The Life You Left. Carmel Harrington

both smiled at that. Gathering herself, Sarah continued. ‘At first he just sat there. I joined him and he smiled at me again. It was very peaceful, very quiet just sitting there together. I felt like in that moment we were both reconnecting, catching up with each other, without the need for words. Oh, it’s hard to explain.’ Sarah ended with a sigh.

      James reached over and grabbed his sister’s hand. As hard as it was for Sarah to explain, it was very hard for him to take in too. Somehow it had been easier to understand Sarah and Edward when he was a child.

      ‘Eventually he spoke and he simply said “It’s time.”’ Sarah said.

      ‘It’s time for what?’ James spluttered.

      ‘He said that he knew that seeing him again after all this time was a shock. He knew I’d need to adjust to having him around again, but I need to believe in myself and acknowledge my gift. And after I acknowledged it I need to start using it!’

      Sarah glanced at James. He looked a bit shell-shocked. He was the one person who had always believed in her, but she knew he was struggling to take all this in right now. Taking a deep breath she continued. ‘He just kept saying over and over that I’ve been ignoring this gift for far too long and now the time has come for me to step forward and start helping others.’

      ‘What gift is he talking about?’

      ‘Oh you haven’t heard the best bit. It gets better.’ Sarah said with a sigh. ‘He told me that there was a young girl who needed my help. That she’d been murdered … And that I could help bring her murderer to justice.’ Sarah shivered at just the thought.

      ‘For feck’s sake Sarah.’ James replied.

      ‘Pretty much my reaction too.’ Sarah replied. ‘I’m no Sherlock Holmes; I’m a shop assistant for heaven’s sake! If anyone around here is going to solve a murder that would be you.’

      ‘Thankfully not many murders around here for me or anyone else to solve,’ James replied. As a private investigator, with his own business, he did a lot of freelance work for insurance agencies, sifting out the fraudsters looking for big claims. Not to mention the considerable amount of clients who booked him to investigate their spouses and see if they were having an affair. All pretty mundane stuff.

      ‘Well I hope Edward has gotten it wrong.’ Sarah said. ‘The thought of me even being slightly involved in a murder makes me feel sick.’

      James topped her glass up with some more wine as he couldn’t think of anything useful to say.

      ‘Apparently I’m to go see a woman who lives in Arklow and have a chat with her. He told me to write down her name and address.’ She continued, as she showed the piece of paper to James where she had written her name down.

      ‘Mary Donegan. 5 Riverside Apartments, Arklow.’ James read. ‘Why do you have to go there? Some random woman you have to go knock on the door to, will she be expecting us? Is she even real?’

      ‘I know it sounds crazy, doesn’t it?’ Sarah answered. ‘But I’ve looked her up online. She lives there alright. She exists.’

      Her head was banging with a growing headache that felt like it was about to explode. Over the years she had thought about Edward and the impact he had on her life when she was a child. Life was so hectic with the kids, she just didn’t have time to worry about something that had happened nearly thirty years ago and, as far as she knew, would never happen again.

      She glanced at James who was frowning. She’d had a few hours to digest the news that Edward was back; James had just had a few minutes. Plus, to be fair to her brother, James had never actually met Edward; he only ever had her word that he even existed. The fact that he always believed her left her in grateful awe. Sarah knew that it was extremely difficult for most people to understand and believe in something that they couldn’t see or touch. That was why she had kept Edward’s existence a secret for so long, not even sharing with Paul. Would he have believed her? Her instinct was no. He would have reacted the same way as her parents. They all thought she was crazy, and if she was honest who could really blame them? How could you expect people to believe that your best friend was in fact, a guardian angel?

       Chapter Three

      Sarah sat up with a start. A line of perspiration glistened on her forehead. She was shivering, despite the heavy duvet covering her body.

      She leaned over and flicked on her bedside lamp, checking her watch as she did. It was 3.06 a.m. She knew there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. From experience, it would be at least an hour before that would happen, if at all. She had just awoken from a particularly bad nightmare. Already, as is often the way with dreams, the details of it were beginning to get murky. Unfortunately one image kept flashing into her mind, one she would have been happy to lose.

       A young woman lying on the beach. Naked. Covered in blood.

      ‘You look tired.’ James said to Sarah when he was round at the house later that day.

      ‘I had a nightmare last night, didn’t get a huge amount of sleep. Thanks for coming with me by the way.’ Sarah said to her brother.

      ‘No worries. Sure this one could be a complete nut-job. There’s no way you are doing this on your own!’ James said emphatically.

      ‘She could be a nut-job just like me, you mean?’ Sarah asked playfully.

      James replied in kind, ‘You? Nut-job? No! But for the craic let’s just summarise. An angel called Edward, who used to be your best friend when you were a child, has casually rocked up into your kitchen. Incidentally because of your insistence that Edward was real and not a figment of your imagination, you were committed by Mam and Dad for psychiatric assessment, thereafter you spent years in and out of therapy. Now the bold Eddy, enigmatic as ever is saying very little, except that you have a gift. As yet we don’t know what this is. I’d have put money on that it’s your finesse at baking, but not sure that’s what Eddy is talking about! Now that doesn’t make you sound like a Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut bar in the slightest!’

      Sarah laughed at this, thank god for James; he was making this so much easier.

      ‘And to top it all off, this ability of yours is expected to help solve a murder of which we know nothing about. Eddy reckons we need to speak to some lady called Mary Donegan. So here we are outside some random woman’s home, about to knock on her door and say hello.’ James took an imaginary bow.

      ‘Why Watson, thank you for that summary.’ Sarah said with a smile. ‘Think that just about covers it! As much as I’m enjoying listening to you, I suppose we better get this show on the road. I’ve got to get back to collect the kids from Rita’s house by tea time.’

      Sarah knew a lot of people didn’t have time for their mothers-in-law, but for Sarah it was the opposite. Rita was a godsend to her.

      ‘She heard anything from that loser of a son of hers?’ James asked.

      ‘He has a name, James.’ Sarah said with a sigh. ‘And no, she hasn’t heard anything from Paul in weeks either.’

      ‘He doesn’t deserve to be called by his first name, in my opinion.’ James retorted. He could feel himself getting angry again, as he always did whenever Paul came into his mind. ‘How can he leave a wife with three children, one only a small baby? What kind of man does that?’

      Sarah could feel her head thumping again. ‘Please James, not now. I can’t deal with Paul on top of all this. I know you’re right. It’s not fair, but there’s extenuating circumstances. He says he’s having a breakdown. He can’t help himself.’

      ‘That’s a load of bullsh…’ Seeing Sarah’s face, he stopped himself. ‘Ok, I’ll leave it, but he just gets me so wound up.’

      She was close to tears,