And she needed to see to it that her mother did the same.
With that thought in mind, she searched the street for parking and found a place in a busy area not far from the pub. But when she stepped out of her car to put money in the meter, she once again felt as if someone eerie and not quite real was nearby. For a split second, she felt the sense of shadows and darkness and fear closing in around her.
She told herself that she was on a busy New York street, a stone’s throw from the pub itself, not to mention that she had great lung capacity and could scream like a banshee, if need be.
She turned around and realized that there was someone near her.
A bum.
“Lady, got some change?” he whined.
She felt ridiculously relieved and handed him a dollar.
He offered her a toothless grin and walked off.
Shaking her head, she hurried on to the pub.
CHAPTER 13
Everyone in the place seemed to be talking when she walked in, and the music playing in the background only added to the din.
Paddy, over by the dartboard, was the first to see her. “Gen!” he called out, and made his way through a throng of people to reach her.
“Hey, Paddy,” she said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“You’re all right, lass?”
“Of course, Paddy, thanks.”
He nodded gravely. “Eileen is at the table over yonder.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“Oh, aye, there’s a group of them tonight, there be.”
“I guess everyone is shaken up.”
He lowered his voice to a whisper, though he could have shouted and no one would have noticed. “She shouldn’t be alone with those folks right now, and that’s a fact,” he said.
Her heart seemed to skip a beat. “I agree,” she whispered conspiratorially in return, then smiled and patted his shoulder. “But when she’s here, I know she’s fine. I know you and Angus will keep an eye on her.”
He nodded gravely. “And on you, Gen,” he swore.
“Thank you,” she told him. “You always make me feel like I’m…home. And safe. Give Angus a hug for me, huh? I’m going to go see what’s up with my mom, okay?”
“Sure thing. You ever need me, young lady, you call.”
“I will.”
He started to turn away, then paused. “Adam Harrison is here, too,” he said.
“Adam?” That did startle her.
He pointed. Adam was alone at the end of the bar, leaning against the wall, watching the room. He lifted his beer to her, and his eyes seemed to speak volumes.
In fact, they chided her. It was as if she could hear him saying, You shouldn’t have come out on your own.
She smiled. Okay, first she would go over to see Adam, since a quick glance told her that her mother was fine and hadn’t even noticed she was there.
“Adam,” she said, reaching him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Right. Now you won’t have to call to tell me you’re on your way,” he said.
She flushed. “I guess I should have called someone, huh?”
“Yes. You should have.”
“But honestly, Adam, this isn’t about me. It’s about Eileen.”
He leaned low. “Shall we accost her together?” he teased.
“Why not?”
He finished his beer and set down the glass. “Genevieve?”
“Yes?”
“Murder can happen anywhere at any time. And whether you like it or not, this Poe Killer thing is personal. Because of who you are, you have to be careful all the time, but now you need to be even more vigilant.”
She inhaled. Exhaled. Remembered how terrified she had been in her own garage.
“I don’t want to turn into a little old lady who’s afraid to leave her own apartment,” she told him. “And I really am careful,” she assured him.
“You drove down here alone, right?”
“Because my mother was here.”
“But that’s not being careful,” he said gently.
“How did you know to come here?” she asked, looking him in the eye.
He stared back at her. “Hunch,” he said. “Now, before we go over to see your mother, tell me who all those people with her are. A few of them look familiar, but a refresher course won’t hurt.”
She told him quickly who was whom, and then he took her hand and led her through the crowd.
When Eileen saw Genevieve’s face, her own went a little white.
It was guilt.
She hadn’t called Genevieve, and she was with the Ravens. Brook had called and asked her to join them for a drink at the pub, and she had agreed without really thinking.
But she had never thought she was in danger from any of them anyway—or, to be honest, from anyone else. She spent her time worrying about Genevieve.
Then she saw Adam, and her face was suffused with color again, and she smiled delightedly. “Adam!” she called, interrupting the conversation around the table.
“Eileen,” he replied, with a smile of his own.