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Authors: Heather Graham
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hospital, too, and he was anything but what he seemed.
He felt that the evening was going to be important; it would be a chance to see her in her element and get a better sense of her.
Why the hell was she willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice and head off to the United States to care for an old man with an undiagnosed illness? Maybe that question, more than anything, was at the heart of his curiosity, his suspicions.
Once, she might have been glad for any opportunity to go to the States. Years ago, the economic situation in Dublin had been bad enough to send Irish nurses to the U.S. by the thousands. But Ireland was enjoying a time of solid financial footing these days, and the immigration level of the Irish to the U.S. had definitely dwindled. She wasn’t accompanying Sean in hopes of making her way to a new country for good.
He’d had her credentials checked out, and on paper, she was everything she should be.
There was just that something he couldn’t put his finger on, something he sensed. Aidan claimed that “sixth sense” was what made a good private investigator, and Zach had to agree.
Sean adored Caer Cavannaugh. He barely knew her, but he already spoke of her with genuine affection. There was nothing lascivious in it, so it wasn’t as if he was head over heels—as he had been when he’d decided to marry Amanda. That union had surprised all of them. Not only because of the vast age difference, though that was certainly a red flag, but because Sean was a man who loved books, learning and the sea, and Amanda was interested in none of those things. Sean was definitely well off, but he wasn’t stupid enough to be taken in by a simple gold digger. Not even Kat was sure why she was so convinced her stepmother wanted to do in her father. She knew she was protected in his will, as were his partners and his business.
Of course, if Eddie weren’t found, there would have to be some changes.
He chafed, thinking about Eddie and how much he wanted to be back in the States, searching for the man.
There was no way he could think of that Amanda could be guilty of Eddie’s disappearance. Sean and Amanda had left the States the same day that Eddie had headed out on his fateful trip. Eddie had left at midday, and the O’Rileys hadn’t departed until the early evening, but from what Kat had told him, she’d seen Amanda around the house during the day. She had to pack the right jewelry, the right gowns for an evening out, the right casual couture for scrambling around the hills, and heading out of Dublin to view castle ruins and kiss the Blarney Stone. He’d spoken to Kat long enough to know that no, she couldn’t swear to Amanda’s whereabouts for the entire day, but she’d admitted that she wasn’t sure how Amanda could have gotten out of the house long enough to get to Eddie out on the water and do something to him.
So Amanda and Sean had set out after a small goodbye party where people had commented on Eddie’s absence but just assumed he’d gotten held up on his afternoon cruise or down at the marina. It hadn’t been until the next day that Cal had reported—after arriving at work himself—that Eddie wasn’t there, and neither was the boat he had taken out the day before. He’d found the receipt for payment in the drawer. Cash. The name on the receipt had been John Alden, possibly real, but also a good enough alias to pass in New England. With no leads, the police were stymied.
Then, just before Zach had boarded his plane for Dublin, Eddie’s boat had been discovered, but with no sign of Eddie. No sign of foul play. Just the boat, drifting alone.
It was winter, but the weather had been mild. There had been no storms to sweep him overboard. There had been no rough water or unexpectedly strong currents, nothing that might have posed any danger for an old salt like Eddie.
Sean hadn’t found out about Eddie immediately, because he had been rushed to the hospital just as the police had
He felt that the evening was going to be important; it would be a chance to see her in her element and get a better sense of her.
Why the hell was she willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice and head off to the United States to care for an old man with an undiagnosed illness? Maybe that question, more than anything, was at the heart of his curiosity, his suspicions.
Once, she might have been glad for any opportunity to go to the States. Years ago, the economic situation in Dublin had been bad enough to send Irish nurses to the U.S. by the thousands. But Ireland was enjoying a time of solid financial footing these days, and the immigration level of the Irish to the U.S. had definitely dwindled. She wasn’t accompanying Sean in hopes of making her way to a new country for good.
He’d had her credentials checked out, and on paper, she was everything she should be.
There was just that something he couldn’t put his finger on, something he sensed. Aidan claimed that “sixth sense” was what made a good private investigator, and Zach had to agree.
Sean adored Caer Cavannaugh. He barely knew her, but he already spoke of her with genuine affection. There was nothing lascivious in it, so it wasn’t as if he was head over heels—as he had been when he’d decided to marry Amanda. That union had surprised all of them. Not only because of the vast age difference, though that was certainly a red flag, but because Sean was a man who loved books, learning and the sea, and Amanda was interested in none of those things. Sean was definitely well off, but he wasn’t stupid enough to be taken in by a simple gold digger. Not even Kat was sure why she was so convinced her stepmother wanted to do in her father. She knew she was protected in his will, as were his partners and his business.
Of course, if Eddie weren’t found, there would have to be some changes.
He chafed, thinking about Eddie and how much he wanted to be back in the States, searching for the man.
There was no way he could think of that Amanda could be guilty of Eddie’s disappearance. Sean and Amanda had left the States the same day that Eddie had headed out on his fateful trip. Eddie had left at midday, and the O’Rileys hadn’t departed until the early evening, but from what Kat had told him, she’d seen Amanda around the house during the day. She had to pack the right jewelry, the right gowns for an evening out, the right casual couture for scrambling around the hills, and heading out of Dublin to view castle ruins and kiss the Blarney Stone. He’d spoken to Kat long enough to know that no, she couldn’t swear to Amanda’s whereabouts for the entire day, but she’d admitted that she wasn’t sure how Amanda could have gotten out of the house long enough to get to Eddie out on the water and do something to him.
So Amanda and Sean had set out after a small goodbye party where people had commented on Eddie’s absence but just assumed he’d gotten held up on his afternoon cruise or down at the marina. It hadn’t been until the next day that Cal had reported—after arriving at work himself—that Eddie wasn’t there, and neither was the boat he had taken out the day before. He’d found the receipt for payment in the drawer. Cash. The name on the receipt had been John Alden, possibly real, but also a good enough alias to pass in New England. With no leads, the police were stymied.
Then, just before Zach had boarded his plane for Dublin, Eddie’s boat had been discovered, but with no sign of Eddie. No sign of foul play. Just the boat, drifting alone.
It was winter, but the weather had been mild. There had been no storms to sweep him overboard. There had been no rough water or unexpectedly strong currents, nothing that might have posed any danger for an old salt like Eddie.
Sean hadn’t found out about Eddie immediately, because he had been rushed to the hospital just as the police had
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