35. Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
Aidan
Ijiggle the change in my pocket while standing in line at Roísin’s bakery, thinking back on the past few days since we came home to find Maeve’s front door vandalised.
I hate feeling as if we’re waiting for Joe to come out of his hole instead of being the ones controlling the situation.
But as long as he’s on the loose, I’m not letting Maeve out of my sight.
She’s going to pick up some of her clothes and bring them to the farm.
All this driving back and forth from the farm to her cottage to get her clothes is unnecessary.
It took some persuading, but she finally caved this morning.
It only took getting her to come on my mouth and fingers twice to get her to see things from my point of view.
“Aidan? You okay?”
I nod a bit and step up to the counter.
“Sorry, I was miles away.”
Roísin jerks her head at me and wipes her hands on her apron. “Looked that way, too. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I probably just need a dose of caffeine.”
She grins, her fringe bobbing into her eyes. “You’ve come to the right place.” She makes a face. “Just your regular?”
I shake my head and point to the chocolate chip cookies lined up on a big plate beside her. “Give me four of those, too, please. And Maeve told me to ask you to surprise her with your week’s special coffee.”
Her eyes light up, making my lips tip up at the corner for the first time today. “I can always count on Maeve. She gets the fascination with coffee completely.”
“You’re right.” I shake my head at the way neither of them can seem to stick with one coffee, but of course, I don’t share that with her.
Maeve’s already told me it’s a woman thing, and if there’s one thing life’s taught me, it’s not to question when I’m politely told to butt out of things I don’t get. Clearly, this is one of them.
Roísin turns to the contraption behind her and starts banging, preparing to make our drinks, and I lean a hip on the counter and look out the window, zoning out for a bit.
As soon as Joe’s been caught, and harvesting season is over, I’m going to take my girls on a holiday away from Cloonmara.
My girls. I never thought I’d say those words, yet here I am.
I’m in, Aidan. I’m all the way in.
“Things seem to be going well between the two of you.”
Roísin’s quiet but happy words draw me out of my own head.
I flash her a lighter smile this time. “Yes.”
She grabs the tongs and claps them at my nose, and I bark out a laugh. “Wow, aren’t you a mine of information?” she drawls.
I raise my eyebrows. “I’m a man, Roísin. We don’t gossip like women.”
She sighs, her lips turned up in an annoyed pout. “Fine, I’ll hound Maeve for information instead.”
I reach for my wallet and patiently wait for her to bring me the coffee, staring out of the window again, but I frown when a stranger outside stares right back at me.
He’s frowning, his almost-black hair cut close to his head.
The hair at the nape of my neck stands up, and I tense when the man keeps staring.
I know I can’t go around turning each tourist into a suspect, but this man is creepy.
I scan what I can see of his body, memorising each detail I can see from his waist up.
Most of his jaw is covered in a full, black beard, bushy black eyebrows pulled low in a frown, and his eyes squint as he scans the lines of baked goods.
“Here you go, Aidan.”
I turn my head from the stranger and place my card on the machine to pay for the goods. When I look up again, the man has gone.
“Thank you, Roísin.”
Her lips turn down in speculation.
“Tell Maeve I’ll text her later, please.”
“Will do.”
I pick up the cups, balancing them in my hands along with the brown paper bag filled with cookies, and once I’m outside the shop, I scan left, then right, looking for the stranger.
I push the bag under my arm and reach for my phone in my back pocket.
I swipe to find Maeve in my contacts, and my pulse starts to race.
I swipe and hold it up to my ear, holding my breath as I listen to it ring.
Relief floods my system when she picks it up.
“Hey, honey.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“Aidan? Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. Sorry. Everything’s good. Listen, do the Gardai have a recent photo of Joe that they’ll share with you?”
“I already know what he looks like, and apart from changing his hairstyle or growing a beard, he can’t have changed much. What made you think of that?”
“I’m probably being paranoid, but I just saw a stranger, maybe a tourist, hanging about the bakery, and he gave off a bad vibe. I thought it would help if I knew what Joe looks like.”
“Yes, I agree. I’ll find a photo of him and send it to you. It won’t take long.”
I walk to my car and open it, careful not to spill the coffee all over my leather seats.
“Thank you. I’m on my way with your caffeine fix. I’ll be there in five.”
“Oh, lovely. What is it this time?”
I lift her cup and sniff it. “Ah, I don’t know. It smells heavy on the chocolate, though.”
“Mmm, maybe it’s coffee with a dollop of Nutella.”
I raise my eyes to the sky, my lips twitching from amusement. “It sounds disgusting,” I tease.
“Pfft. Don’t mock my coffee addiction, honey.”
I close my eyes, letting the softness of her happy voice settle over me. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”
I hear her soft sigh. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes.”
I push off the side of the car and round it to jump into my side and turn the ignition. I put the phone on the console, but when it vibrates and an image flashes across the screen, I pick it up and open the text.
“Fuck!”
One look, and that’s all it takes to recognise that the tourist wasn’t a tourist at all.
It’s Joe.
I put the car in gear, and without even glancing behind me, I push hard on the gas pedal, and the tyres squeal as I set off to the station.
To where my heart is.
My Maeve.
Before the sick bastard gets to her first.
Maeve
The gunshot rings in my ears, freezing me to the spot, and my heart jumps into my throat. I arrived at the station early today, wanting to get a head start on the graffiti case, and I’m alone apart from Franny manning the front desk.
“Oh, God. Franny!” I yell.
My pulse races as I set off in a run towards reception, my feet closing the distance easily. I shouldn’t be running towards the danger, but if Franny’s hurt, I need to get to her.
I stop at the entrance and flatten my back against the wall, getting my breathing under control.
“Maeve!”
I close my eyes, shaking my head in disbelief.
“What do you want, Joe?” I yell back.
“Just you.” He chuckles darkly, the sound so full of venom that bile hits the back of my throat.
“Why?”
Please, please, let Franny be okay.
“If you’re not out here in five seconds, I’ll start hunting you. Do you want that?”
“No!” I scan the office around me, but all I can find is a letter opener lying on top of the filing cabinet to my right.
I pull the hair tie from my wrist, bundling my hair back in a high ponytail.
Certain that it won’t fall into my eyes, I make a grab for the letter opener, grateful I chose to wear a bulky sweater today.
I push it high up my sleeve, hiding my weapon as best I can, and blow out a long breath to steady myself before I face Joe.
Breathe, sweetheart. I’ve got you.
Aidan’s steady voice grounds me, and I hug the words to my heart, finding the strength I need to face Joe.
“Okay, okay. I’ll come out,” I shout.
I take a peek around the corner and immediately sweep the floor, but there’s no Franny.
I raise my head and lock my eyes with my childhood nemesis.
He hasn’t changed much since I last saw him.
He’s still built like a linebacker, but he has large bags under his eyes, as if he hasn’t slept well for ages.
The black sweater he’s wearing is torn at the elbows, and his grey jeans and sneakers look worse for wear.
“I’m not your enemy, Joe.”
His lips pull up in a smirk. “Never said you were.”
I keep my hands down, palms flat. “Then why did you shoot me? And why come to Cloonmara?”
He wets his lips, eyes roaming my body, and I have to work hard at keeping my face blank. I pray to all that’s holy that Franny isn’t hurt. That she’s hiding, and that she brought her phone with her to call for help.
“I needed to see you.” He keeps his gun raised high, but out to the side instead of aimed at me. “I had to come.”
“Why? I don’t understand.”
He shakes his head, eyes now darting everywhere but at me, as if he’s looking for a way out. “I had to shoot, Maeve. I couldn’t let you take me down. I need to work.”
“And you couldn’t find something better to do with your life than dealing drugs?” I lean towards him, my body vibrating. “Drugs kill people! You destroy innocent lives! How can you live with yourself?”
He drags his hand across his unkempt beard, scratching it, then runs it behind his neck.
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
I take another step closer but stop when his face darts my way, catching me.
“Don’t come closer, Maeve.”
The wild current of adrenaline makes my body tremble, and I take a deep breath to clear my head.
“Why are you here, Joe?”
“I can’t be on the run like this forever. I…I just can’t do it. I need you to get the Gardai off my back. Tell them to leave me alone.”
I can hardly believe what he’s saying. Surely, he’s not that stupid?
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t do that, Joe.
You shot me. You aimed that gun straight at me, and you didn’t care whether I’d live or die.
” The memory of lying on the cold asphalt, curled in on myself as the burning, sharp pain tore through my insides assaults my memory.
“Do you know how much it hurts to get shot? It burns, Joe. You feel your blood, your life, slip away with each passing second. It paints the ground with your life force. And the fear is just as terrifying.”
His face crumbles in pain, and he raises both hands to close them around his ears.
“Stop! Stop talking, Maeve!”