Read Online Echoes Through the Mist: A Paranormal Mystery (The Echoes Quartet Book 1) by K. Francis Ryan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K. Francis Ryan
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O’Gavagan’s one goes to after a long day of physical labor.
“Some families have gone to one O’Gavagan’s for decades and would never think of stepping foot into the other O’Gavagan’s. Anyone who knows you knows your family and knows which O’Gavagan’s is yours. Then again, there are those who frequent Mulherin’s. They would rather be found dead in a ditch than in either of the O’Gavagan’s even though O’Gavagan might be a distant relation. It is all a matter of who you are, who your people are. Don’t ya see?”
“So which of the pubs do you frequent?”
“Oi’m the mayor. Oi have to spread me patronage around lest Oi be seen to play favorites.”
Julian felt that somehow there was an odd reasoning at work in all of this and so followed the little mayor into the first pub they found. It was called O’Gavagan’s.
***
O’Gavagan’s was a spacious room with dark wood on the walls and floor. The bar itself was nearly black with age and the top was polished to a glass-like finish. A turf fire burned in the fireplace and the smell of peat smoke and pipe tobacco wafted in eddies throughout the room.
Village men and women crowded all the tables and children ran around any open floor space. The babble of voices ran the range from quiet conversation to raucous laughter. This was Cappel Vale’s answer to prime time television. The community drew together, talked, listened, laughed, shared, ate occasionally and even drank a little.
The Mayor entered the pub and approached the bar while Julian secured the door. He turned and managed one step into the room before all noise stopped and all eyes turned to him.
The Mayor called out, “God bless all here. Now get back to your business!” and that, much to Julian’s amazement, was exactly what happened.
The Mayor handed Julian a pint of beer and said, “Pay the man. Oi’ve gone off and left all me money at home.” He then picked up two pints for himself and headed for a vacant table in the deepest corner of the pub.
Once seated Julian tried to get right back to the point, “Mayor Cahill, I’ve been told that you can direct me to a place where I might find room and board. I am willing to pay of course.”
“To be sure. Oi’ve been giving this more than a little thought. We are a small village and of boarding houses, we have none. Oi do have a thought though Oi don’t know how it will be received by your fine self.
“No family has a room to spare though Lord knows they could all use the money, but there is one entire building sitting unoccupied at the edge of town. We could arrange with one or two of the village women to provide you with a light supper per day for a modest fee. Any other food or drink you may require could easily be taken care of by one of the three establishments we have for such purposes.”
“That sounds ideal. How much do you suppose the owner would want for rent?”
“Rent is it? Oi wouldn’t worry about rent. It has all been paid for by the good citizens of the Irish Republic.” The Mayor took Julian’s look of confusion for one of interest and continued.
“I’m speaking o’course of the police station.”
Julian’s mild confusion turned to stark befuddlement.
“Jimmy Grogan!” The Mayor bellowed and a red headed boy of seventeen appeared.
“Jimmy, this is Mr. Blessing. He will be staying with us out at the police station. Run there, get a fire started and the hot water tank up and runnin’. Then lay some peat in so he’ll have some extra to throw on the fire as needs be.
“Mr. Blessing’s things are already there and if you, Jimmy Grogan, disturb any of them Oi’ll take a stick to your worthless back and your father – God rest his soul – would be thanking me for it too.
“Mr. Blessing, give young James here a coin. Off you go Jimmy and do as I say.”
The boy took the coin, bobbed his head and was gone.
“When you get back to the station, go through your things and make sure none of
“Some families have gone to one O’Gavagan’s for decades and would never think of stepping foot into the other O’Gavagan’s. Anyone who knows you knows your family and knows which O’Gavagan’s is yours. Then again, there are those who frequent Mulherin’s. They would rather be found dead in a ditch than in either of the O’Gavagan’s even though O’Gavagan might be a distant relation. It is all a matter of who you are, who your people are. Don’t ya see?”
“So which of the pubs do you frequent?”
“Oi’m the mayor. Oi have to spread me patronage around lest Oi be seen to play favorites.”
Julian felt that somehow there was an odd reasoning at work in all of this and so followed the little mayor into the first pub they found. It was called O’Gavagan’s.
***
O’Gavagan’s was a spacious room with dark wood on the walls and floor. The bar itself was nearly black with age and the top was polished to a glass-like finish. A turf fire burned in the fireplace and the smell of peat smoke and pipe tobacco wafted in eddies throughout the room.
Village men and women crowded all the tables and children ran around any open floor space. The babble of voices ran the range from quiet conversation to raucous laughter. This was Cappel Vale’s answer to prime time television. The community drew together, talked, listened, laughed, shared, ate occasionally and even drank a little.
The Mayor entered the pub and approached the bar while Julian secured the door. He turned and managed one step into the room before all noise stopped and all eyes turned to him.
The Mayor called out, “God bless all here. Now get back to your business!” and that, much to Julian’s amazement, was exactly what happened.
The Mayor handed Julian a pint of beer and said, “Pay the man. Oi’ve gone off and left all me money at home.” He then picked up two pints for himself and headed for a vacant table in the deepest corner of the pub.
Once seated Julian tried to get right back to the point, “Mayor Cahill, I’ve been told that you can direct me to a place where I might find room and board. I am willing to pay of course.”
“To be sure. Oi’ve been giving this more than a little thought. We are a small village and of boarding houses, we have none. Oi do have a thought though Oi don’t know how it will be received by your fine self.
“No family has a room to spare though Lord knows they could all use the money, but there is one entire building sitting unoccupied at the edge of town. We could arrange with one or two of the village women to provide you with a light supper per day for a modest fee. Any other food or drink you may require could easily be taken care of by one of the three establishments we have for such purposes.”
“That sounds ideal. How much do you suppose the owner would want for rent?”
“Rent is it? Oi wouldn’t worry about rent. It has all been paid for by the good citizens of the Irish Republic.” The Mayor took Julian’s look of confusion for one of interest and continued.
“I’m speaking o’course of the police station.”
Julian’s mild confusion turned to stark befuddlement.
“Jimmy Grogan!” The Mayor bellowed and a red headed boy of seventeen appeared.
“Jimmy, this is Mr. Blessing. He will be staying with us out at the police station. Run there, get a fire started and the hot water tank up and runnin’. Then lay some peat in so he’ll have some extra to throw on the fire as needs be.
“Mr. Blessing’s things are already there and if you, Jimmy Grogan, disturb any of them Oi’ll take a stick to your worthless back and your father – God rest his soul – would be thanking me for it too.
“Mr. Blessing, give young James here a coin. Off you go Jimmy and do as I say.”
The boy took the coin, bobbed his head and was gone.
“When you get back to the station, go through your things and make sure none of
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