Flawless(39)

“Where am I taking you?” he asked, once they were in the car. “Did you want to go straight home?”

She hesitated, then said, “Finnegan’s, please. It gets busy on Thursday nights.”

“You’re going to be in for it even if the press haven’t connected you to the bar yet,” Kevin warned her. “The city has a new motto, after all. ‘Any decent person would lend a hand.’ Funny how that’s taken precedence over the fact that you helped catch a gang of jewel thieves. Not to mention that, thanks to you, Miss Shirley Martin is now receiving offers from agents. I waited weeks to see some of those people, you know.”

“Don’t be bitter, Kevin. She did have a few seconds there when she was certain she was going to die,” Kieran said.

Kevin shook his head. “I’m not bitter. That’s the way the acting business works. Of course, if you decide to do another interview, you might want to make sure I’m with you so you can let the world know I’m the subway savior’s twin.”

Craig looked at Kieran, wondering how she would take her brother’s words.

“Will do,” she promised. She was sitting next to him in the front; Kevin was in the back. Craig saw their amused gazes meet in the rearview mirror.

Twins. He’d heard they could sometimes read one another’s minds.

He decided he should spend more time with Kevin. He was certain there was more going on here than he knew, and Kevin might be able to help him figure it out.

And if he was wrong, and Kieran was on the up-and-up?

Then Kevin might be able to offer some insights into the most fascinating woman he’d met in years.

He hadn’t been sure whether he was going to drop her off at the bar or accompany her inside, but when he saw the open parking spot right near the pub, he considered the decision made and slipped into it.

Kieran looked his way as he started to open his door.

“You’re coming in?” she asked.

“You may need a quick escape. Besides, I have a yen for fish-and-chips. And since I’m a horrible cook and your chef’s fish-and-chips are delicious...”

“And you have such a nice kitchen, too,” she said, quickly stepping out of the car.

Kevin grinned as he and Julie joined them on the sidewalk. “Come on in... The place will be hopping.”

Kevin wasn’t kidding, Craig thought as the sounds of energetic conversation, along with the strains of a lively jig for violin, flute and drum, wafted out the door. He noticed that the outside menu board mentioned that Thursday nights offered Irish music from five until ten. No wonder there was a crowd.

“Ah, by the saints and sinners, she’s arrived!” someone called as Kieran passed through the door. Craig was behind her, and he almost bumped into her when she stopped suddenly. He enjoyed the moment; the top of her head came to just beneath his chin, and the smell of her hair was pleasantly arousing.

“Sorry,” she said, and started walking again.

Declan rushed out from behind the bar, grinning. “Any decent person would lend a hand?” he asked her. “That’s all you have to say about what happened in the subway?”

The song ended and the music stopped. “Ah, Declan, she’s here, eh?” called the man with the fiddle. “Ladies and gentlemen, three cheers for our own Kieran Finnegan!”

People shouted her name, applauding.

“Thank you,” she said loudly, ducking her head to hide her embarrassment. “Was that a jig? Don’t let me stop you.”

The violinist grinned, picked up his instrument, and the music took flight again.

“You’re looking lovely as always, Kieran,” Declan said. He looked past his sister to Craig. “Nice to see you again. Have you made yourself my sister’s guardian?”

“Maybe,” Craig said with a shrug. “She’s been incredibly helpful to us, so we want to make sure she can get around easily.”

“And he likes the food,” Julie said.

“As any sane man would,” Declan said. “Well, I’d better get back to it.”

“You slammed behind the bar?” Kieran asked him.

“I’m doing all right. You sit and relax with your friends—and our layabout brother,” he added, looking at Kevin.

“You need me?” Kevin asked.

“No, we’re good. Danny is helping out on the floor.”

“I’m too restless to sit,” Kieran said. “I’ll help out.” She turned to the others. “Forgive me, but I’ve got to keep busy.”

And with that, she headed toward the bar.

That was all right, Craig thought. Kevin and Julie were ready to sit and have a meal, so who knew what he might learn.

“I’m so glad you’re looking out for Kieran,” Julie told him as they sat.

He had more or less steered them toward a small booth right by the bar. He could keep an eye on Kieran, see who she interacted with, without being obvious about it.

Meanwhile, he was curious about Julie, since it was her soon-to-be-ex husband who worked at the jewelry store where the theft had taken place. Kieran had said she’d only been there because of Julie.

“She’s been very helpful with our case,” Craig said. “She was there that day to see your ex-husband, right?”