Maire's Story

Chapter 13 and 14

C H A P T E R  T H I R T E E N

It was a cold, windless Saturday night in Quebec City when Rory's plane touched down at Ancienne Lorette Airport. Nobody was waiting when he entered the arrivals area and picked up his luggage. That was no surprise; outside of Nick, Rory had no contact with anyone in Guilfoyle and kept his visit a secret. They would find out soon enough, he thought.

Using his limited command of French, Rory managed to rent a car and secure a map of the area. He drove off the lot and was promptly handed his first surprise.

"Holy smokes...look at all the snow!" he exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at banks flanking the road like an honour guard of snowmen. "There must be three feet on the ground. I forgot just how wintery it gets here."

He made his way northwest, eventually coming into Camp Tremblay. All the while a strange brew of emotions churned inside — anger, pain, trepidation, excitement, curiosity — especially when he spotted the bilingual sign welcoming visitors to Guilfoyle.

Rory passed the Candy Store, smiling at memories of tasty treats, and noted with surprise several streets of houses nearby. "Hmm...those weren't here 20 years ago," he murmured.

Turning onto Kiley Way, he drove on through inky blackness broken only by streetlights — another mild shock — and felt the car bounce slightly as it clattered over the Guilfoyle bridge. Then he rounded a corner and blinked. Where was the old town hall, and what was this...this brightly lit structure?

He pulled off the side of the road and squinted into the darkness surrounding the building. Nope, there was no sign of the hall; just a modern-looking ball diamond covered in snow.
"Who's responsible for all this?" Rory wondered. Then he noticed all the cars in the parking lot and realized this must be the new town hall.

"Hmm...looks like some sort of activity going on inside. Guess I'll check it out. With any luck I'll get caught up on everything and put this plan into action."

He parked the car and approached the building, hearing music coming from the lower level. A side door was unlocked and he headed inside, expecting to find himself in a coat room or a storage area. But instead, Rory stepped into the middle of the weekly Friday night pub.

Cigarette smoke swirled, beer glasses clinked and a low hum of talk echoed around him as his eyes adjusted to the lighting. Then he saw a young blond woman on a miniscule stage singing and playing guitar.

"Hm," he grunted to himself. "Whiskey You're The Devil...I remember that song. She does a pretty good rendition."

He saw a coat rack and took off his jacket and cap, then found the only open seat remaining at the bar.

Ordering a beer, Rory said nothing and silently sipped until the tune ended and the singer took a break. Then the talk became louder and an interrupted game of darts resumed nearby.

"She's pretty good," he commented to the man beside him. "What's her name?"

"That's my girlfriend, Coleen Noonan," was the answer. "And I don't believe we've met."

"The name's Rory. And you are?"

"Tony Hanlon," he said, extending a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Tony," said Rory, shaking his hand. "This is quite the lively scene."

Tony nodded. "We have a nice stable of regulars here. That's Sean Adam over there in the corner, bending Mrs. Mitchell's ear. He keeps trying to convince her to have a drink, but Bernadette will have nothing of it. Ted and Theresa Adam are sitting beside them; you can see Theresa listening in, hoping to pick up a few things to pass on about Bernadette."