Part 20 (2/2)

He turned a nice shade of crimson and gently coughed. aStrike that. What a miscalculation of judgment,a he amended. He was a master himself and had the entire group hanging on his every word.

As I shook my head in amazement, I turned to say something to Maggie, only to find her nowhere in sight. I slipped away and walked upstairs.

Maggie was in her room as I opened our connecting door. Her bags were packed and sitting by the door.

aYouare leaving in a hurry.a I stood against the door. All at once, my head ached. I didnat even want to think about my heart.

She met me in the doorway. aYou should have rested more. Youare still pale.a aWhy do you have to leave now?a I asked.

aCamon, lie down,a she said, and I grudgingly lay back against the pillows. She sat on the edge of the bed. aI have to get back to the clinic.a It was then Charlie walked into the room. aWell, Kate, Iall say my goodbyes now. I hate them.a He smiled and bent down and kissed me. Tears welled up in my eyes as he sat on the edge of the bed.

aI canat believe you did it again. You are quite an amazing woman. When you get back, youall have to stop by and tell Aunt Hannah all about it. Sheall pout because she missed it, so be prepared to tell the story a dozen times. See you later, sweetie. Remember, if you ever want to change careers, you let me know. You and Jess would make an unbelievable pair.a I fought back the tears. aIall remember. Please tell Jess thanks for all her help and yours, Charlie. I never could have done it without you.a He patted my hand and gathered Maggieas luggage and left.

My chest ached as I watched Maggie pick up her coat. aMaggiea”a She was quickly at my bedside. aLay still.a She reached down and touched my face again. aTake care of those bruises.a aI donat know why you have to leave,a I said, swallowing my emotions. I donat know how to make you stay.

aIam needed back at the clinic,a she reminded me.

For a moment, we sat there in silence. I reached over and took her small hand in my own. I took a deep breath and said, aI need time, Maggie. I donat know what the h.e.l.l Iama”a She lightly rested her fingertips against my lips. aI understand, more than you know.a aReally?a I asked and couldnat hide the incredulous tone.

She rolled her eyes and said, aJust call me when you get home.a She then lightly kissed my cheek and whispered, aPlease, come home.a I wanted to say something, G.o.d knows what, but she quickly walked out and closed the door behind her.

Epilogue.

By the next afternoon, Peter had finished with the media. The trunk and all its bounty were safely on their way to the NationalMuseum in Dublin. We heard from Constable Reardon. Bridget Donnellyas body was never found. The tide that Tim hoped would take Brian and Russell to hide his murders apparently took Bridget.

In the back of my mind, that fis.h.i.+ng boat off sh.o.r.e still nagged at mea Peter looked exhausted but perked up when Mac broke out the champagne.

The early evening had turned very chilly. I stood by the fireplace and pulled the collar of my green cardigan up around my neck as I sipped the champagne.

The vision of Maggie and me sitting on this hearth flashed through my mind. I then remembered holding her that wonderful night after I told her about Liz. I could still feel her body trembling.

Please come home. Maggieas plea rang in my ears. I looked up to see Mac standing there with the bottle of champagne. I chuckled and offered my empty gla.s.s.

aRemember our conversation on the plane ride over here?a he asked as he poured. aI told you if Maggie was not for you, then she was not. These past few days since sheas been here, Iave seen a change in youa”a good change, Kate. Youall know when, or if, the time is right for you and Maggie. Until then, stay good friends.a aSo youare a philosopher now?a I asked softly and swallowed my tears along with the champagne.

He laughed and poured himself a gla.s.s. aNope, just a brother-in-law who loves his klutzy sister-in-law. You know,a he stated philosophically, ayouare a smart logical woman. Itas time you started dealing with your heart.a There was silence for a moment. aOh, shut up, ya landlord,a I grumbled as he laughed and walked away.

aWell,a Mac said and raised his gla.s.s to all of us. aI never would have believed it, but there it is. Iam proud of you, Peter, as Iam sure Brian would be. You were true to yourself and your belief. No one could ask for more.a The rest of us followed suit and raised our gla.s.ses.

Peter cleared this throat. aThank you. However, it would never have happened if Brian left this mill to anyone else. In his heart, he knew it was the right thing to leave it to you, Mac. Thank you for being honest and loyal. You saved the day. Well, you and Kate,a he said sincerely.

We were silent until Peter broke the pensive mood. He gave us a wide smile. aWhat does the future hold for the McAuliffes and Kate Ryan?a Teri put her arm around Macas waist. aMac and I are going to stay in Ireland for a while. How about you, Kate?a I stared at the dancing flames and smiled. aI have no clue what the future holds, but for nowa”Iam going home.a -The End-.

About the author.

Born in Chicago, Kate Sweeney is the author of Kate Ryan Mysteries. A Nice Clean Murder is the second installment. The first in the series, She Waits, was released through Intaglio Publications in May 2006. In addition, her short story Out of the Crowd in Wild Nights, a forthcoming Bella After Dark anthology, will be released by Bella Books in the near future.

Kate also has a collection of short stories, other novels and novellas. Her sense of humor is evident throughout her writing, which runs the gamut from funny to sad, erotic to romantic, and anything else in between. Please visit her Web site atand drop a line at

Kate currently resides in Villa Park, Illinois.

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