by Cindy Kline
He left the notebook and pen on the table, leaned over, and kissed her. She put his arms around him, and he deepened the kiss, but then remembered he was due at the hospital in Ballyquicken, so he cut the kiss off.
“You took him to go see Mrs. West. What happened after that?”
“One more thing about the visit with Mrs. West.” She looked up at him. “She told me how Henry has a tendency of twisting the truth, so to be careful what I believed.”
“Well, you’re an excellent judge of character. What do you think?”
She was silent for a few seconds. “I got the impression of a man who made mistakes and finally decided to own up to them. He seemed sincere about breaking things off with the mistress and getting to know his wife again.”
“What else happened?”
Molly told him about her afternoon and how Henry bought them dinner. Then they cleaned up and walked to the town square together.
“And you were together the whole time?”
“Yes. Wait—no. He made a phone call and walked away to someplace where he could hear. I didn’t see him again until Ciara and I were walking into the bookstore. We went in, used the toilet, thanked us and left.”
“And that was the last you saw of him?”
“Until I found him in the town square, yes.” She snuggled deeper into his side.
He laid his head back on the couch and shut his eyes. This felt so nice, but he had responsibilities, and the sooner she realized it, the better. He kissed her on the head. “As much as I’d love to stay, I have to go to the hospital.”
Liam picked up the notebook and pen, made a few notes and then stuck them both in his shirt pocket.
“Great, let me go get dressed, and I’ll go with you.” She popped off the couch and walked away when he caught her by the arm and pulled her into his arms, leaning his forehead on hers.
“I think you should stay here.” He thought about six months ago when he saw her lying on the floor bleeding, and his stomach clenched.
“Now, why would I want to do that?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Because you need to stay out of this.” He kissed her quickly on the lips.
She sighed. “Look, I’ve learned my lesson about getting involved, but I got to know Henry a little over the past twenty-four hours, and I’d like to be there to show my support to his family.” She gave him a quick kiss. “Besides, we’ll get to spend more time together, especially if you’re assigned to this case.”
He stopped himself from kissing her again, “I’m already assigned to a case, remember?”
“Oh, well then, I’ll get to work with Gary.” She lifted her heart-shaped face to his, and he had to stop from leaning in and kissing her again.
“Gary’s on holiday this week, so it will be someone else, and you need to stay out of it. However, I have no issue with you going to show your support, but it’s already late, and I don’t want you driving back here in the middle of the night.”
Gran interrupted them coming in from the garage and the clicking of Luna’s nails as she ran across the linoleum floor. “I think I need to get her nails clipped.” Molly smiled. She dropped her arms from around Liam’s neck and turned to her grandmother. “Hey, Gran. How was the pub?”
“Crowded,” she said as she crossed the room and hung her coat in the closet. “Hiya, Liam. Haven’t seen you around for a while.”
He walked over and gave Colleen a hug. “I know. I’ve been busy with a case. How are you?”
“Fat and sassy. What can I say?”
He laughed. He really liked Molly’s grandmother, even though it put a cramp into their love life.
Gran looked at them both. “I heard about what happened to Henry Pierce at the pub. Any news?”
Liam looked at Molly. “He’s in a coma. I’ve just been trying to convince your granddaughter to stay out of the investigation.”
Gran laughed. “Have you met my granddaughter?”
Molly grinned as Liam grimaced.
Gran winked. “She’ll be all right, but she’d be better if you were around a little more to keep an eye on her,” Gran said as she walked into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she came out with a bottle of water, unscrewed the top and took a drink.
“Gran, can you watch Luna for me? I’m going to follow Liam to the hospital to see Henry and be there for his family, and probably won’t be back until the morning.”
“Of course, dear. I’ll take good care of her. You two go and have fun. If you see Shannon Moore, let her know I’m saying a prayer for Henry. On second thought, don’t. She’s probably hoping he dies.”
Molly looked at Liam. “Give me a couple of minutes to gather some stuff, and I’ll be right down,” She ran upstairs.
“Colleen, what did you mean about Shannon Moore probably hoping her son-in-law died?” He went and sat next to her on the couch.
“Oh, nothing really. I just know Shannon fairly well, and she doesn’t have many good things to say about Henry.”
Liam listened while Colleen explained. He made some notes in his notebook and put it away.
“Thanks. That’s a big help.”
Molly came out of her room with a bag in her hands and set it on the floor. She kissed her Gran on the cheek. “Thanks, Gran.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” She pulled her knitting bag from beside the couch where she kept it and starting knitting. Molly hadn’t hung up her coat when she got home, so she grabbed it off one of the dining room chairs, and Liam gathered his coat from the chair in the living room.
Liam opened the door and held it for Molly. As they were leaving, he heard Colleen say, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
He chuckled as he closed the door behind them.
Chapter Nine
The narrow roadway between Dooley with Ballyquicken is full of many twists and turns, typical of her beloved country. Even with everything that has happened since she’d been back, she was very glad to be home. She passed field after field as she drove north, a drive she’d gotten used to the past few months. Molly loved the little village of Dooley, but the town of Ballyquicken offered much more in the way of restaurants, movie theaters, shopping and Liam. She’d made this trip numerous times.
It had grown colder. There were no stars in the dark sky, and she could barely see the moon through the clouds. Molly was sure it was going to rain. She smiled. That’s the one thing you can always count on in Ireland, that before long, it’s going to rain. Just then, splatters of rain hit her windshield. She drove the roads with confidence, having faith in her Land Rover. She followed the taillights of Liam’s Miata, the drive taking ten minutes longer because of the weather. They pulled into the parking lot of Ballyquicken General at five minutes to eleven. They parked, and both pulled out their umbrellas to make the walk through the rain to the door marked “Emergency,” where they found Callum waiting for them.
Callum greeted Molly with a hug, and Liam with a handshake, updating them on Henry’s condition, which hadn’t changed.
“Mrs. Pierce is here, though, along with her mother-in-law.” He pulled out his notebook and opened it. “The mother-in-law’s name is Shannon Moore, and according to her, they were together in Dublin visiting the Pierce’s son, Rory, over the weekend, and then spent the past two days Christmas shopping.” He looked up from his notes to add, “Mrs. Pierce is pretty upset. She’s in with her husband, refuses to leave his side.” He glanced back down at the paper. “Mrs. Moore is down in the cafeteria speaking with Detective Elliott.” He looked directly at Liam. “Is it true, sir, Detective Elliott will be leading the investigation?”
Molly looked at Callum’s clenched jaw and heard Liam’s intake of breath. “I was hoping he was on another case.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “He’ll want to interview you, Molly, so I’ll introduce you.” He looked at Callum, “Where is he?”
Callum tore a page from his notebook and handed it to Liam. “He wanted you to call him once you arrived
.”
Liam took the paper and excused himself, taking his phone from his pocket as he did so.
“What room is Henry in?” Molly asked Callum.
“Room 245. His wife insisted he get a private room, so it’s down toward the end of the hall.” He took Molly’s arm. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to his wife.”
The woman in the room turned her head when she heard our footsteps. I recognized Henry’s wife, Imogen, from their wedding photo. She was holding Henry’s hand, and I could see tears falling down her face. Molly looked around for a box of tissues, grabbing it from the table sitting across the room, setting it on the bed.
“Mrs. Pierce? I’d like to introduce Molly McGuire. She’s the one who found your husband and called an ambulance.”
The woman let go of Henry’s hand, stood and took Molly’s empty hand in hers. “Thank you so much for finding him.”
“You’re welcome. I am so sorry this happened. Maybe if I’d found him earlier…”
Imogen squeezed her hand. “I’m just glad you found him when you did. The doctor said if he’d been there all night, or even part of the night, he would have died.”
Molly looked at Henry, tubes and wires attached to his body, his face pale, a white bandage covering part of his head, “How is he doing?”
Imogen looked back at him, then at Molly, taking a tissue, wiping her eyes, and then her nose. “He’s still in a coma. There’s some swelling on the brain, so the doctor says it’s for the best. They’re hoping for some improvement.”
Right then, another woman, an older version of Imogen Pierce, strode into the room. “Imogen, we really should be going. It’s getting late, and we have a long drive ahead.”
The woman barely looked at either Callum or me. It was Imogen who turned to her and said, “Mama, this is Molly McGuire. She’s the one who found Henry. Ms. McGuire, this is my mother, Shannon Moore.”
Molly held out her hand, but Mrs. Moore was too busy wrapping a scarf around her neck. “Oh, is she another one of Henry’s ‘friends’”?
Molly wasn’t sure who gasped louder, herself or Imogen. “Mrs. Moore, I assure you, I am not involved with Mr. Pierce. I didn’t even meet him until yesterday.”
“Well, he was always a fast worker.” She bent over and picked up a purse from the floor. “Come on, Imogen. You can come back in the morning.”
Imogen looked at her mother, “Mama, I have my car here. I’d prefer to stay.”
“I know, but it’s getting late. You know how I can’t drive after dark, so you must drive me home. You can come back in the morning.”
Imogen looked at Henry and then her mother. She bent over, kissed Henry on the cheek, whispered to him and then smiled at herself and Callum. “Thank you again, both of you.”
Molly took hold of her hand, placing her other hand on top. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me at the Book Nook in Dooley.”
She looked at her mother, who was tapping her foot outside the door and took a deep breath. “I might just do that. Thank you.” We watched as Imogen went out the door, her mother practically dragging her down the hall.
Molly looked at Callum, her eyes wide. Just then, his phone rang, and footsteps entered the room. Callum excused himself to take the call, and Molly turned to see Liam and another man walk in, Liam at least six inches taller.
“Molly, this is DI Elliott. Matt, this is Molly McGuire, the one who found Mr. Pierce and called an ambulance.”
Molly held out her hand, and he shook it, his hand limp and sweaty. It took all of Molly’s faculties not to wipe her hand on her coat. Instead, she stuck it in her pocket. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, the hem bunched up over his scuffed brown shoes. The collared shirt he had on looked like it either had never seen an iron, or he’d been wearing it for quite some time. He had a long, brown, wool coat thrown over his arm, which he was currently digging in, looking for something. His small, round face was sweating, and he wore thick, black glasses, which he constantly kept pushing back up onto his long nose.
Molly looked over his head to Liam, who shrugged. “Matt, why don’t we go someplace else to talk?”
The detective finally found what he was looking for, pulling out a pen. The grin on his face was so wide, I thought for sure he was going to yell, “Ta-da.” Instead, his grin faded, and he looked at Liam.
“Detective Fitzgerald, you can go now. I’m sure I can handle this without you.”
Molly gave him a tight smile. “I’d prefer Detective Fitzgerald to stay during the interview, if that’s okay with you, detective. Besides, he’s my ride.”
Detective Elliott smiled, but it came out more like a sneer. “Oh, that’s the way it is, is it? No wonder they didn’t want him on this case.” He turned around, practically running into Liam’s chest. Liam stepped aside, and the detective walked out the door. “Follow me, please.”
Liam took her arm, and Molly looked up at him and whispered, “This is going to be loads of fun, I can tell.”
Liam winked at her as we followed the little man. He stopped at the nurse’s desk, “Where can I interrogate someone?”
Her eyes widened at the word, “interrogate,” and she looked at Liam.
“I’m sure he means ‘interview,’” Liam whispered.
The nurse directed us to an empty waiting room down the hall. One television hung on the wall, currently turned off, and an assortment of cushioned chairs were placed around the room. We took a group of four in the center, and all sat down, she and Liam on one side, Detective Elliott sitting opposite. He tossed his coat on the fourth chair and pulled out a notebook.
“Name?”
“Molly McGuire.”
“Place of residence?”
Rose Cottage, Dooley, Ireland.”
He looked at me over his glasses. “Do you work?”
Liam took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Yes. I own the Book Nook bookstore in downtown Dooley.”
His eyes didn’t leave the page as he continued to write, “And how do you know the victim?”
“He showed up at the bookstore last evening asking to use the restroom and for a glass of water.”
He looked over his glasses at me again, his eyebrows raised. “And?”
“And we directed him to the restroom and got him a glass of water.” She gave him a dirty look, which he didn’t see, his eyes still glued to the notebook, only stopping to push his glasses back up on his nose. Liam squeezed her hand again.
“And you didn’t see him again until today?”
Molly swallowed and looked at Liam before answering. “Not quite. When Ciara and I left…”
“Who’s this Ciara person?”
“Ciara Quinn. She’s my sister-in-law and my employee. We were both working last night until closing.”
“What time is that?”
“We close at eight o’clock on Mondays.”
“And what happened when you left?”
“As we were leaving, I noticed Mr. Pierce sitting in his car, his head back on his seat. As I walked closer to his car, I noticed he was sweating and appeared in a lot of pain.”
He lifted his head and peered at me over his glasses, “And then what?”
“I offered to call an ambulance, but he said it was just his ulcers and he just needed his medicine, which was at home.”
The detective jotted all of this down, flipping to the next page.
“And why didn’t you?”
“Why didn’t I what?” Liam put his arm around Molly and squeezed her shoulder. She wasn’t sure if it was in comfort or to stop her from strangling Detective Long Nose.
“Why didn’t you call an ambulance? The man was obviously in distress.”
She took a deep breath. “Because Mr. Pierce didn’t want me to. So instead, I pulled him out of his car and helped him into mine. I then drove him home, as he was in no state to drive himself.”
“So, you kidnapped him?” He pushed his glasses further up his nose. �
��That’s against the law.”
She was halfway out of her seat when Liam caught her and sat her back down. Her jaw was aching from clenching her teeth. She took another deep breath and let it out slowly. “No. I did not kidnap him. I drove him to his house.”
He looked up at me. “And that’s when he tried to seduce you, and so you killed him?”
“Okay, that’s it!” She shook Liam’s arms off and stood up. She leaned over his chair, her face six inches from his, “Where do you get off accusing me of wanting to kill Henry? I barely knew the man, and…AND…he’s old enough to be my father!”
“Temper, temper, Ms. McGuire,” Detective Elliott said with a grin.
Liam stayed in his seat but leaned over, his elbows on his knees, his hands folded together in front of him, “Now look, Elliott, Molly found Mr. Pierce unconscious. She had nothing to do with what happened to him. Now, are you going to take it easy, or should I speak to the superintendent and get someone else on this case?”
“This is my case, detective, and I will run it as I see fit. You know how many times the person who finds the body is the killer. Just because you’re sleeping with her doesn’t mean she isn’t looking for it elsewhere.”
Liam stood up, grabbing Molly’s arm as he did so. “We’re done here.”
Molly had the desire to stick her tongue out at him, instead, biting it to stop the impulse. Liam took her hand, and they walked away from the detective. When they cleared the room and were walking down the hall, bells rang, and they called a code blue over the intercom. Molly and Liam looked at each other and ran toward Henry’s room.
The room was full of doctors and nurses, hovering over the bed. The long, alarming beep of a heart stopping filled the room.
“Clear.” All but one of the medical staff stepped away.
The long beep continued.
“Clear.”
The long beep continued.
“Clear.”