‘Come on, slow coach!’ Kerry calls, beckoning me to get a move on.
I know I have to live in the moment. I can’t think back and I can’t look forward; it’s too painful. No, this moment is good, it makes me happy. I have to enjoy it while I can. Live for today, as tomorrow I’m going to give up everything.
Chapter 35
Kerry and Joe were standing in front of Seahorse Café. The lights were off, the sign in the door said CLOSED and there was not a soul to be seen.
‘Strange,’ said Joe, peering through the window. ‘I’ve never known it to be closed. Do you think she’s overslept?’
Kerry stepped back on the pavement and looked up at the flat windows above.
‘She didn’t oversleep,’ he said, looking for any sign of life.
‘You know that for a fact?’ said Joe and then the penny must have dropped. ‘Oh, I get it.’ He grinned at his cousin.
‘She got up about an hour ago, said she was opening up and she’d see me later,’ said Kerry. He took out his phone and called up Erin’s number.
‘So, things with you two, they all great again?’ said Joe.
‘Great might be pushing it,’ said Kerry, as he listened to the phone connect and ring through. ‘Let’s settle for “good” at the moment.’
Erin’s phone went to voicemail. Kerry tried a couple more times but without success. ‘I’ll go round the back, see if I can get an answer at the flat.’
Kerry jogged round to the back of the shops and ascended the metal steps, two at a time. With each stride the feeling of unease grew. He didn’t know what it was, but something didn’t feel right. Especially after all that business with them both being questioned about Roisin’s disappearance.
Reaching the door to the flat, Kerry banged hard on the glass. The net curtain at the window obscured his vision as he tried to look into the kitchen. There was no answer.
Where the hell was she?
‘Have you tried ringing Fiona?’ said Joe as Kerry came back round to the front of the café. ‘Maybe something’s happened at the hospital with her father.’
‘That’s what I was wondering,’ said Kerry. ‘I don’t think I have Fiona’s number.’
‘Take a ride up there. I’ll hold the fort. Although, if it’s Jim, then Fiona might not be there either.’
Kerry checked his watch. ‘I’ll give it a while longer. I’ll go up a bit later if Erin doesn’t turn up.’
The niggling feeling that things weren’t right didn’t leave Kerry at all. He was finding it hard to concentrate on his work. Twice now he had fumbled the screwdriver when trying to take an exhaust pipe off.
‘Shit,’ he muttered as the screwdriver slipped and scored a gash across the newly polished pipe. Extra work now to repair the damage he’d caused. Just what he needed.
Kerry checked his phone again, even though he had done so several minutes ago. No missed calls or text messages.
‘I’ll go over to Fiona’s now,’ he said, standing up.
Joe gave a nod of acknowledgement. Kerry jumped on his Triumph and roared off up the road.
As he pulled up outside Fiona’s detached house on the new estate, he was surprised to see two Guards cars parked up outside. He recognised one of the number plates as Sean’s vehicle.
For a moment, Kerry contemplated leaving but his need to find Erin overwhelmed his natural instinct to steer well clear of the Guards.
He switched off the engine and placed his crash helmet on the handlebar. Before he reached the front door, it was opened by a Guard. Kerry recognised him as the one who had taken Erin off for questioning.
‘Can I help you?’ said O’Neill.
‘What’s going on? Is everything all right?’ said Kerry. ‘Is Erin Hurley here?’
‘It’s not a good time right now,’ began O’Neill.
‘It’s okay. Let him in.’ Sean appeared in the doorway.
Straight away Kerry could see that Sean’s face looked drawn; he had a haunted look about him. His shoulders drooped and his mouth was set in a downward turn.
O’Neill stepped to one side to allow Kerry in. ‘What’s up, Sean?’ said Kerry. ‘What’s happened?’
He followed Sean into the living room. Fiona was sitting on the sofa and looked up as Kerry came in. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Sean took a breath before he spoke. ‘It’s Sophie. She’s gone missing.’
‘Oh, Jesus,’ said Kerry. ‘When?’
‘She went missing this morning. She was playing out in the garden. Fiona was inside seeing to Molly,’ said Sean. ‘Sophie’s played out there on her own before. The garden’s safe. There’s no way she could get out, but she’s simply vanished.’