People who understood English immediately gasped, although the majority of them were surely aware of this rumor already. A few seconds later, there was a second gasp as the interpreters translated. Murmuring began in the hall and the Irish representative held her arms up to silence everyone. “I understand this news has had an effect on the entire village. News like this disrupts our attempts for normal living and we are keen to put the rumors to rest.”

My heart began to beat a little less dramatically.

“We’ve called the meeting tonight to assure you that the matter is in hand and it will be dealt with. As soon as it is, we will immediately inform the community, as we always do, as to the outcome. I believe this newcomer is among us tonight,” she announced, “and so I wish to address this person.”

Instantly my heart began to palpitate again. People around me looked about, murmuring, jabbering excitedly in foreign tones and eyeing one another suspiciously, accusingly. I looked to Bobby in shock. He gaped back at me.

“What will I do?” I whispered. “How do they know about the watch?”

The nineteen-year-old in him shrugged, eyes wide.

“We all think it’s best to deal with this privately and quietly so that the person can remain anonymous-”

There was a heckling of boos from the crowd, some people laughed, and my skin crawled.

“I see no cause or need for dramatics,” Grace continued in her official, no-nonsense tone. “If the newcomer could just present us with the alleged missing item, then this will be dropped and forgotten once and for all so that the congregation can get back to spending their valuable time in their usual greatly productive ways.” She smiled cheekily and there were chuckles from around the room. “If the person in question could familiarize themselves with my office tomorrow morning and bring the watch with them, then this can be dealt with swiftly and privately.”

More boos by members of the audience.

“I’ll take a few questions on this and then we will move on with the more important matter of the plans to build farther past the wild farm.” I could tell she was being deliberately blasé about the whole thing. An entire village had turned out to hear about me, about how I knew intimate details of people here and their family members. In a few sentences she had brushed it all under the carpet. People looked around at each other unhappily and I sensed a storm brewing.

Many people raised their hands and the representative nodded to one. A man stood. “Ms. Burns, I don’t think it’s fair that this matter be dealt with privately. I think it’s clear from the turnout tonight that this issue is more important than the manner of how you have chosen to address it, which is a deliberate attempt at playing down the significance.” There were a few claps. “I put forward that the person in question, whom I know to be a woman, show us the watch right now, right here, tonight so that we can see it with our own eyes and therefore allow the matter to be dropped and for our minds to be put at rest.”

There was a healthy applause to this suggestion.

The representative looked uncomfortable; she turned to look at her colleagues. Some nodded, some shook their heads, others looked bored; some shrugged and left it up to her.

“I’m concerned only with the welfare of the person in question, Mr. O’Mara,” she addressed him. “I hardly see it fair that she has arrived here only this week and is also faced with this. Her anonymity is vital. Surely you can appreciate that.”

This wasn’t so strongly supported by people, but there was a light round of clapping from a few dozen and I silently thanked them and cursed Grace for confirming my sex.

An elderly woman standing beside the man speaking from the audience shot up out of her seat. “Ms. Burns, our well-being is more important, and the well-being of all the villagers. Isn’t it more important that if once again we have heard rumors of somebody’s belongings going missing we have a right to know if it’s true?”

There were noises of support from among the crowd. Grace Burns held her hand up to her forehead to block the harsh stage lights in order to see the person belonging to the voice. “But, Catherine, it will be revealed to you tomorrow after the person has come to me. Whatever the outcome, it will be dealt with appropriately.”

“This doesn’t just affect the Irish community,” a Southern American male voice called out. Everybody looked around. The voice came from a man standing at the back. “Remember what happened the last time there were rumors of things going missing?”

There were mumbles of agreement, and nods.

“Everybody here remember a guy called James Ferrett?” he shouted now, addressing the hall.

There were loud murmurs of yes and heads nodded.

“A few years ago he told of the very same thing happening to him. The representatives did the same thing then as they are doing now,” he addressed the crowd, who were unfamiliar with the story. “Mr. Ferrett was encouraged to follow the same procedure as our anonymous woman tonight and instead he disappeared. Whether it was to join the rest of his belongings or whether it was the work of the reps, we will never know.”

There was an uproar at this but he shouted over the noise. “At least let us deal with it now before the person in question has a chance to escape once again without us learning about what is happening. It’s not as though any harm will come to her and it’s our duty to know!”

There was huge applause to this. The entire community erupted. They didn’t want to lose another opportunity of finding a way back. The rep was quiet for a while as the hall chanted around her. She made a motion for silence and the crowd died down.

“Very well,” she said loudly into the microphone and those two words bounced around my heart until I thought I would faint or laugh, which one I wasn’t sure.

I looked to Bobby. “Please pinch me.” I smiled. “Because this is all so ridiculous I feel as though I’m in one of those awful nightmares you laugh about the next day.”

“It’s not funny, Sandy,” he warned. “Don’t tell them anything.”

I tried to hide a smile, yet my heart pounded.

“Sandy Shortt,” the representative announced, “could you please stand up?”

44

After Jack had left Sandy Shortt’s family home, he drove to the Leitrim Arms, the local bar in the small village. Despite the early hour, the pub was dark, lit by too few dusty wall lights, natural light blocked out by dark burgundy stained-glass windows. The floor was uneven, flagged with stones, and the wooden benches were covered with paisley cushions with foam spilling from the sides. There were a total of three men in the bar; two at opposite ends of the counter, pints in hand, necks craning to see the horseracing on the small television suspended from a bracket from the ceiling. The barman held court behind the counter, arms resting on the taps, head up, eyes glued to the race. There was anxious expectation painted on each of their faces, a monetary interest in the outcome obvious. The commentator’s thick Cork accent speedily documented a second-by-second account of the race, speaking so fast, everybody couldn’t help but hold his breath, adding to the atmosphere of suspense.

Catching the barman’s attention, Jack ordered a pint of Guinness and chose to sit in the quiet snug at the far end of the bar, away from everyone. He had something important to do.

The barman took his gaze away from the television, choosing profession over obsession, and gave his pouring of the perfect pint his complete attention. He held the glass at a forty-five-degree angle close to the spout, preventing large bubbles from forming in the head. He pulled the tap fully open and filled the glass 75 percent full. He placed the pint on the counter, allowing the stout to settle before filling the rest of the glass.