Chapter Sixteen
I f Lorcan thought I’d sit back and watch time pass by while my sister was missing, he was mistaken.
Seamus gave me a friendly nod. I couldn’t imagine he was happy about his baby sitter duties. He was Lorcan’s second in command and he probably had better things to do than follow me around like a lost puppy. Yet when I asked him about it, he only smiled pleasantly.
“I do what Lorcan needs me to do, whatever that is.”
The moment we stepped out on the street, I realized what it meant to be Lorcan’s wife in this part of town.
People greeted me or tossed curious glances my way.
I was used to anonymity and always enjoyed the freedom it gave me; nobody paid attention, not to the good, and especially not to the bad.
Now with everyone watching my every move, every mishap would be next week’s gossip, or worse …
everything I did would eventually reach Lorcan’s ears.
How could I investigate Imogen’s disappearance like that?
I needed to get rid of Seamus so I could contact Desmond.
He could probably help me, but if word got to Lorcan that I’d spoken with the police, things would become really uncomfortable for me.
It was really risky. If Lorcan had the intention of helping me and was just waiting to see if I was worth the trouble, a meeting with the police could ruin any chance of using his resources .
Seamus’ voice broke through my thoughts. “Maeve likes you. She’d like to spend more time with you.”
A smile pulled at my lips. “I like her too. Has it been difficult for her to make friends here?”
Seamus paused, and I stopped beside him. “She’s always had her sisters as friends. Making friends outside of family is something new to her.”
“I doubt she’ll have trouble making new friends. She’s funny and kind. And she seemed to get along really well with Talulla, the seamstress.”
“She would be a good friend to you,” Seamus said then added in a tighter voice, “I know Talulla. She’s not the type of person you or Maeve should be friends with.”
“She seemed so nice.” She didn’t really. She had been reserved and cautious, but I still felt the need to defend her for an unknown reason.
“Maeve likes her too. But she likes to test the limits of our rules.”
Good to know. She was exactly the kind of person I needed. “Lorcan picked her as seamstress for our wedding, so she can’t be that bad.”
Seamus let out a bitter laugh. “Lorcan likes to keep his enemies very close. Talulla isn’t the enemy yet, but she’s a thorn in our side. I want you to be aware of that if you further your interactions with her.”
“Is Maeve allowed to see Talulla?”
“She is, and she knows to be wary. So should you. Maeve knows without a doubt where her loyalties lie, so she can draw boundaries when necessary. I think your loyalties are still a bit murky.”
I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t expected him to be this direct, but I appreciated it. “My loyalties have to be earned.”
“Lorcan expects loyalty. From everyone around him, especially the people closest to him. Pick your battles wisely, Miss Killeen.”
“Mrs. Devaney,” I corrected, even if the reminder of my marriage to Lorcan sent a little shiver down my back. “I’d like to see Talulla now. I prefer to make up my own mind.”
Seamus gave a terse nod and led me the two blocks toward Talulla’s shop.
When we stepped in, she was busy with an elderly lady who wanted an ancient fur coat repaired.
It was moth eaten and sun bleached. If the poor fox could see what had become of his beautiful shiny fur, he’d probably die again.
She held a Kerry Blue Terrier at the leash and he barked a warning at us.
“That’s not polite, Uggie. ”
Seamus bowed his head toward the old woman.
Talulla was still inspecting the fox coat. “I’ll do my best, but the moths took their toll. It’s old.”
“It doesn’t have to outlive me, so just do what you can to make it last a few more months or maybe a year. That’s when my time’s up.”
Talulla waved her off, and Seamus clucked his tongue. “Mrs. Byrne, you’ll outlive us all.”
“Ninety is where I’m drawing the line,” the old woman said. “It’s enough. Four years without my Jack. It’s enough.”
“What about good ol’ Uggie? Won’t you try to reach one hundred for your mutt?” Seamus asked with a hint of sarcasm.
Mrs. Byrne wagged her finger at him. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Seamus. I remember you and Lorcan running around Kenmare in your soggy cloth nappies.”
My eyes grew wide. Interesting. Maybe Mrs. Byrne could be another valuable source for me, if not for my search, then at least a way to better understand my husband.
I gave the woman a warm smile. There was a hint of wariness in her eyes before she offered me a polite smile. Mrs. Byrne would be a harder nut to crack. “The new Mrs. Devaney.”
She made it sound as if there had been a Mrs. Devaney before me.
“Nice to meet you and Uggie.” Uggie gave me the same stiff look of his owner.
Mrs. Byrne nodded and briefly shook my hand. She was loyal to Lorcan and Seamus, or at least more loyal to them than she was to me, a complete stranger. “I knew your grandparents. Good people. Heartbroken after what your mother did, of course.”
I froze. “Are they still alive?” I asked before I could control my first impulse. Seamus shifted beside me. If he didn’t like the direction the conversation was taking, he wasn’t intervening yet.
“They used to live next door to me and my husband before we moved to Dublin and then later America.” She shook her head with a sad smile. “Your grandfather passed away fifteen years ago and your grandmother died three years ago. Cancer. Sorrow destroyed her health.”
I nodded. It wasn’t difficult to guess that Mrs. Byrne hadn’t been a big fan of my mother and thus of me. Still, I had every intention to get in her good graces. She gave Talulla a quick smile, then a warmer one for Seamus before nodding tersely at me and leaving the shop with her grumbling dog.
“She doesn’t like me,” I said.
Seamus shrugged. “She feels protective of Lorcan and the rest of us boys.”
I scoffed. “If anyone needs protection, it’s me. I’m married to Lorcan Devaney. You should know what that means.”
“I know that Lorcan holds great respect for the holy bond of matrimony. As his wife, you’re safer than everyone else, unless you break the trust Lorcan’s granting you.”
I doubted Lorcan trusted me in any way. He didn’t know me. Maybe he had tried to get to know me through Patrick but he hadn’t succeeded.
Talulla seemed disinterested in our conversation. She grabbed the fur coat and walked into the back room of her shop. I followed her, and of course Seamus did the same.
“Can’t you give me a bit of privacy?”
Seamus regarded Talulla, who was busy inspecting the coat as if the two of us weren’t worth her attention. “Remember what I said.” He turned and slipped back toward the front of the store.
“Nobody will come into my shop if the clan’s present!” Talulla shouted. “They’ll think I didn’t pay for my protection!”
“You didn’t,” Seamus shouted back. “You have until tomorrow, or Ian is going to take cash from your customers in the next few weeks.”
Talulla let out a huff. Her eyes settled on me. “What are you doing here? I don’t need more Devaneys in my life.”
“I’m not a Devaney.”
“You are. On paper. In our world. In Ireland. You can’t be a Killeen and a Devaney. And Lorcan made the choice for you,” she whispered then added louder. “I’m busy. I promised Mrs. Byrne quick work.”
“Why did Mrs. Byrne move to New York? She’s an Irish lady.”
“Her husband had worked for the Devaneys since he was a teen. He was one of the best counterfeiters in Ireland, maybe all of Europe. Their son died the night Lorcan was born. Her husband saw it as a sign and swore he’d work for Lorcan once he was in business, so they packed their things and moved to New York with Lorcan ten years ago. ”
“But her husband is dead. She could return to Ireland. ”
“Her husband is buried here. She didn’t want his body to travel the Atlantic, and she wants to stay near his grave so she’s stuck here.”
I admired a love that deep. I’d never encountered it. Mum didn’t believe in love, nor did Imogen, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to believe in it.
Talulla sighed. “What do you want from me?”
I moved closer. “I told you, my sister is missing. I need to find her. But I can’t ask around without word getting back to Lorcan. Like you said, I’m a Devaney. People watch me.”
Talulla shook her head. “If I start asking questions about a Killeen, word will reach Lorcan too. I usually mind my own business. If I don’t, he’ll put two and two together.”
I bit my lip. She was probably right.
“Lorcan is your best bet to find your sister … if he wants you to find her.”
“What do you mean?”
Talulla shrugged. “Your sister is a Killeen. If she came here, Lorcan must have known.”
“You think he’s involved?”
“Oh, I don’t allow my thoughts to meander like that. I can’t afford it. And neither should you.”
“But would people know if Lorcan had been with my sister?” The thought that Lorcan might have been with Imogen in the physical sense made me feel sick. I saw firsthand what he was capable of. Maybe this was all part of a sick game.
“That would have made the rounds, I suppose. If you really want to know the gossip on the streets, you’ll have to ask Mrs. Byrne.”
“I doubt she’ll help me. She didn’t seem to like me.”
“Of course not. You haven’t given her a reason to yet.”
“What can I do?”