Merchants with Evil Intent (27 page)

      
She scowled at him. “Hey, aren’t those
for me?”

      
Bits of food shot out when he replied,
“There’s plenty eno’ for both of us.”

      
“
Ew
.
Gross,” she said disgusted. He laughed, wiping his mouth.

      
Mrs. Gordon poured her a cup of tea and
Camryn had a hard time not grimacing. She was a coffee drinker. She smiled
politely and asked for water instead.

      
“Certainly,
dearie,” Mrs. Gordon grinned. “What do you
loves

plan
on doing today?”

      
“Um, no real plans,” Camryn replied with
a mouthful of scone.

      
“Och! ’
Tis many
tings to see and do here! Mickey, take your gel to Waterford! T’would
be
a lovely trip today. No rain in the forecast until
nighttime!”

      
Mickey grinned and nodded. Camryn noticed
he didn’t correct Mrs. Gordon when she said ‘his gel’. She raised an eyebrow to
him and he only smiled in response.

      
She shook it off. “Is Waterford far?”

      
“Not at all.
Just down the road a ways,” Mrs. Gordon laughed. “The finest crystal in
all the
world comes from there, ya know.”

      
“So I’ve heard,” Camryn mumbled. “Not a
bad idea, Mickey. Oh won’t you take me please?” she asked, sarcastically
grabbing his hand and batting her eyelashes.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Through bleary eyes Declan saw an outline
of someone next to his bed. He jumped in response and Eoghan laughed heartily.

      
“Too much ale makes ye slow witted,”
Eoghan admonished.

      
Declan rolled and pulled a pillow over
his head.

      
“Come now, you’ve a maiden to find, aye?”

      
His voice muffled from the pillow, Declan
growled. “’Tis no’ me job to find ‘er. It’s Ian’s.”

      
Eoghan stroked his goatee. He needed to
try a different approach since the whelp was a stubborn, witless dolt.

      
“Aye, mayhap you have it aright. She’s a bothersome
wench, anyway, since she won’t make speech with you. Besides, she’s not worth
the trouble when there are plenty of other wenches.”

      
There was a long silence before Declan
removed the pillow from his head. He looked around the room, surprised that
Eoghan had left.

      
He shouted into the air, “I thought you
said she was my intended!”

      
A disembodied voice loomed in his ear.
“Mayhap I was wrong.”

      
“Ah Christ!”
Declan growled as he got out of bed, throwing pillows and bedding everywhere.

      
He quickly showered and dressed in blue
jeans and a short sleeved blue t-shirt. Afterwards, he went downstairs.

      
His ma and Ian were sitting at the
kitchen table eating breakfast. “Mornin’,” he murmured as he grabbed a tea cup
from the cabinet.

      
“So, what are my boyo’s planning for the
day?” Siobhan Corrigan asked with a glint in her eye.

      
“We’ve a wench to find,” groused Declan.

*
     
*
     
*

      
Declan thought of Maggie’s visit as Ian
drove into town. It had to be a dream. Dreams never made much sense, did they?
And even if he believed it to be true, he couldn’t very well tell Ian. He’d
think he was still suffering from post-traumatic stress and would pester him to
see more doctors. Which is why he never told anyone about Eoghan, save Colleen
and he probably wouldna bloody told her if he wasna so drunk that night.

      
He was of a foul mood. He’d see the gel
again soon and she’d brush him off again. He didna think he’d be able to handle
that. Suddenly a thought occurred to him.

      
“Ian?”

      
“Yes, Mr. Grouchy Pants?”

      
Declan’s lip curled. It was Ian’s
favorite nickname for him since they were kids.

      
“Why don’t you find out from the American
authorities where she is?”

      
Ian laughed. “The gel doesna want to be
found. I received information today that her father purchased a ticket for her
and the person driving her around flatly refused to take her to the airport.
Plus, the gel isn’t answering any calls. You’ve picked a fine one, Dec. She
sounds as stubborn as you!”

      
“Aye.
She
is
stubborn,” he hissed.

      
Stubborn, feisty and
beautiful.
A lethal combination.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Do all these roads look the same?”
Camryn asked.

      
Mickey lifted an eyebrow.
“No, why?”

      
“Well it seems as if this scenery is
familiar.”

      
“How ‘twould you know? You sleep through
most of it,” he grinned.

      
Camryn perked up and sat forward in the
seat. “Oh! Are there castles around here?
 
I’d really love to see one!”

      
“I’m sure there are. We can ask once we
get to Waterford.”

      
She frowned. “You don’t know?”

      
“I’m not from around here and never
ventured much in me life,” he sighed.

      
“Sorry to upset your natural balance,”
she scoffed. “By the way, what’s the big idea letting Mrs. Gordon think we’re
together?”

      
He lifted a shoulder and blushed.
“I didna tink ‘twould be a problem.
The bloke lookin’ for ya
is expecting ya alone, aye?”

      
Her scowl slowly shifted into a grin,
“Pretty slick, Mickey.”

      
“Why, thank you,” he preened. “What’s
this bloke plan on doing once he finds ya?”

      
She shuddered. “I’m not sure. He can’t
drug me like the other girls and haul me back to the States.”

      
Mickey gulped. “What then?”

      
Her eyes met his. “Kill me?”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Ian pounded his hands against the
steering wheel. “Christ! We’ve only one more B&B in this blessed town!
She’s probably long gone now!”

      
Declan was edgy, too. Maybe they were too
late and she was already snatched by the monster. He pulled out his mobile and
rang her number again.

      
“Camryn, for the love
of Christ, answer me feckin’ calls!
Gel, I’m worried aboot you. I beg of
you, please, call me as soon as you get this message.”

      
Ian shot him a sidelong glance. “Wow.”

      
“Wow, what?” Declan sneered.

      
“You’ve got it bad for her.”

      
“You have that aright,” Declan said
softly. “Now drive. As you’ve said, we’ve one more B&B to check, aye?”

*
     
*
     
*

      
Viktor arrived in Glendalough and secured
a bed-and-breakfast, paying cash and using the name of Jack Miles, unaware
Camryn was a mere thirty minutes away.

*
     
*
     
*

      
“Wow! Look over there!” Camryn shouted,
pointing at a tower.

      
Mickey skillfully maneuvered through the
traffic and parked.

      
Camryn jumped from the car and pulled her
digital camera from her purse.

      
“Come on!” she laughed, pulling Mickey’s
arm.

      
He smiled. He’d never seen someone so
enthused with his country. She led him through the building oohing and ahhing
over the historical artifacts. The camera was never far from her face.

      
After she got her fill of the tower they
walked to the main square. She pulled him into the shops. She tried to buy him
something, but he dismissed her. The only thing he wanted was a pint.

      
On the way back to the car to drop off
her packages he spotted a pub and pleaded to her with his eyes.

      
“Okay. You’ve been a good sport. Let me
by you a pint,” she smiled.

      
“After what I’ve been
through?
Three is more like it,” he teased.

      
“Fine.
Three, but
you have to stay sober enough to take me through Waterford crystal and Lismore
Castle.”

      
He rolled his eyes as they entered the
pub. His feckin’ feet were killin’ ‘im!

*
   
*
     
*

      
“Howya, Mrs. Gordon?” Declan asked.

      
“Declan! ‘Tis been a long time,” she replied,
discreetly smoothing her graying hair.

      
“Aye.
Sorry
aboot that.
Been out of the country.”

      
“Is that so? Where’ve been, lad?”

      
His eyes cast a sweeping glance around
the front room.
“Went to see Colleen, in Chicago.
Ya
remember Ian?”

      
She grinned and playfully hit his arm.
“Ya know I do. What brings you two fine looking men today?”

      
“Do you have any buzzies staying here?”
Ian asked.

      
Her eyebrows pinched together. “Aye, I’ve
two. A lovely couple, so they are. Why? What of it?”

      
“The gel.
Is her
name Camryn O’Mara by chance?”

      
Anticipation tugged at their insides.

      
She shook her head.
“Afraid
not, lads.
Should I be on the look out for this gel?”

      
“If you don’t mind.
Here, take me card in the event she arrives and call me straight-away,” Ian
replied, frustrated.

      
Declan let out a hard breath as well.

      
Mrs. Gordon wrung her hands. “This gel,
is she wanted by the Garda?”

      
“No. We’re trying to avoid a potentially
dangerous situation for her,” Ian patted her shoulder reassuringly.

      
Declan strode to the door. Three
let-downs in a row warranted a pint or two. Now their search would expand to
neighboring towns.

      
Lois.

      
Declan whipped his head to the left and
right. He’d heard the voice, but neither Mrs. Gordon nor Ian had. Perhaps he
was
going barmy.

      
He reached for the door knob and a cold
burst of air hit his face.

      
Lois!

      
His jaw clenched. “Mrs. Gordon, the gel
staying here. Is her name Lois Lane by chance?”

      
She grinned and clapped her hands.
“Aye!
Do you know her?”

      
Declan shook his head incredulously. “Aye,
I know her.” He walked towards Mrs. Gordon and took her hands into his.

      
He cleared his throat and smiled sweetly.
“Is she here then?”

      
She sighed.
“Nay.
She and her boyfriend left earlier for Waterford.”

      
“Boyfriend?”

      
“Aye.
Nice couple
as I said before.”

      
Declan’s jaws clenched. “This boyfriend,
is he about my height with short blond hair?”

      
“Heaven’s no! Mickey has red hair and is
much shorter than you. In fact, he wasna much taller than Lois,” she stated.

      
“She’s expected back then?” Ian asked.

      
“Aye.
Their
tings are still here. Said they’d be back before night fall,” she assured.