Celtic Sister

by Pentermann, Meira

  “I’d rather go crawling to my parents and borrow money from them than take your money and leave you behind.”

  “Are you going to tell them what we’re up to?”

  “Hell no. Then they wouldn’t lend me the money.”

  “What are you going to tell them?”

  He thought about it. “My mom is dying for me to have a new girlfriend. She was all excited to meet you. I’ll tell her I want to whisk you away.”

  “Seriously?” Amy laughed. “She’ll tell you to take me to an Irish pub in downtown Denver. Why would she want to fund an extravagant trip?”

  “Because you are going on an adventure and I want to tag along. You already have your ticket, which will be true.”

  “Don’t buy my ticket first. I don’t want to end up on separate planes.”

  “I’ve got a credit card with a near-zero balance. I’ll buy the tickets tonight. You pay me tomorrow, and I’ll beg my parents as soon as I can get my mom alone.”

  “So you’ll beg your mom.”

  “Basically.”

  “And you’ll go into debt with the possibility you might not have enough to pay it off when the bill comes in?”

  Sam frowned. “It is very, very, very likely we’ll find my sister—”

  “Oh, Sam.”

  “Really. I believe that.”

  “We can’t search all of Ireland. How long do you want to be gone?”

  “How long can you spare?”

  She sighed. “Sahil wants to open the restaurant in two weeks, but I’m darn near close to having the entire place scrubbed clean. Then I’m supposed to learn how to wait on tables.”

  “It’s a piece of cake.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. One of your many careers?”

  “You got it.”

  “Still, I could probably get a week off. But then he’ll want me to be here to help him organize for the opening.”

  “Only a week?”

  “These people saved me. Gave me a place to stay. Gave me a job. I can’t bail. Ten days at the most.”

  “Okay. Make it a week. We don’t want to leave tomorrow. So we’ll leave in two days and stay for a week. Agreed?”

  “Agreed. You can always stay longer if you’re on to something.”

  He nodded. “All the money will seem like a drop in the bucket when we find her.”

  “I hope so.” She smiled softly. “But we’re definitely getting closer. The clues point to Ireland.”

  Sam looked around and found his drink. He was still only halfway through his first one. Amy had refilled twice. She hoped he hadn’t noticed the second refill.

  “What’s the secret?” Sam said, his forehead creased with worry.

  “Huh?”

  “What’s the secret? If all the clues point toward a place and a meeting time, then what’s the secret that incriminates the Richardson family?”

  Amy considered his question for a moment. “Maybe she didn’t want to write it down. Maybe it was too risky, especially if she was expecting Brent to pass it along.”

  This seemed to increase his anxiety. “Why involve Brent at all? Why not use the birdhouse from the beginning?”

  It did seem odd when she thought about it, but then she considered everything they’d been through. “It took you a long time to find the notebook. Perhaps she was hoping Brent would have some compassion and be willing to give you the notebook directly.”

  “Fat chance on that one.”

  “I could have told her that.”

  “Yet you married the guy.”

  Amy winced and finished her drink. “I was a fool,” she whispered.

  “Aren’t we all?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Back at the motel, Amy poured another whiskey. She no longer made note of the habit. All the usual excuses were in full force. It’s been a long day. It’s been an exciting day. It’s been an emotional day. It’s been a fulfilling day. Pick one. It didn’t matter.

  The tickets were purchased. Sahil had given his blessing for the time off. Sam’s meeting with his mom was scheduled for tomorrow. They would leave at 5:03 p.m. on Monday with or without Mrs. Foster’s blessing.

  With a feeling of accomplishment, Amy sipped her drink and stared out the window. She’d left the curtains open. In spite of the parking lot lights, she had a nice view of the moon.

  First quarter or third quarter? She couldn’t remember which direction was which.

  She pulled out her copies of Emma’s clues. Amy hadn’t fashioned them into a little notebook like Sam had. She found the copy of the moon and math problem and tried to remember what they had determined about waxing and waning. Sam had also discussed flipping it the other direction. At that point, she was even more confused and figured it didn’t matter if she was admiring a waxing or waning, first quarter or third quarter moon. It was the moon. People had been staring at it for thousands of years.

  All at once she became very sad, picturing the young, auburn-haired girl standing by the Celtic cross waiting for a family that never showed.

  “He wishes he could have been there, Emma,” she whispered.

  Amy hoped Emma loved Ireland enough to settle there, that she had found friends and moved on in life. Maybe had a family.

  Eternal love.

  Amy’s belly fluttered unexpectedly. She poured another drink. She had gone almost two and a half days not thinking of the baby, longer than she had been able to go without a drink. She would very much like for the drinks to continue and the peace of forgetting to return.

  She focused on the moon. Then she glanced at her copy of Emma’s moon.

  “Oh my God,” Amy cried.

  Maybe they had been overthinking it. Maybe it was simple after all. Perhaps the clue merely indicated nine cycles of the moon, nothing more, nothing less. No cloak-and-dagger meeting arrangements. Just nine months.

  As I change, moons will grow. Eternal love, I now know.

  She fumbled with her phone and dialed Sam’s number. He answered, sounding like he had just emerged from a deep sleep.

  “Sam?”

  “Amy?”

  “Nine moons.”

  “What?”

  “Emma is the secret.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sam was waiting out front when Amy emerged from Banhi’s Grill the following afternoon. She’d originally been scheduled for a day off, but she had offered to work both Saturday and Sunday since they were leaving on Monday.

  Sam threw up his hands in exasperation. “I didn’t sleep a wink after you called. How could I have missed that? Even fifteen years ago?”

  “Oh, Sam. You’re beating yourself up again.”

  He fell into pace with her and absentmindedly led her to his car. She followed.

  “The moodiness. Everything happens for a reason. The need to disappear for a while. It’s classic. And everyone, including my parents and the police, missed it.”

  “She was an innocent, religious girl. It probably tore her up.”

  “Why didn’t she trust me?”

  “I’m sure she was just scared.”

  “That bastard, Brent. Typical of a guy like that to pay her off rather than take responsibility. Oh, the embarrassment of an unwanted pregnancy. A stain on their pristine reputation in elite circles. A girl they considered a nobody.”

  They considered me a nobody too.

  He looked away, clearly on the verge of tears. “My poor, sweet sister.”

  They both sat down in the car, and Amy took Sam’s hand. “If he had married her, she might have ended up like me.”

  Sam turned his head slowly and wiped away a tear with the back of his hand. He glanced at Amy’s abdomen and then gazed into her face. “I’m so sorry about what happened to you.”

  Amy masked her emotions. Her thoughts drifted to alcohol yet again. She rallied against the obsession and forced a smile. “Emma had a chance to go to a beautiful country and hopefully enjoy a safe pregnancy.”

  “I know
she’s okay,” Sam said, reiterating his belief in the divine message of his sister’s well-being. “And I realized something today. It will make our quest so much easier.”

  “What?”

  “If the moon drawing had nothing to do with a meeting time, I can feel better. She wasn’t standing there waiting for me fifteen years ago. It also means she probably settled somewhere around this Saint Patrick’s Well. Your silver hides in his peaceful spring. Together at last it will us bring. She assumed I’d find her there eventually.”

  “Right.” Amy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s perfect. We don’t have to search a whole country.”

  “Exactly.” He looked away again. “I just wish I’d been there for her when she needed me. She must have felt so alone.”

  The implications of everything they discovered in the past twenty-four hours overwhelmed Amy. “Want to go drink in our favorite bar?” she proposed.

  He considered the idea. “Yeah. Yeah I do.”

  He locked the car and they made their way into Russ and Smitty’s.

  ***

  Hours later, they stumbled out of the place.

  “Please don’t throw up this time,” Sam said as he struggled to keep a straight line.

  “I think you should worry more about yourself.” Amy did not slur. She hadn’t consumed nearly enough alcohol for her growing appetite.

  When Sam approached the car, Amy ran after him. “No, no, no. Come back to the motel with me and sleep it off.”

  He turned and looked at her seductively. “Are you trying to take advantage of me?”

  She cringed, imagining what her behavior must have been like on the night they met. She patted Sam on the shoulder lovingly. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “Ah, come on,” he whined.

  “You’ll thank me in the morning.”

  “Baby, baby,” he sang.

  “Come along now.”

  When they reached the room, Sam collapsed on the bed and swiftly fell asleep.

  Amy sat in the chair and stared off into space. She drank several more glasses of whiskey before she tumbled into bed next to Sam.

  They were both embarrassed when they woke up in the morning. Sam stirred very early because of the odd effects alcohol has while it wears off an average drinker. He quickly donned his shoes, mumbling under his breath.

  “That was stupid,” he said. “Now I’m hungover, and we still need to do a lot of research.” His face brightened. “The map came yesterday. It’s a beauty. As large as a blanket though, so we’ll have to do a lot of folding and refolding.”

  She smiled. “I’m very handy with maps.”

  “Good. Then you can be the navigator.”

  “Awesome. I won’t have to drive on the wrong side of the road.”

  Sam’s face clouded over. “Crap.”

  “You didn’t know that?”

  “Of course. I just hadn’t really envisioned it.”

  “I’ll keep you in line,” she said, giggling.

  Suddenly, he put his hand to his forehead as if he’d experienced a jolt of pain. “How are you so cheerful after all that alcohol? Do you drink every night?”

  A wave of anxiety hit Amy’s chest. For a moment she couldn’t breathe.

  “Of course not,” she lied. It wasn’t entirely a lie.

  He chuckled. “I was just kidding.”

  Amy swallowed and forced a smile. “I know.” She looked at the clock. “I have to get ready for work.”

  “I’m outta here. I can spend the day preparing for the trip. We need to get a car, make a list of potential places to stay. I’ll focus on Dublin through Clonmel. Hopefully, she’s still in Clonmel or is in touch with people who can help us.”

  “Based on the poem, that is a good possibility. But we don’t want to be rudderless.”

  “Exactly. I’ll print out a bunch of stuff—”

  “I can help you organize it into folders.”

  “Perfect, because I suck at that.”

  She smiled. “I know.”

  He picked up her sweatshirt, which was lying on the floor, and he threw it at her.

  “Doesn’t mean you’re any less a slob,” he said.

  “Good-bye, Samuel.”

  Chapter Twenty

  After work, they spoke on the phone.

  “I’m not nearly ready,” Sam said. “I got distracted by all kinds of stuff – places of interest – stones, castles, other landmarks.”

  “Make note of them. We might enjoy seeing something. With your sister as our tour guide if all goes well.”

  “Already printed. More stuff for you to file. And I have some bad news.”

  “Oh no, what?”

  “No GPS available from the rental car company. I don’t have a smartphone. I know you don’t.”

  “Oh, relax. I told you I’m a good navigator.”

  “I hope so, because I’ve gotten very accustomed to my GPS.”

  “When do you want to pick me up?”

  “Why don’t we do this tomorrow? We don’t have to be at the airport until three. Have your suitcase ready. I’ll pick you up at, say, nine? Then we can organize all this and be on our way.”

  “Sounds good,” she said. “See you at nine.”

  Amy agreed it made more sense for him to focus on putting the essentials together. It would be easier to organize the paperwork when everything was printed, anyway. Plus she’d need to visit Raksha and hopefully borrow a suitcase. Or, if all else failed, beg for a ride to the mall so she could buy one.

  Amy headed over to the office, secretly hoping she might snag an invitation to dinner as well as a suitcase. She was not disappointed. Raksha invited her to dinner before she even opened her mouth.

  “I want to see you before you go. Sahil will be here. He’s very pleased with the work you’ve done at the restaurant.”

  Amy felt a rush of pride.

  “Anyway,” Raksha continued, “do you have everything you need?”

  “Could I borrow a suitcase?” Amy asked hopefully.

  “Of course, of course. Come back.” She led her into the apartment. “You’ll also need some nice sweaters.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to—”

  “You think it’s spring, but you’ll be cold. I’ve been looking at the weather over there. It’s raining. And being from Colorado, you’re going to feel that wet cold. Follow me.” She wandered deeper into the apartment until she got to a walk-in closet.

  Amy was touched by the idea that Raksha had been checking out the weather in Ireland. She felt loved. It gave her goose bumps.

  Raksha’s closet was filled with very brightly colored clothing, many saris, but there was one section devoted to sweaters and long pants. A series of shelves held an endless supply of scarves – silky and fragile-looking.

  Raksha sized up Amy before fishing out two cardigans in modest colors. “I think these will fit you and not make you feel self-conscious. They’re less Indian-looking.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Hush, hush. The truth is, Priya, you’re just not going to pull off lemon yellow or magenta.”

  Amy gave her a fake look of indignation.

  Raksha ignored her. “See.” She pointed at a mirror just outside the closet and held up one of the sweaters. “A shade of olive for Ireland. It’s perfect.” She held up the second sweater. “And the brown one brings out your eyes.”

  Amy agreed. She looked better in earth tones than in flashy colors.

  “Thank you.”

  “Now let’s find you a suitcase.”

  ***

  Amy packed everything except her toiletries and pajamas. She whistled and folded clothing, while drinking the last of her whiskey.

  As she headed over to the Patels’ at 6:50 p.m., she felt confident and even joyful.

  She had thoroughly brushed her teeth and gargled with water so Sahil wouldn’t notice she had been drinking. She didn’t want to endure a lecture from him when she felt so fine like she did tonight. No need to ru
in a good mood.

  After she thought about it, she realized that Sahil had never actually lectured her, and for some reason, that pissed her off. He’d be easier to be mad at if he weren’t so nonintrusive.

  When Amy arrived, she saw an unfamiliar woman smiling and standing near Sahil.

  “Ah, here she is,” Sahil cried when he caught sight of Amy. “Come, Amy. Meet my wife, Ladli.”

  The wife, Amy thought in horror. She hoped she’d covered up the scent of alcohol on her breath. This was the wife who had suffered dearly because of Sahil’s alcoholism. Yet, there she stood, touching her husband’s arm and glowing with an aura of love.

  Amy approached tentatively. Ladli held out her hand.

  “My Sahil has spoken very highly of your work at the restaurant.”

  “Oh?” Amy shook the woman’s hand.

  Ladli smiled. “The place was a mess. You have a lot of character to take on that job and stick with it.”

  “It was nothing… uh, I was grateful for—”

  “So at last you meet my brother’s wife,” Raksha interrupted as she carried platters to the table. “A woman who watched him walk into darkness before she led him back into the light.” She put her hands on her hips. “Sit everyone.”

  There was a series of glances exchanged between Raksha, Ladli, and Sahil. Raksha seemed to be saying tell her while Sahil communicated not now. Ladli was curious but neutral.

  They have been talking about me behind my back, Amy thought, and the more she pictured them gossiping about her, the more angry she became.

  “Oh, do tell, Sahil,” Amy said sarcastically. “Just how did the lovely Ladli lead you into the light?”

  The children stopped talking and stared at Amy. More glances were exchanged between the adults, even Kashi who had previously seemed entirely disinterested in Raksha’s little scheme.

  “Oh, Amy, perhaps another time,” Sahil said softly.

  “No, no, no. By all means. I’m all ears.”

  “I can tell the story, but you will only hear it when you are ready.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m sorry, Priya. This was not the time,” Raksha said as if only just becoming aware she had ruined their last night together before the big trip.