Closure

Sarah nodded. ‘The police were right, in a way. I was dumped into the sea. The drug traffickers, they put me in a cloth sack, tied it up, then just dropped me into the ocean like a bag of trash. I thought I was going to die.’ I thought back to what I said to Kieran two weeks ago and was filled with regret. How could I be jealous of a woman who almost lost her life like that? ‘I was drowning,’ Sarah’s voice was faint. ‘Water was coming in everywhere. I couldn’t tell which way was up. Then I felt the bag moving upwards. Someone was pulling me out of the water.’ She smiled. ‘Ed. He was with the gang who tried to kill me. In fact, he was one of the guys who put me in the sack that day.’ ‘Then why did he save you?’ Kieran asked. ‘Conscience-stricken, maybe,’ Sarah shrugged. ‘He never took a life before. It was more than what he could stomach. After the other guys left, he doubled back and fished me out of the sea. I was fine, but the baby wasn’t.’ She placed a hand on her stomach. Sitting next to me, Kieran tensed. Sarah was talking about their baby, which would have been Kieran’s first child if he or she had survived. I laid my hand over his, offering silent support. ‘The water was too cold.’ Sarah looked at Kieran. ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Not your fault,’ Kieran said in a hoarse voice. ‘Ed got me out of the sack. I was suffering from hypothermia. He took me in and nursed me back to health. I hated him at first. He tried to kill me, after all. But after I got better, I…I stayed.’ Sarah stared at the tabletop. ‘I know that makes me sound pathetic.’ ‘No, it doesn’t,’ Kieran said firmly. ‘You did what you had to.’ Sarah gave him a wan smile. ‘I had no passport, no money. The police might still be looking for me. I couldn’t go back to Lisbern, couldn’t even show my face in public. For all I knew, Rainey might try to get me killed a second time if she knew I was still alive. And Ed, well, he didn’t want to go back to his gang, either. So we just sort of leaned on each other. And eventually, um, we, ah, we developed feelings for one another.’ ‘It’s okay.’ Kieran patted her hand. ‘I’m glad you found someone who could take care of you.’ ‘You’ve always been so kind,’ Sarah said, grateful. ‘Always so understanding.’ She took a sip of the coffee, which had gone cold. ‘It wasn’t easy, but Ed managed to leave the gang. He did it for me. We moved, changed our names, then got married.’ After Sarah finished her story, the three of us sat in silence for a long time. The bell over the restaurant’s door chimed. A man walked in, then walked back out when he sensed he wasn’t going to get a meal here. ‘There’s one more thing I need to know,’ Kieran said. ‘Kenneth. How did he die?’ I knew how long Kieran had been searching for the truth. His best friend’s death haunted him for more than a decade. He’d never rest easy until he knew the answer. I hoped Sarah would give him the closure he needed so desperately. ‘Kenneth,’ Sarah sighed. ‘Such a sweet boy. Smart, funny, loyal. I remember the two of you were inseparable.’ Her smile vanished. ‘Then you went off to the army. Kenneth went to college. He would’ve been fine. He worked hard, played just as hard, and was on his way to making something of himself. But he made one fatal mistake.’ A hard glint came into her eyes. ‘He fell in love with the wrong person. He trusted her, like how he always trusted others. But this time, it cost him his life.’ ‘I know he called you,’ Kieran said. ‘That’s why you flew to this country.’ Sarah nodded. ‘He said he tried calling you first but couldn’t reach you.’ ‘Phones weren’t allowed while we were on base.’ ‘Anyway, Kenneth called me. He was in tears, said he was in pain. Not the physical kind. He told me about his girlfriend. Couldn’t say enough nice things about her. He thought they were going to get married. Was working his butt off trying to save up enough money for the wedding. Said he wanted to give her the best life possible. Then she broke his heart.’ ‘Rainey,’ Kieran spat out the name. Sarah shuddered as if hearing that name was enough to have her spooked. ‘I could tell Kenneth was suffering. He wasn’t doing well at school, started skipping classes, spent all day locked up in his room, crying over losing the love of his life. I was worried. I had to see him. So I booked the flight ticket to his city.’ She stared into the distance. ‘I thought Kenneth was sad because his girlfriend had broken up with him. Imagine my surprise when I saw the woman still living with him at his apartment. Rainey was friendly. Made me feel right at home. Looking back, I could see how Kenneth was tricked by that woman. She was a brilliant actress. A stone-cold bitch, sure, but she could keep a flawless façade and fool everyone if she wanted.’ ‘And if served her purpose,’ Kieran added. ‘Exactly,’ Sarah nodded in agreement. ‘I was naïve enough to fall for her act. I even tried to talk Kenneth into lightening up, you know. He said he felt Rainey didn’t love him and never did. I told him maybe it was all in his head since Rainey was just about the most perfect girlfriend I’d ever seen—she’s got both brains and beauty, the whole package.’ Sarah leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily. ‘I was such an idiot. When Kenneth was still down in the dumps, I suggested maybe he should get couples counselling. I was ready to pack up and go home. It was just a lovers’ spat, I figured. Or maybe a case of early-onset seven-year itch. I should leave it to the lovebirds to sort it out.’ She picked up a tissue and started tearing it to shreds. ‘That was when I found out about the drugs.’