Page 109 of After Indigo Irish Nights
She shivered. Of course it was. It was a bitter irony that Declan had put distance between them because he’d feared what Owen might do under Jimmy’s influence—apparently he had plenty of hate of his own to drive him, just as it had done before. It struck her that Mary Kincaid’s son was also Bets’ nephew. That couldn’t rest easy with her. “I’ll meet you there.”
“I called Liam. He’s coming to pick you up.”
She knew she was being assigned an escort. “I’m fine going alone.”
“Owen came into your shed before. Let’s just be smart about things until the police find him. I’ll feel better. In a million years, I never imagined this. I’ll see you soon.”
After Kathleen hung up, she dressed quickly. She made a quick check of the cottage and the surrounding property. She didn’t think Owen would be around, but she wanted to make sure. Her heart rate calmed after her search, and she went inside to grab a cup of coffee. When she heard the sound of wheels crunching on gravel, she went to the front door and was surprised to see two cars. Liam was in one.
Declan was in the other. She wasn’t surprised, really. This was everything he’d feared. He stared at her through the window, his entire face in warrior mode.
Her heart started tripping like a jackhammer again. An insane urge to cry and rage surged up within her. She wrapped her arms around herself as Liam exited the car.
“He wouldn’t listen to me when I said I was picking you up.” Liam held his hands up. “You don’t have to drive with him. He only wants to make sure you’re safe. Until the police pick up Owen.”
She knew police procedure in the States because of her brother. She imagined it was the same in Ireland. “Is a warrant out? Are they looking for him?”
“Looking for him, yes.” Liam walked closer until he was a foot away. “Not sure about him being openly accused yet. The police around here… Never mind. Honestly, I’d rather Declan stay close. I don’t want him going after Owen. Declan’s first question was about whether you were there when it happened.”
She hadn’t thought that far yet. She supposed she could have been. Chilling thought, that. “Fine. You keep an eye on him. I’m driving my own car. You can both follow me.”
When they arrived, the arts center was lined with cars and police vehicles. Shattered glass covered the ground. Rage in the form of dangerous shards, she thought.
Ellie rushed over to her, followed by Brady, who hung back while they hugged. She imagined Liam and Declan were behind her somewhere.
“It’s awful!” her best friend cried. “I can’t believe anyone would do this.”
“Thank God you hadn’t completed your window.” If she had, Owen would have broken it for sure.
“That’s what Brady said.” Ellie wiped her eyes. “We’re going to have to install a serious security system. I don’t know why we didn’t before.”
“Because this kind of thing doesn’t happen here,” Brady said, putting an arm around her.
Bets came running over. “Kathleen. The Garda would like to take your statement about the time Owen came and made threats.”
Robbie always said motive and preparation helped seal a criminal’s guilt, along with the evidence. “Happy to.”
She accompanied Bets and met the officer in charge, who wanted to interview her in the arts center’s kitchen. He was in his thirties and hadn’t taken the time to brush his curly brown hair, she noticed. He took out a small black leather notepad and a pen and started asking questions. She answered them crisply and as factually as possible. Robbie would have been proud.
Of course, he was also going to be pissed—all of her brothers would be, actually, but she didn’t need to think about that now.
When the officer was finished with her, she left the kitchen and stopped short. Declan was waiting for her with his back against the wall. Her insides turned to mush. “I hope you’re not here to say I told you so.”
His brows slammed together. “No, I only wanted you to know we have your back. That you are safe. It had to shake you. It sure as hell did me.”
“I’m fine.” She tried to calm her racing heart. “Declan, I’m not your responsibility anymore.”
“That doesn’t stop me from worrying about you.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Or loving you, for that matter. I’m only looking out for you until I figure out how to get you to trust me again.”
Her heart tore at his confirmation that he still wanted to try. “You’re only making this worse.”
She left him in her wake and went outside. Angie and Megan were out there fuming with Ellie, and other people from the village enfolded them in outrage and concern. Everyone wanted to help, but they couldn’t clean up the arts center yet. The Garda were still handling the scene.
She wasn’t even allowed to see the damage done to her work. Truthfully, though, she wasn’t sure she could take it right now.
It started to rain. The drops were heavy with a touch of cold. Sea rain, they called it. She grew chilled as she stood, aware Declan was watching her from the periphery like the warrior he was.
When she heard it would take maybe a week before the Garda reopened the crime scene, she made her decision. Turning to Ellie, she leaned in to whisper, “I’m going home for a while.”
