‘Since I was a boy. I like the old fellows who wandered over hill and dale with their knapsacks. John Clare, Wordsworth, Cowper. My brother’s a poet.’ Speaking of Henry gave him an unexpected rush of pride, something like happiness.
He turned off the highway, into the long lane to Broughadoon.
‘Where does your brother keep ’imself?’
‘Outside Holly Springs, Mississippi. He’s retired from the railroad.’
‘I was after goin’ to America as a lad an’ ridin’ your railroad. I had a mind to see Texas, but too late now.’
‘Can’t do everything, William.’
‘Aye.’
‘Were you at Broughadoon when I was here ten years ago?’
‘Anna says I was off to visit my oul’ brother, John, who passed two years back. I’m th’ last of five, so.’
They were hitting the rain puddles pretty hard.
‘You were saying you met a woman in Collooney. ’
‘Th’ most beautiful woman you could imagine, if you was to imagine a woman.’
William was sullen for a time, gazing ahead.
‘I promised her I’d come back an’ marry her, ’t was what I wanted above all else, an’ she wanted it, too-so she said. But I was makin’ a name for m’self, an’ they were callin’ for me in Dublin an’ Wicklow an’ Waterford an’ all th’ rest.
‘’t was th’ agent after th’ Enniskillen chancer had th’ big dream, said he’d fashion me as th’ modern Gentleman Jim Corbett. So he takes me an’ m’ swelled head an’ we make th’ crossin’ from Dún Laoghaire to Angelsea, an’ board th’ train to London. I was feelin’ royal by then, struttin’ th’ streets in me first pair of dacent shoes and money janglin’ in every pocket.
‘But I should’ve stuck where I was, Rev’rend, for then they ran me up to Scotland for a full two yares, which is where I got th’ lovely nose I’m wearin’ an’ th’ scar on me forehead. Mother of God, th’ Scots were a brutal lot.
‘I was niver much of a drinker, I’d like ye to know. Love of th’ drink is th’ curse of th’ land-makes a man shoot at ’is landlord, an’ makes you miss ’im.
‘Instead of leakin’ me money away, I was savin’ for a cottage-on a hillock proud of a little bogland, where a man might raise a family. I remember I could see it plain as day-a bench by the door an’ a byre to th’ side, and a clock with weights an’ chains.
‘Wherever I was, I would go out in th’ night and look up at th’ great swarm of th’ Milky Way an’ talk to th’ heart of th’ girl in Collooney. Aye, an’ she would talk to me-not in a voice you could hear outright, but I felt th’ sweetness of it in my blood, an’ I’d tell her to wait for William Donavan. Wait for me, lass, I’d say, I’m comin’ back.’
‘And did you get back?’
‘Ah, no, not for seven yares.’ William gave him a fierce look. ‘She was married to another.’
They passed the cow barn with its single blue shutter.
‘I don’t know much, William, but I do know this: Talking to the stars will not get the job done with a woman. I can personally vouch for it.’
William’s face was dark with memory. ‘The oul’ termagant,’ he said.
Nine
‘Didn’t know if it was worth mentioning,’ he said, ‘but there you have it.’
‘Tall, you say?’ Liam’s blue eyes had the gray look.
‘Yes.’
‘And thin.’
‘Very.’ Ichabod Crane personified.
‘Riding a black bike.’
‘Yes.’
‘Would there have been a basket at the rear?’
‘There was, actually.’
‘God help us.’
‘Someone you know, then.’
‘Jack Slade. Th’ blaggard I booted off th’ job. He worked up at Paddy’s a few times, that’s how I found him. I had a hunch about him, figured he was using drugs of some sort, but there’s a lot of that in th’ trade.’ Liam rubbed his forehead. ‘I turned a blind eye to ’t because he was a star at th’ coping.’
‘He was wearing sunglasses, if that means anything.’
‘He worked in sunglasses, almost never took them off. I’ll call th’ Garda, see what they think. Which direction was he headed?’
‘South.’
‘He has a place a few kilometers south. Did he see you, look your way? He would have recognized the vehicle.’
‘He may have seen us as he topped the hill, but no, he didn’t turn his head our way. O’Malley’s shirt is still missing, I take it.’
‘We tore the place apart this morning. Nowhere to be found.’
He wouldn’t mention his cell phone yet-he wasn’t absolutely certain he brought it. ‘Any word on the fingerprints?’
‘They said it could be a while-a lot of latent fingerprints from previous guests. I know a detective at the Garda station in Riverstown, a fellow named Corrigan. I’ll give him a call with this.’
‘Another piece of bad news,’ he said, handing over the keys and hating the remorse. ‘I drove too close to the wall and ruined the driver’s-side mirror. I’ll replace it. I’m sorry.’ He couldn’t remember so many regrets being exchanged in such a short span of time.
‘If that was all the bad news to be had around here, I’d be dancin’ at th’ crossroads. How did it go?’
‘Always the silver lining, as you say-I think I nailed it. But-we met only eight or ten cars on the highway and nothing in the lane, so no great challenge.’
Liam managed a smile. ‘’t is what’s in th’ lane that makes th’ Irish driver. Have another go, anytime. William behaved himself?’
‘We made a short visit to Jack Kennedy. Hope that was all right.’
‘Aye, William will be talkin’ about it for days.’
‘I’ll need to use your mobile to call New Jersey.’ He checked his watch. Still a bit early. ‘Will pay for the call, of course. Can’t seem to find my cell phone.’ For all he knew, it had gone the way of O’Malley’s pullover.
‘I’ll call th’ Garda. Let me know when you’re after usin’ my mobile, and thanks for being buggered into the bridge game. Feeney’s without mercy when it comes to scaring up a fourth. I’ll drive you up a half-hour early tomorrow, if you don’t mind. Seamus is after givin’ you a tour of the place.’
‘Perhaps my wife could come along, just for the tour?’
‘Ah.’ Liam closed his eyes a moment. ‘My mother doesn’t care for attractive women, and your wife is a very attractive woman. If we could wait ’til another day-when Mother’s havin’ her drop-down, as she calls it, I’m sure we can work something out. God’s truth, my mother’s a terror.’
Liam fidgeted, uneasy.
‘And Rev’rend… if you could possibly wear a tie tomorrow…’
‘I would normally wear a collar.’
‘Ah, God help us, she likes th’ Protestant cleric to wear th’ tie.’
‘Not this Protestant cleric.’ He said it mildly enough, he thought.
Buying time, he browsed a recent Independent, then rang Walter. Hurtling through midtown Manhattan in a cab at seven A.M., his cousin expressed dismay over the peevish star this trip had come under; he and Katherine were nonetheless looking forward to connecting at Broughadoon and reworking the schedule; and love to Cynthia who would be in their prayers, God bless ‘er.
He hailed Maureen as he came along the stair hall. ‘How did our patient get on while we were out?’
‘Bella was after givin’ her a hand, but she went up th’ way she came down, except in reverse! She’s a dote, she is, an’ no wonder, with a drop of th’ Irish in ’er. I’ve just done a good cleanin’ on th’ side she goes up an’ down, to keep th’ dust off her skirts. How was your drivin’ lesson?’
‘We made it in one piece.’
‘I hear Jack Kennedy stood you a glass.’
‘He did.’
‘Did Liam tell you we’ve a big surprise for th’ guests tomorrow evenin’? Cynthia says she’s up to it, if th’ rev’rend is.’
‘Consider it done, then.’