by Linda Coles
“Any tea in the pot for another?” Adam asked, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and adding a splash of fresh milk.
“There is, though you might want to make a fresh one,” she suggested, receiving a quick peck on the cheek as he bent down to greet her. He had bedhead like she’d never seen on him before and pointed to it as he picked the pot up.
“Rough night’s sleep by chance? Only you look like you slept on the beach.”
He ran his fingers through sticking-up hair as if to inspect what she was referring to. “I guess I must have been more active than usual in my sleep,” he said, grinning, “though I don’t remember tossing and turning. I was out like a light.”
“Clearly you weren’t totally extinguished,” she added, winking.
“Did we?”
“No, we didn’t, you were too out of it.” She watched him tip the old pot of tea away and make fresh.
“You didn’t what?” Julie asked as she joined them, looking like she’d been up for hours though still in her pink robe. Perfectly made-up, hair a stark contrast to Chrissy’s and, even more so, Adam’s. She too grabbed a mug and added milk. Chrissy glanced at her husband and smiled. Julie caught it.
“Oh, too early, please!” she said, screwing her face up in disgust.
“You asked ‘what’,” said Adam in a sing-song voice, rubbing it in a little. He put the fresh pot on the table in front of Julie and sat with the two women in his life that he adored the most. Julie rubbed her temples.
“I’m not surprised it hurts,” Chrissy said. “Have you had a painkiller?”
“I meditated for a few minutes, but no, not yet. I was hoping it would be gone by now.”
“That amount of single malt might need more fuel to remove it than a bit of kumbaya, sis.”
“Don’t dismiss it as woo-woo, it does actually work,” she said, sounding peeved. “It might just need a little extra help is all.” She carried on rubbing both sides of her head, staring into her empty mug. Adam exchanged a glance with Chrissy; his turn to wink.
“Well, fresh air will shift it and I know just the thing,” he said.
“Shift what?” Richard asked as he entered the room, sitting straight down and looking around at the gathered individuals. It felt like Groundhog Day to Chrissy who turned a smile on and answered her brother-in-law, refraining from rolling her eyes at him. Normally she’d stick her tongue out when she knew he wasn’t looking, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself so far. Plus, Julie had told her to stop being so childish on many previous occasions, and that he knew she did it. Still, it felt good to act stupid even if she was in her forties. She never meant it maliciously.
“Your wife’s hangover, primarily.”
“It’s a headache, not a hangover,” Julie said indignantly. “It’ll be gone in a while.”
Adam set a packet of paracetamol down, which he’d found in a kitchen drawer after she’d said her kumbaya hadn’t helped.
Changing the subject, Chrissy asked, “What do you have in mind, Adam?”
“Well, you’ve a veritable plethora of activities on offer since it’s such a nice day,” he said theatrically. He was still standing, leaning against the kitchen cupboard alongside the cooker. Counting out on his fingers, he reeled off the list he’d made in his head: “We’ve got the Cliffs of Moher, a spot of mountain biking, there’s horse riding, and then Doolin Cave, though we should leave that one for a rainy day.” He looked around for takers and interest, but apart from Chrissy there was a complete lack of enthusiasm. Adam carried on with suggestions of a different nature: “And then there’s Father Ted’s place for afternoon tea, though we have to book and it’s only just gone 8 am.”
Julie perked up a little. “I could fancy that, though I couldn’t face a boat ride,” she added dramatically, resting her head in her hands.
“There isn’t a boat ride, so you’re safe there,” Adam continued. “Craggy Island is fictious. The old farmhouse is about a forty-minute drive from here, at Lackareagh.”
Julie visibly perked up. “Then I vote we try and go this afternoon then, and maybe a light walk this morning?” she said, looking round for interest in her idea.
It was Richard that surprised them all by saying, “Well, I think since it’s such a lovely day, we should do something longer outdoors while the sun stays out. Let’s add afternoon tea to the rainy-day list.” His beaming smile was so totally out of character that Chrissy sat open-mouthed and speechless. He couldn’t have surprised her more if he’d dropped his trousers down to his underpants right there and then. She glanced at Adam who looked as aghast as her.
“I’m with you, Richard. Great idea,” he said finally, sealing the deal. “You choose the cliff walk, and straight after breakfast, we’ll head out. Is that all right with you, Julie?”
She continued to rub her temples dramatically. “You three go, I might stay here and read.”
“The fresh air will do you good,” Richard said. “Plus, I’ll miss you if you don’t come.”
She lifted her eyes to meet his as both Chrissy and Adam watched on dismayed. Had someone brought a different Richard along with them by mistake?
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” she cooed. After a moment, she added, “Of course I’ll come, there’ll be coffee somewhere along the way I expect. Perhaps we can stop then.”
Chrissy and Adam hadn’t the heart to tell her otherwise. Craggy cliff walks were not renowned for having frothy coffee establishments dotted along the way for the Julies of the world. Adam bent down to retrieve a frying pan from a cupboard nearby. He twirled it like a baton in front of his audience.
“That’s settled then. Who’s for scrambled eggs?”
Feigning nausea, Julie took that as her cue to leave.
Chapter 6
Chrissy, Adam, and Richard ambled back up Fisher Street, towards the pub where they’d drunk and danced the night away only a few hours before. The start of the 10 am guided Doolin cliff walk was from outside the pub, Gus O’Connor’s, which was now no stranger to the trio. Julie had changed her mind at the last minute and had gone back to bed for a lie-down, even Richard’s promise of finding a coffee somewhere hadn’t been enough to persuade her. That was probably a good job, a conjurer he was not. The rest of them had left her snoozing her hangover off, eye mask firmly in place, and wished her a speedy recovery. They’d grab lunch out at the end of the walk since it would take them until around 1 pm to complete it. There was a visitor centre at the other end, and a bus back to Doolin. They were wrapped up in their coats and Adam carried a backpack containing woolly hats and gloves along with bottled water and a bag of local toffee to suck on as they walked. With winds of around twenty-five miles per hour expected, it could well be draughty along the clifftops and a hat would be a welcome addition if it turned cold. Chrissy watched as a few stragglers approached the pub and joined the small group that had gathered in the morning sun. There were people of all ages, and since the walk itself was on man-made tracks, it promised to be easy enough to complete for most. She wondered about the climb though. The highest point they would reach was seven hundred feet above sea level, and the views of the Atlantic Ocean promised to be spectacular. She hoped the elderly couple standing nearby were up to it. A male voice called them all to attention. Chrissy had no doubt he was a local, she could barely understand a word of his strong Irish accent. She glanced at Adam, who appeared not to have any trouble in that department, and cocked an eyebrow enquiringly at him. He replied in a whisper, “Tell you in a minute.” He needn’t have bothered since they set off the moment the man’s words had finished leaving his mouth. Still, Adam filled her in.
“He’s Pat, a local farmer and the one responsible for organising and creating the trail,” he said easily, slipping his arm around her shoulders as they all set off, back, as it happened, towards their own holiday home.
Richard said, “Maybe I should call in and see if Julie has changed her mind?”
“Knowing Julie,” Chrissy said, �
��she’ll be soaking in a bath with lavender oil or some such, eye mask on, hair tied in a towel, her idea of tranquillity.”
Richard nodded his acceptance though Chrissy thought she saw a little disappointment in his eyes. She hoped it was a one-off and that her sister was going to join in with the holiday plans from this point on, and not leave Richard like a third wheel to herself and Adam. While she didn’t mind, Richard just might. She thought about his unusual behaviour the previous night, his enthusiasm for dancing as the night had worn on, of Ciara and of Lorcan, and of course their baby, Flynn.
As the small group approached Doonagore Castle on the left, she could see their own holiday home away in the near distance, but the trail wasn’t taking them towards it. They were heading up onto the cliffs, the steeper rise visible for all to see. While it promised not to be a difficult walk, it wasn’t for those scared of heights. The local farmer and guide was out ahead up front, seemingly in a world of his own as the group appeared to be struggling to keep up his pace.
Chrissy turned to Adam and said, “Shall I run on ahead and ask him to slow down, do you think? Only if you look behind us, the old couple look like they’re about to collapse.”
Adam pointed; the guide had stopped a while, maybe to let people catch up. “No need, I don’t think,” he said as they came to a stop and waited for the last of the group to gather round. A stiff wind whipped hair around faces. People wobbled slightly as stronger gusts caught them from behind and nudged them forward. The guide had his back to the ocean as waves crashed on rugged slate-grey rocks many feet below. White caps of water bounced over the surface and broke randomly, generating another and then another. Even with the sun shining, it didn’t look the sort of day for a pleasant boat trip and Chrissy was glad she was on foot. She struggled to hear what the guide was saying and caught every other word or so, putting together the main points, slowly getting used to his accent.
“By the time we get home, I’ll just about be able to understand the man,” she whispered to Adam. “I don’t know why I’m struggling; accents aren’t usually an issue for me.” Adam pushed her ahead of himself slightly in the hope it would make it easier for her to hear, but the wind was the stronger force and won out. Finding her own enjoyment, she marvelled at the lush green grass on one side and the ferocious swell on the other as she slipped her hand inside Adam’s to feel his closeness. Once the walk resumed, they fell back slightly, allowing the others, including Richard, to go on ahead a little. There’d be time to catch up when they reached the end.
After nearly three hours of walking, they reached the rest of the group that were milling around the visitor centre. Even the senior couple had overtaken them after they’d chosen to saunter along and enjoy not only the rugged views but each other’s warm company. Overhead, the lunchtime sun warmed them as they each slipped their jacket zippers down and Adam reached for the bottled water in his pack.
“That was breathtaking,” Chrissy said. “Utterly breathtaking. I can see why they’ve filmed movies along there. Stunning.”
“We should do the other half tomorrow. Hopefully Julie will join us,” Adam said, taking a long drink from the bottle. He passed Chrissy a piece of toffee and took one for himself. Scanning the small car park, he asked, “Can you see Richard anywhere?”
“Perhaps he’s inside.”
“Well, I need to take a pee so I’ll go and check.”
“Okay. I’ll stay here until you come back.”
Chrissy made herself comfortable on the grass and waited for both Adam and Richard to return before they headed back on the shuttle bus. Adam returned, alone.
“Where could he be? Have you tried his phone?”
“Yes, I got Julie,” Adam said disappointedly. “He left it plugged in beside their bed apparently.”
“Now she’ll be worried.”
“I said I must have pocket dialled. I think she believed me.”
“Then all we can do is sit here and wait a while and hope he turns up soon. Maybe we missed him somehow?” It was the only explanation Chrissy could come up with.
An hour later, Richard still hadn’t returned.
“Let’s head home,” Chrissy said. “If he got on a bus, he’s likely back by now.”
Chapter 7
“Maybe he got chatting with someone and just forgot about us,” Chrissy said. “I must admit it’s unlike him to do something like this, totally out of character, don’t you think?”
“I agree,” said Adam, turning towards Chrissy. The shuttle bus was packed heading back to Doolin, and Chrissy and Adam were sitting at the back, squashed in with backpacks and anorak-clad strangers as they bumped along the road towards ‘home’.
“I’m ready for something to eat. Is there any more toffee left?”
“Sorry, no. We’ve eaten the whole packet. We’ll be back soon enough and I’ll make some sandwiches. Maybe Richard or Julie will have something ready?” he offered.
“Don’t be so sure,” she said as the shuttle bus pulled up in the village centre. They waited until almost everyone had got off then slid out from their cramped seat. Adam stretched his long legs which had been pushed up against the seat in front of them. At a smidge over six feet tall, it was a regular problem for him when travelling. The average seat was for the average-sized person and he most certainly was not one of them.
“We could have got off back there,” Chrissy said, pointing backwards with her thumb. The bus had gone almost right past their house.
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s not far. And can I suggest you go easy on Richard? I know you when you get a bee in your bonnet about something, so just let it go, eh? We don’t want an atmosphere all holiday.”
As it turned out, creating an atmosphere was the least of their worries. Richard wasn’t home when they arrived back.
As they opened the door and went inside, Julie slipped out from behind her magazine. She was sitting curled up on a comfy chair in the window, with the grey-blue of the Atlantic filling the frame around her blonde head.
“Great timing! I’m famished!” she said enthusiastically. “I thought I’d wait until you all got back, though I had thought you’d be a little earlier than this,” she said, glancing at the huge old clock on the wall. “What’s Richard doing? Where is he? Don’t tell me he’s stopped off at the pub?” She stood up and put her hands on her hips.
“We were kind of hoping he was here with you,” Chrissy said, slowing her words as if she was talking to someone who struggled to understand English.
“With me? No, he went out with you. Don’t tell me you’ve lost him?”
Adam stepped in. “Not lost him per se, more… more misplaced him.”
“Will someone explain? I’m clearly having a blonde moment.” She didn’t sound like she was.
“Adam and I dropped back from the group a little to go at a slower pace. Richard was up front taking photos and whatnot, and when we got to the other end, to the visitor centre, he wasn’t there. We waited an hour just in case, but figured he must have got on a shuttle bus and come back without us.”
Julie waved her arms around her dramatically. “Well, as you can see, he’s not here.”
“Then where can he have got to?” Chrissy asked, turning to Adam.
“So, you have lost him!”
“Don’t go getting all hysterical yet, sis, he’s a grown man, not a toddler. I’m sure there’s a perfectly obvious explanation to all this. He’s likely found a nest or something and is still lying in the grass with his camera, looking at a gull, and we all walked by without noticing.”
“Well I hope you’re right,” she said, walking from the room and leaving Chrissy and Adam to wonder what she was up to. A moment later, Julie returned, smart new hiking boots in one hand, top of the range jacket in the other. “So, I’m guessing you didn’t ‘pocket dial’ earlier, you were phoning him to see where he was, am I right, Adam?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m going out to find hi
m. Anyone coming?” There was a fierceness to her words, a heat somewhere between warm coals and a hot oven.
“We’ll all go, Julie,” Adam said. “But first we need something to eat and drink before we set out. Let’s be sensible and have a sandwich then go. Yes?”
“I agree,” Chrissy added, moving to get the required bread from the cupboard and pull plastic tubs from the fridge. “We will be out of here in less than thirty if we get our skates on. I’ll make sandwiches, you make the tea,” she ordered. “Adam, why don’t you see if you can get hold of the tour guide? He might know a likely spot that Richard could be holed up in.”
“Good idea, on it.” He picked up his phone and searched the internet for the number. As the girls busied themselves in the kitchen, Chrissy did her best to keep the negative thoughts from her head. Richard wouldn’t be injured, would he? Of course not, she told herself, why would he be? He was likely wandering back on his own right now, famished, and hoping for a sandwich too. By the time they were ready to go, he’d have come around the corner and through the back door with a grin on his face because he’d photographed a spotted something or other in the grass. She felt Adam at her shoulder. He spoke quietly so only Chrissy could hear.