Fatal Roots Read online

  “Just wondering. You’re welcome to come in. Or if you’re looking for lunch, you can go back to the Costcutter, or to Ger’s next door.”

  Now it was Susan’s turn to look past Maura, at the number of empty tables, and the cobwebs in the corners, all too obvious on a sunny day. “Can I get something to drink, like a Coke, maybe?”

  “Sure.” Maura stepped back and let Susan come in. Susan, her sister. Half sister. This was going to take getting used to. Maura had to admit she was curious about a lot of things. Among them, why was Susan in the pub right now? Not that she minded. “Sit wherever you like. Listen, don’t take this wrong, but does your mother know where you are this time?”

  Susan snorted. “She’s in a meeting—again—and she didn’t know when it would end. I don’t know why she wanted me to be here in Ireland if she’s never going to have time to see me. But this time I told her I was coming here. Really.”

  “How’d you get to Leap?”

  “The woman at the hotel called a cab for me, and said the hotel would pay. I think she wanted to suck up to Mom, who’s probably her boss.”

  “Have you ever left the country before?”

  Susan shook her head. “My school took a field trip to Montreal in Canada, but that’s about it. I was really surprised when Mom said she was coming back to Ireland. She never talked much about it, but when she did, it sounded like she didn’t like it.”

  Maura wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say or do right now, but she might as well get everything out in the open. If Helen was pissed off, too bad. “Well, there were some peculiar things that happened on that trip, so I can’t say I’m surprised. Susan, when did she tell you about me?”

  Susan shook her head. “She never talked much about her life before she met Dad. Finally last year she said she thought Tommy and I were old enough to know she’d had another child before us, and walked away from her and never even contacted her. Is that true?”

  Even though Maura knew it, it hurt her to hear it. It was like Helen had tried to erase her, until she’d finally figured out that wouldn’t work. “It is. When her husband—my father—died suddenly, I think she panicked and just left. Like she couldn’t imagine living in a crummy apartment with her Irish mother-in-law and a baby. At least I had my grandmother to take care of me, but it wasn’t easy for us. And as far as I know, your—our—mother never looked back, never got in touch with Gran or me. And then she just showed up here. What did she say when she came home after that trip?”

  Susan’s mouth twitched. “You mean after she almost got arrested for murdering her boss? She did say that you were the person who got her out of it. I guess that was her way of jumping into the story.”

  “It’s true, sort of. I sure didn’t expect any of that—the whole murder thing. Not the best way to get to know someone, like a long-lost mother. Or maybe it was, because she had to tell the truth. Did she want to come back now because of her job or because she wanted you to meet me?”

  “She didn’t explain. She knew she had to come back here, and I guess she didn’t want to dump this whole load of stuff on me and disappear. She told me I was coming with her, no argument. Of course, I’ll admit I was kind of curious about this unknown sister in another country. But her job was to save the hotel, not entertain me, so I was kind of at loose ends.”

  “Does she think the hotel was in trouble?”

  “Not exactly. She said she’d have to work hard to save it, but I think she wants to. Anyway, here I am. What is there to do around here?”

  “Depends on what you like. I warn you, I’d take movies and concerts and shopping off the list. This isn’t that kind of place. But there are a lot of things going on in the summer, like festivals and events—not that I have time to check them out. You can probably find something to keep you busy.”

  “Why don’t you have any time?”

  “Because I’ve never owned anyplace and I’ve never run anything in my life, much less a pub in a small town in Ireland, and I’ve still got a lot to learn. But I think I like it.”

  Maura heard the sound of a ringing phone, and Susan fished a mobile out of her pocket. “Yeah, Mom. No, I’m in Leap. I wanted to talk to Maura.” She fell silent, and Maura could hear Helen’s loud voice. “Why don’t you come here? You said you wanted me to get to know her. Well, she’s sitting in front of me.” Another round of silence from Susan. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll stay here and wait for you. Bye.”

  “She didn’t sound happy,” Maura commented.

  Susan ignored Maura’s comment. “So, what’s it like, running your own pub?”

  “Sometimes it’s busy, other times not. Lots of people in the area come in regularly, more for the talking than for the drinking, and now there’s live music a few nights a week. How old are you?”

  “Sixteen this past April. Why?”

  “Just trying to find out if you’re old enough to work here for a bit. You have to have a relative working here too, but I think you and I have that covered. And you should meet Rose—she’s not that much older than you. She’s working in the back, rebuilding the kitchen, because she wants to cook and serve food.”

  “Cool. Mom would pitch a fit, but at least she’d know where I was. Can I go meet this Rose?”

  “Go right ahead. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

  Chapter Six

  Maura watched as Susan sauntered into the back room, where the pounding promptly stopped. She sighed. How had her life suddenly become so complicated? Again? Susan was certainly an unexpected addition, although Maura thought she kind of liked her. If she got along with Rose, things would be easier.

  “What’s the story?” Mick asked from behind the bar. He’d been suspiciously quiet.

  “Like I’m supposed to know?” Maura said. “Apparently Helen insisted that Susan come along with her, but it doesn’t seem that she had any plan for keeping Susan busy. Helen was in a business meeting this morning, so Susan found herself a cab at the hotel and just showed up. At least she’s curious, not just sitting in her room and sulking. She’s also barely sixteen, so I can’t exactly turn her loose. I told her to go talk to Rose—at least they’re more or less the same age. Wonder if Susan knows anything about carpentry?”

  “Seems unlikely,” Mick said. “How long’s she stayin’?”

  “Nobody’s said. Have you heard any rumors about what’s going on with the hotel?”

  “Not exactly. There’s folks that are curious, but I don’t think they’re worried. The place has been through plenty of changes before. Helen surely must know that.”

  “If she knows how to do her job, I’d think so. Or maybe she’s here just to close things up at the hotel. I don’t see her trying to make a life for herself here—she’s not Irish. I wish I could say how my father felt about staying in Boston. At least there were jobs there, ones that didn’t involve cows. But then, maybe he liked cows. He was still pretty young when Gran took him to the U.S. But I never knew him, and Gran didn’t talk about him.”

  “Have yeh looked to see where he was born?” Mick asked softly.

  Maura shook her head. “I didn’t know where to start. The first real map I’ve seen was the one Ciara brought. I can’t even pronounce most of the townlands. Bridget would know, but we’ve never talked about it. Is your grandmother hiding something, or does she think I’m not interested? I mean, it’s kind of late to start putting together my family history, and it’s too late to ask Gran for the details. But I can’t exactly feel sorry for myself, can I? I’ve got a home and a business, and I owe that to Gran. It’s just that she never mentioned how her husband died, and I never asked because I didn’t want to upset her, especially after my father died. I guess we just looked ahead, not backwards, and ignored the past. So I don’t know much, and I can’t help Susan out about my past, or her mother’s.”

  “Yeh’ve only to ask, if you want to know more. I can talk with Bridget with yeh, if yeh want.”

  “I’ll let you know. But thanks f
or offering.”

  Their conversation was interrupted when Susan and Rose came out from the soon-to-be kitchen. Susan was laughing, and she looked pleased with herself. “That was fun, Rose. Look, if my mom doesn’t mind, I’d be happy to help, if you’ll just tell me what you need done.”

  “Hang on,” Maura interrupted. “You know enough about construction to manage on your own, Susan?”

  “Pretty much. My dad and me, we’ve worked together on some house improvements, and I think I’ve got the basics down, like how to use a hammer. And I can help with clean-up.”

  “Let’s see what your mother has to say about it. Was there something she wanted to do together with you while you were here?”

  Susan shrugged. “She didn’t mention much. Maybe she didn’t know how busy she would be, but I’m pretty sure she never planned to run around playing tourist. I think it would be cool if I could help pull this place together.”

  “That’s fine with me, if she’s willing.” Maura looked up to see two guys outside who looked about her own age, and who seemed lost. When they came in, the taller asked her, “This is Sullivan’s, right?”

  “That it is. Why do you want to know?”

  “Ciara McCarthy’s a friend. She wanted us to come out and help her with something she’s working on, and we have a few free days. Do you know her?”

  “Since yesterday, yes. So you’re archaeology students?”

  “Kind of, but not the same way she is. But she wanted us to check out some scientific ideas. Do you know where she is?”

  “I saw her this morning, but she didn’t say where she was staying. I live a couple of miles from here, and she says I own at least one fairy fort, which was news to me. She was still looking for more when I came to work here. Oh, sorry—I’m Maura Donovan. I run this place.”

  The taller young man said, “I’m Darragh, and this is Ronan.” The second guy had yet to say a word, but he nodded at Maura.

  “You two want something to drink?”

  “That’d be grand. And I’ll call Ciara’s mobile and find out where we should meet.”

  “Good idea. Have you ever been to this part of Cork? Mick, you want to fill a couple of pints?”

  “Happy to,” he said, and turned to the taps.

  Darragh was still talking. “Can’t say that we have. Ronan’s from the west, and I’m from the south of Dublin. We all met in Cork city. I’m told things are pretty wild around here, but you can tell us where to go looking for Ciara, right?”

  “Of course.” Maura turned away from the bar and realized Susan was sitting silently at a table and staring at the guys. Maura took a critical look at them. They seemed to be uniformly good-looking, but they were a few years older than Susan. Maura hadn’t even spent enough time talking with her to know if she had a boyfriend back in the States, or wanted one. Maybe she should ask Helen if there were any rules about her daughter dating.

  It looked like the guys had reached Ciara by phone. “You’re Maura, right?” Darragh asked.

  “I am. You found Ciara?”

  “Yes. She said we should meet her in Skibbereen and figure out where to stay. Where is Skibbereen?”

  “It’s the next town over,” Maura said. “Just take the road out front to the west and you’ll find it—it’s less than ten miles.”

  “You know where she’s looking for raths?” he asked, as Maura slid the pints across the bar toward the young men.

  “As of this morning, on my land, but she had to show me where. I’m so busy working here that I don’t have time to go exploring. What are you guys looking for?”

  “I don’t know if Ciara’s told you, but we want to try some scans to see if there’s anything below the surface in or around the rings. Not like a treasure hunt, but just to see if there’s anythin’ buried there. Might help us understand what they were used for.”

  “Have people found things like that in other places?”

  “A few, but it’s hard to tell if they’re the same age as the raths or if what’s buried hasn’t been there very long. That’s why we brought some machinery along.”

  “Sounds interesting,” Maura said. “Not that I know anything about the things.”

  “What did Ciara say about what you found?”

  “So far it’s only the one, and it’s nothing that I understood,” Maura admitted. “I mean, I may own the land it’s on, but I didn’t know it was there. Or what that meant. I inherited the property, but I never knew the former owner. I grew up in Boston, so all this is new to me. Why are you interested?”

  “Because it’s a bit of history. Because we don’t know much about the people who built these things, or why they’re still there, but it means something to a lot of people.”

  “Ciara told me people still think the rings have some sort of special powers, and they leave them alone. How is that possible?”

  “It’s fairy business. I can show you some books, if you want to know more. You haven’t seen anything—or anyone— unexpected, have you?”

  “Only living, breathing ones,” Maura told him, smiling. She spied Helen outside the pub, heading for the door, and she leaned closer to the man. “There’s an example, maybe. She’s my mother, but she abandoned me when I was very young and I’d never met her. Then suddenly she shows up around here, without any warning. This is actually her second trip, and she brought her daughter. My sister.” Maura nodded toward Susan. “I didn’t know until this year that I had one. Is there something supernatural going on with us?”

  “Never say never.” He looked past Helen, then said, “Ah, Ciara, there you are. I thought we’d be lookin’ for yeh in Skibbereen. I’ve been talking to Maura here for a while. Any luck?”

  “A few clues, possibly, but I’ve only just begun. Do you guys want to sit down and talk about it? Or go straight to the hostel? I’ve booked space for us. It’s the other side of Skibbereen.”

  “It’s early yet. Let’s have a pint and enjoy this place—it looks like it’s a century old or more. Then we can work out our plans for tomorrow.”

  “Fine,” Ciara said. “Maura, could you draw me a pint? I see these two have had a head start. And we can fill you in on our plans after I’ve talked with this lot.”

  “No problem.” Maura nodded at Mick behind the bar, then pointed to Ciara while her friends found a corner table. Then she headed toward Helen, who’d walked in and stopped, and was apparently scanning the room for Susan.

  “Is Susan here? She was when I called earlier.”

  “She’s in the back,” Maura told her, “looking at the kitchen remodeling and probably talking to Rose, who’s as close to her own age as anybody she’s met around here. How was your meeting at the hotel?”

  “Long. And I wish I’d had more sleep. I don’t think most of the staff has heard about what’s going on and where they might fit.”

  “You want to sit down? Have some coffee?”

  “Please.”

  Maura went back to the bar again. “She wants coffee, if you don’t mind,” she told Mick quietly. “She looks tired. Should I go get Susan?”

  “Yeh might want to have a chat with Helen. Has she said how long she’s stayin’? A week, or all summer?”

  “Mick, you’ve seen her exactly as long as I have. But now that she knows where Susan is, she’s not so worried. I’ll take her coffee over.”

  Maura delivered the coffee and joined Helen at the table. “You look beat. Was there a reason you had to be in Skibbereen now, instead of waiting a bit?”

  Helen shrugged. “I wanted to get the process rolling. Oh, heck—I’m not even sure what the staff on this end wants to happen. I figured I’d better find out sooner rather than later. The place has gone through a lot of changes, all before your time here. John had good ideas about what to do next, but he didn’t get the chance, as you know. I need to take a hard look at the place now. How’re things going here at the pub?”

  “Unpredictable. I told you we decided to make the kitchen usable—or at
least, Rose did. She’s only a couple of years older than Susan, and she’s already finished school. She’s working on the kitchen.” Maura paused before going on. “You know, Susan seems to know her own mind. It might be better if she kept busy. She can help Rose with the kitchen if she wants—she told me she and her father have done some repair-type work together. How long are you going to be around?”

  “A few weeks, at least. I’m sorry I didn’t make any plans to keep Susan busy. That was my fault. I didn’t have time to plan much.”

  “What does she like to do?”

  “A lot of things. You have some ideas?”

  “Well, there’s the kitchen, for one thing. I think I told Susan that she was old enough to work in the pub—this one or another one—as long as she doesn’t sell liquor. If she has a relative here, it’s okay, and I guess I count, so the law says it’s okay. I wish I had more time to show her around West Cork, but this place keeps me pretty busy, especially in summer. What did you tell her about my father?”

  “Not much, for a long time. He was ancient history by the time I married again, and it was too complicated. But you have every right to ask for yourself—I know I didn’t treat you fairly, and it sounds like your grandmother didn’t say much either. I’m sorry. But remember that when your father died, I was younger than you are now, and I didn’t have any idea what to do. So I left. I’ve tried to make up for that for years, and I guess confessing to you is my last step. But I hadn’t counted on explaining it all to Susan.”

  “I think you should have—explained it, I mean, and to all of us—but that’s water under the bridge. My life is definitely interesting now, more than I expected, and I’m not complaining. But there’s not much I can tell Susan. Does she have friends back home? A boyfriend? Hobbies?”

  “Not that she tells me about. You can let her try working here, if she wants to, and you can keep an eye on her. If not, I’ll figure out something.”

  “That works for me,” Maura told her. “And if you want to see where my father was born, we can probably find that. But you don’t have to.”