about it anymore and enjoy my lunch.”
Keith ordered fresh lobster, and Molly ordered seafood linguine. They both came with salads, and by the time they’d finished, Molly couldn’t move. She was so full.
“Where do we go from here?” Keith asked, setting his napkin on his plate and pushing the plate away.
“I’m headed back to work. Do you want me to drop you off at the bar?”
He smiled. “I meant where do we go with the case, but yes, you can drop me off at the bar.”
“Oh, sorry. Well, we need to get those pictures you took to a professor I know at Listowel University to see if he can identify any of those plants as aconite.”
“How far is this Listowel place?”
“About twenty minutes. Why?” Molly asked as she motioned for the server to bring the bill.
“I have nothing to do this afternoon. Maybe I could drive up there and talk to him, show him the photos.”
“Are you sure? I thought you didn’t like to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road?” She smiled.
“I don’t, but I’m getting used to it.” He smiled back.
Molly pulled the business card Professor Stewart had given her from her wallet and called the number. The professor told her he was available to meet with Keith, and they made an appointment for three that afternoon.
Molly told Keith the news. “We also need to talk about you going back home, Keith. You don’t really want to spend Christmas here, do you?”
“Not really. I’ll check into it this afternoon. Although I really don’t want to leave until we’ve figured this out.”
“I’ll try to get hold of this private investigator and see what he has to say, if he’ll even tell us anything. Then hopefully, after we speak to a few more people, we’ll know who the killer is and give the information to DI Elliott.”
“Sounds good,” Keith said as he took the bill from the server.
# # #
Thirty minutes later, Molly had dropped Keith off at the pub, and she made her way back to the bookstore. She walked in through the back door and into the breakroom where Talia and Ciara were laughing.
“What’s going on?” Molly asked as she took off her coat and gloves.
Ciara looked at her. “Nothing. We’re just laughing at these Halloween photos in these newsletters from Moore Plastics.”
“Who is this Craig Wilson guy?” Talia held up three different newsletters. “I think he’s secretly a transvestite. Every year he’s dressed up as a woman for Halloween.”
Molly looked at them, and sure enough, Craig was a brunette in one, a blonde in another and a redhead in the third.
“He wears those dresses well, doesn’t he?” Molly added as she walked through the room and out to the closet, where she hung her coat. She returned to the breakroom and poured herself a cup of tea.
Talia continued, “He could really pass for a woman,” she smiled. “Look at this one!” She showed the newsletter to Ciara and then to Molly.
Talia was right. If you didn’t realize who it was, he could easily pass for a woman. He had high cheekbones, which he’d accented well with makeup, and his eyes were expertly done.
“Did either of you find anything else interesting in the newsletters?” Molly asked as she sat down between the two women.
“Not really. Just articles on the business. I learned something interesting, though. They’ve got a division that deals exclusively with recycling plastics. Companies all over the world ship them their plastic, and they turn it into other products and ship them back out as new products.”
Ciara got up from her chair, poured herself another cup of tea and then refilled Talia’s. “I’m glad to hear that. Too much plastic ends up in landfills.”
Molly pulled into the driveway of Rose Cottage and noticed a red MINI Cooper parked in the driveway she recognized as Megan’s car. She pulled into the garage when she heard another car pull into the driveway. She walked out to see a SUV pull in, and it took her a minute to realize it was Keith’s hired car. He had barely stopped when he was jumping out of the car to greet her.
“Molly! We were right! I spoke to the professor, and he identified aconite as one of the plants.”
Molly smiled. “That’s great! Come on in, and we can discuss it. It’s cold out here.”
Then entered the house through the garage. The aroma of potatoes, lamb and carrots hit their nose as they hung their coats up in the closet.
“Do I smell Irish stew?” She walked into the kitchen where Gran was cooking. “It smells marvelous.”
“You do. And fresh, baked soda bread about ready to come out of the oven.” She looked behind Molly. “Keith, glad you could join us. Come and grab a drink. There’s wine chilling, and I bought some beer today, so help yourself to either.”
Keith kissed Gran on the cheek and then pulled two glasses down from the cupboard, and Gran opened the refrigerator and pulled out the bottle of wine. “I’ll have a glass too, please, Keith.”
Molly had picked up Luna and sat down next to Noah. “What you got there?” He was looking at a brochure, and as Molly looked closer, it was of funeral caskets.
Keith filled the two wine glasses half full and handed one to Gran. “Molly?” He held up the glass of wine. She smiled. “Most definitely.”
“We found out who Ma’s solicitor was and went to see him. It turns out she’d written her last wishes, all paid for and everything,” He wiped a tear from his cheek. Molly set Luna down on the floor and went to get a box of tissues and brought it back over, setting it down in front of him.
