Chapter 29
Tara had planned on going back to Galway so she could speak with Sergeant Gable about the latest Nancy revelation, and remind him she wanted to look at Mimi’s notebooks. If he wanted her help he was going to have to give her some leeway. She was on her way to the room to grab a few things when Andy stopped her at the entrance to the castle.
“I’ve just been asked to take the group to Connemara National Park in the morning.”
“Oh.” Either the group was getting antsy and wanted to hike, or Gable was right. They were still going after the amends. “Can I join?”
“I was expecting you would.”
“Whose amends are they chasing?”
“Elaine Burke’s.”
Tara texted Gable the change of plans. She suddenly had a free evening in front of her. She hurried inside, eager to get to the room, where there was a paperback book on her nightstand and a bathrobe with her name on it.
* * *
The Connemara National Park had a visitor center with a small museum and gift shop on the top floor, and a café and sitting room on the lower level. From there you could exit onto the hiking paths, following three trails of varying difficulties. The most difficult path up to Diamond Hill, a distance of 3.7 kilometers, was marked in red. Yellow was the easiest. Most of the group decided to go with blue, the middle-child hike. Iona was the lone soul determined to take the longest hike. Gable let Tara know that one of his men would be at Connemara National Park, blending in with the other hikers, and Tara had a feeling this is when they would find out whether or not she was faking her injury.
The day had started with a cover of gray, but now the sun was peeking through the mountains, making it sunny and misty at the same time. The first part of the walk they saw cows, and sheep, and deer. Elaine was the last in the group, and when they reached the first hill, she balked.
“Why is the Connemara National Park my location for amends? Shouldn’t this be Iona’s?”
“Injury my arse,” Cassidy said, pointing to Iona’s back in the distance. “Look at her go.”
“Perhaps we should inform the guards,” Bartley said. “Whoever inherits the estate may want to discontinue her payments.”
“Whoever?” Cassidy said. “I’m her only family.”
“Did you ever find your pills?” Elaine asked.
“No.” Cassidy pouted. “But turns out they were just my sleeping pills. Why? Do you know who stole them?”
“I don’t know a ting,” Elaine said as they started uphill. “But why didn’t you report it to the guards?”
“Because after two murders I hardly doubt they care about a little pill swipe. It was probably one of the housekeepers. Or the driver.”
“Andy?” Tara said, her anger starting to simmer.
“He drove me to the chemist,” Cassidy said. “I could have dropped them in the vehicle.”
“That doesn’t make him a thief,” Tara said.
“He’s responsible for cleaning it out, isn’t he?” Cassidy argued.
Of course somebody like Cassidy would blame the hardworking staff. It was blood-boiling.
“I can’t hike!” Elaine said, stopping halfway up the hill. “She’s just doing this to embarrass me.” As hills went, it was pretty modest. Tara vowed to keep herself in shape. It would feel terrible not to be able to climb this.
“Could this have anything to do with the day Veronica met Iona?” Tara asked.
Elaine gawped at her. “How could it?”
“I don’t know. Were you supposed to accompany her that day?”
Elaine scrunched her face. “I don’t remember. It doesn’t ring a bell, but it was so long ago. I wish we had Mimi’s notebooks.”
Another thorn in Tara’s side. She texted Gable once more:
I keep asking about Mimi’s notebooks. Need to see them. Please respond.
The hike took them an hour, mainly because Elaine had to stop often and complain. The view from the top of the blue hike was stunning. Rolling mountains, trees with shining red leaves, and the bay shimmering in the distance. Tara took a moment to breathe, and soak it in. By the time they returned to the visitor center, Iona was there arguing with a strange man.
“She had the longest hike and she beat us?” Cassidy said. “Definitely faking that injury.”
“I saw you filming me!” Iona screamed at the strange man.
“Just the scenery,” he said. Gable’s man.
“I demand you erase any footage of me.”
“Certainly.” He started to walk away.
“I want to see you do it!”
He shook his head, and kept walking.
“We saw you too,” Cassidy said. “There was no sign of a limp.”
Iona whirled around, her face red with fury. Or from exertion. Or both. “Mind your own business.”
Cassidy stepped forward, jabbing her finger at Iona. “How much money have you been taking from Veronica for a fake injury?”
“It wasn’t fake. I’m healing, that’s all. And I’ve worked very hard to get here.”
“You shouldn’t be taking any more money.”
“For your information my lawyers have already agreed on an end date. All of my progress records were being shared with her. She knew I was healing. There are only three months left of payments, and that was her idea, not mine.”
Everyone turned to Bartley to see if he could verify this. “I do know she was receiving Iona’s records. I did not read them. I’m sure they exist within Veronica’s belongings.”
“I can’t wait to get away from you people,” Iona said, then strode inside.
Tara texted Gable an update, including Iona’s claims that Veronica had her progress records and the end date to the payments. He replied right away:
Good work. Come to the station. Mimi’s notebooks will be made available.
Finally. They stood in the outdoor courtyard. “Do you think my amends are here?” Elaine asked. She looked to the group for answers. None were given.
“Maybe they’re not all obvious,” Sheila said.
Elaine sank onto a nearby bench. “That’s not helpful at all.”
Tara lifted her eyes to the sky. It looked like rain. “I don’t know what else we can do today. But we can always come back.”
“I don’t need anything. An apology is enough.”
“She never really apologized though, did she?” Cassidy pointed out.
“You can have my riding classes if you wish,” Iona offered.
“She didn’t even ride the first time,” Cassidy said. “Can we give her Mimi’s watch?” A gasp went through the crowd. “What? It’s not like she’s going to need it.”
“It’s fine,” Elaine said. Andy entered the courtyard.
“There’s something under the bench,” he said, pointing to where Elaine was perched.
“If you mean my fat arse, I don’t find that funny,” she said.
Andy laughed. “No, ma’am. Looks like an envelope.”
She bent over sideways, then upon seeing he was correct, reached under. Everyone moved in.
Elaine. You were a good friend. Galway Properties has your amends. You always said you wanted to retire in Connemara. There’s an old stone house I think you’d like, plus a budget to rehab it. Can’t wait to be invited over for tea and biscuits. Let’s renew our friendship in our golden years. XOXO Roni
Tara gasped. Heads snapped toward her.
“What is it?” Elaine said.
Should she tell them?
“That’s where Nancy Halligan died,” Bartley said.
“My word,” Elaine said. “I don’t understand.”
“A house?” Cassidy said. “Iona gets riding lessons, Mimi got a watch, and you get a house?”
“She stole my entire life,” Elaine said, clutching the envelope and standing up to Cassidy. “I was supposed to marry your uncle. And you know it.” Cassidy fell silent, twirling a strand of her long blond hair. “Besides, Veronica’s new best friend died at the house? I’m not sure I even want it.”
“It’s not really a house,” Tara said. “It would need to be completely rebuilt. But it’s a gorgeous piece of property.” Tara wouldn’t mind living there herself.
Elaine headed toward the exit. “I want to go home.”
After everyone else piled into the SUV, Tara hung back.
“You okay, there?” Andy asked.
“I’m going to stay. Clear my head.”
He held eye contact, then nodded. “It’s an interesting development.” He gave her another nod, then pulled away. Tara stared until the SUV was out of sight. She began to pace. Veronica knew all about the old stone house. Was that why she visited Galway Properties? It had to be. Not for Sheila and John. For Elaine.
Tara tried to remember her first meeting with Veronica. Did Tara tell Veronica where she’d found Nancy Halligan?
She didn’t remember exactly, but she didn’t think so. She’d said something about an old stone house, but that didn’t mean Veronica connected it to the house she was buying for Nancy. Was that what Veronica found out later that evening? Where Nancy died? And what conclusions did she draw? That someone she’d invited to make amends had lured her sponsor to that stone house? The same one she was thinking of buying? Did Veronica realize right then that someone in her circle was a psychopath?
She recalled Alexis and her recollection of Nancy’s phone call. Calm down, Eddie.
Had Eddie learned that Elaine was getting the old stone house? Did he call Nancy and lure her out there? Even if that was true, the lingering and most perplexing question remained the same one Tara had been asking herself over and over and over. Why?