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CHAPTER TWO

Galway to Dublin

‘Don’t worry. I’ll be there. I love you, too,’ said Shauna, the Irish girl. She was on the phone.

‘Was that your fiance’ asked Harminda when Shauna finished speaking.

‘Yes,’ she replied with a smile.

‘And you’re getting married on Christmas Eve. That’s so romantic!’

‘I know. Graeme is romantic,’ she said. She took a photo from her purse and gave it to Harminda. It was obvious that she loved him very much. ‘He even proposed on Valentine’s Day’.

‘Original,’ said Vanessa sarcastically.

‘What is your problem’ replied Shauna, angry at the blonde woman’s sarcastic reply.

‘I’m not the one with the problem. I’m not the one getting married. thank God! We left Galway two hours ago and the only thing you’ve talked about is Gavin, and how wonderful he is.’

‘His name’s Graeme.’

‘Graeme - Gavin - whatever. So he’s romantic? After six months of marriage it won’t be romantic, when you have to wash his dirty clothes every week!’

‘Vanessa, that’s a horrible thing to say’ said Harminda. ‘Have you never been in love?’

For a moment, Vanessa’s eyes went dark. ‘Love is for idiots,’ she said in a low voice.

Shauna touched the small diamond engagement ring on her left hand and looked out of the window; trying not to cry. She loved Graeme and he loved her, and on Christmas Eve she was going to marry him.

‘Don’t listen to her, Shauna’ said Harminda.

Shauna liked Harminda. She only looked about 22, but she seemed a lot older.

‘At last’ thought Shauna when she saw a sign for Dublin Port.

But Harminda didn’t slow down. She was arguing with Vanessa and she didn’t see it.

‘Harminda. the port. you’ve just-missed the exit!’ said Shauna.

‘What? Are you sure?’

‘Brilliant This is all your fault!’ I shouted Vanessa at Shauna.

‘My fault! Why is it my fault?’

‘Oh don’t start all that again! I’ll turn off at the next exit and we’ll come back,’ said Harminda.

But then the cars in front began to slow down and stop.

‘That’s all we need. a traffic jam!’ said Vanessa. ‘We’ll never get there in time now!’

When they eventually arrived at the ferry terminal, it was late. There were no cars or passengers waiting, only a security guard.

‘Where do we go to get the ferry for Holyhead’ Shauna asked him.

The security guard pointed behind him at the ferry, which was already sailing away from the port.

‘No’ they said at the same time.

‘The next ferry is tomorrow morning, at ten to seven,’ said the guard.

‘This is all your fault’ shouted Vanessa.

‘Oh, shut up’ Shauna and Harminda shouted back.

Luckily, they found a small hotel. They started to relax as they began to take their bags out of the car in the hotel garage.

‘Don’t forget your briefcase,’ Harminda said to Vanessa. She was pointing at a dark brown, expensive leather briefcase.

‘It’s not mine,’ Vanessa said, pulling it from the car. It was quite heavy. ‘Shauna, is it yours?’

‘No.’

‘And it’s not mine,’ said Harminda. ‘So, it was already in the car when we left the airport. Somebody has obviously forgotten it.’

‘What do you think is inside?’ said Vanessa, and for the first time that day she smiled.