“Okay, Skye,” Angela said, “we need to know exactly what you saw.”
Skye nodded. Angela thought the young woman had gotten excellent at bringing her visions to the past to others in a verbal form, and her talent was truly an invaluable one.
“Colleen was excited. She wanted the house to be perfect for her grandfather when St. Paddy’s Day arrived. Well, you’ve seen the house. But she heard something. She wasn’t frightened, just curious so, she left the living room and headed into the kitchen, and I think she got just a glimpse of him . . .”
“The leprechaun?” Jackson asked.
“Someone pretending to be a leprechaun, I imagine,” Skye told them. “And doing a darned good job of it. I believe that it was a man, but a man who stood no more than five-feet tall, if that. Dressed entirely in green, with a little elf’s—or leprechaun’s—cap upon his head. Oh, headful of very red hair. But the person was strong and possibly carrying some kind of a knock-out drug. And he had a big, black burlap bag that he shoved over her head. She fell into his arms.”
“And then?” Angela pressed.
“He dragged her to the back door. That’s where my vision ended,” Skye explained.
“So, naturally, the neighbors saw nothing,” Jackson said, shaking his head and walking toward the door and then pausing.
“Zach?”
“Gotcha,” Zach told him, heading to the door first and then pausing.
“Forensic folk already tested it; kidnapper wore gloves,” Angela told him.
“Green gloves,” Skye added dryly. “But Zach—”
“Yes, yes!” Zach touched the doorknob and held still for a moment, nodding. “He went out through here—”
“And then to the old carriage house and workhouse!” Deidre cried. “And there’s . . . if I’m not mistaken . . . I mean it hasn’t been used in a hundred years or more, but there used to be an old tunnel from the carriage house that led closer into the city, to one of the parks. And they’ve been having several St. Paddy’s Day celebrations there. So, if someone was pretending to be a leprechaun . . .”
“That would be the place to do it!” Jackson said. “Deidre, would you take Zach and Skye out to the carriage house, see if you can find the tunnel and find out if it’s navigable? Angela—”
“You and I will go and find out if there are any leprechauns at the park!” Angela agreed. “And if you can get through the tunnel and discover anything there, we’ll meet up in the park,” she told Zach and Skye.
“On it!” Skye told her.
She headed back to the parlor, Jackson just behind her. Of course, it was going to be difficult to explain to Sean Donegal that they were checking out a park for leprechauns.
Thankfully, Detective Conor Murphy had the man seated and calm. Angela gave him an encouraging smile and told him, “Our coworkers are in the back, inspecting the grounds because we believe Colleen was taken out that way. We’re going to check out a few leads that suggest she might have been taken to an early observation of the holiday. If it’s all right with Conor, sir, you’re welcome to stay here; and we’ll be reporting back with anything that we learn.”
“With my granddaughter, I pray!” he said softly.
She nodded and glanced at Conor.
“We’re good here; we have the phones tapped if anyone does call in with a demand for a ransom,” Conor said.
He made his words hopeful, doing so to help Sean Donegal stay calm. But Angela knew he doubted that a ransom call was coming. This was a play at something else.
She and Jackson were almost at the door when she paused and looked back.
“Mr. Donegal, has anyone been hostile about you and your partner starting this company of yours? Someone who thought that you should have stayed in Ireland, perhaps?” she asked.
“We have, of course, been looking into Mr. Donegal’s business associates and beyond,” Conor told them. “I believe—”
“It was all in the reports, yes,” Angela said. “But there’s often a difference in attitude and what comes out in the written word.”
Sean Donegal frowned, lowering his head slightly, deep in thought. “I’m not thinking of anyone specific—the company benefits those in both the states and Ireland and even beyond,” he said. “My secretary, Elizabeth, pointed out just how much we’ll be offering to those around the world. Communication is our key offering, and businesses of all kinds need the best communication possible. We supply amazing creators—”
“Creators?” Jackson asked.
“Social media,” Sean explained. “Right now, it’s ruling the world. When you can find the best creators to really sell your product—any kind of a product—you’re made in the shade. And I believe that at my age, I’ve surprised many people with my understanding of how to best use it on the world wide web. We don’t make enemies. We do our best to make friends; because, of course, take a look—the bad stuff out there can bounce around at record speed as well. We know how to counter what is purelymeanand bitter with eloquence and amazing visuals.”
