Sinner or Saint Read online

  A single tear ran down Kelsey’s cheek as she mindlessly moved her empty orange juice glass around on the table. “Ma and Da have gotten themselves in a bit of trouble. I tried to help them, but it just got worse. That’s why I came here.”

  “What kind of trouble did they get into?”

  “They needed money to keep the B&B afloat, and they couldn’t get any more loans from their bank. So, they went to a guy in the neighborhood, and he loaned them the money. It was all fine until we hit a rough spot a few months ago when the plumbing gave out, and they had to get the pipes replaced. Then we had some guests cancel. Ma and Da couldn’t make their payments, and the loan shark came over and made threats against Da. We didn’t know what to do. They didn’t have the money and no way to get it until more customers booked the rooms at the B&B.”

  “So, what did you do?” Marlee asked.

  “That I can’t tell you. But I can say that Ma and Da did everything they could to keep the B&B going. They’re good people and don’t want to cause anyone any harm. The only reason they got involved with the loan shark is because they were in over their heads with the bank already,” Kelsey said.

  “You already said that. What is it that you did that made the situation worse?’

  “I went to talk to the loan shark. I thought if he knew what good people my parents were that he’d give them a break. They intended to pay back every bit of the money they borrowed from him plus the enormous interest he charged. They just needed some extra time,” Kelsey said, wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her sweater.

  “And?” Marlee gently prompted. She knew there was much more to the story that Kelsey simply pleading for the loan shark to give her parents a grace period to pay back their loan.

  “He wanted me to work to pay off the loan.” The young woman lowered her eyes to the floor, a forlorn look passing across her normally jovial face.

  “It was illegal, I take it?” Marlee’s question was really more of a statement. By this time, she realized the loan shark either wanted Kelsey to work as a stripper, a drug mule, or a prostitute. That was the type of work women who had no other alternatives were forced into by those who held power over them.

  She nodded, still not making eye contact. “He wanted me to dance at a club and take off my clothes. I told him I wouldn’t even consider it. He said there was only one alternative, and that was to smuggle an item to the United States. If I didn’t do it, he’d torture and kill me. Then he’d do the same to my little sisters.”

  “Kelsey, this is horrible, and it’s definitely a crime. This loan shark guy might be charged for multiple offenses if he sets foot in the United States. But I really don’t think this is reason enough for seeking asylum. That’s usually reserved for people fleeing from their country because their own government is conspiring against them.” Marlee was gentle in her approach, knowing Kelsey was upset and probably did not have a full understanding of asylum.

  The house guest kicked at an invisible object on the carpet. Still not making eye contact, she said, “But what if the loan shark is the right-hand man for a member of the Irish government?”

  It’s only money. Who’s keeping track anyway?

  Chapter 7

  “Wait a minute.” Marlee shook her head in disbelief. “The person your parents borrowed money from, the person who threatened them and wanted you to strip in a club to pay off their debt, is a close associate of a member of the Irish parliament? Are you sure, Kelsey? I find that hard to believe.”

  “But it’s true. The loan shark introduced us. He said he was with the government, and I know it’s true because I’ve seen him interviewed on the news. He’s the one who said I had to smuggle.”

  Marlee shook her head. It was entirely possible that a government official, regardless of the country where they resided, was involved in illegal dealings. It happened all the time. But to think a member of the government in Ireland was acting through a loan shark and an extortionist with connections to the Rafferty B&B seemed far-fetched. “And you’re sure it was the same guy? I mean, a lot of people look alike, especially when they get to middle age. Many aging men tend to have the same features along with a balding head and a paunchy middle. Maybe you just assumed he was the same man you saw on television.”

  Shaking her head from side to side, Kelsey finally raised her eyes to meet Marlee’s. “It’s the same person. I’d bet my life on it. It’s rubbish to think I wouldn’t recognize a person I talked to and associate him with the person I saw on the evening news. I’m not daft, you know?”

  Marlee wasn’t making any inroads by assuming Kelsey was mistaken. She decided to switch tactics before her house guest completely shut down. “Do you know how much your parents owed the loan shark?”

  “The initial loan was around ten thousand euros,” Kelsey said. “That amount increased by the day due to interest. Last I knew, it was over eighteen thousand and growing. That’s why I knew I had to do something to help.”

  “You refused to be a stripper, so I assume you agreed to do something else for the loan shark?”

  “Yeah, he made me bring a so-called collectible here. I think it looks old and worthless,” Kelsey said. She ran to her room and returned with a large pumpkin-colored pipe in her hand. It was six inches long with a funnel-shaped bowl and curved stem. “Isn’t this the biggest piece of junk you’ve ever seen? I’m told it’s quite valuable and needed to be brought here for the person who just paid eighteen thousand euros.”

  “And how did you plan on getting it to them?” Marlee realized Kelsey’s request to go to the nearest consulate to discuss asylum was likely a cover for transporting the pipe to its buyer. She was hoping to get the pipe to the desired location and arrange for a drop off, all under the guise of getting some sort of protection from the government.

  “That’s the funny thing. I didn’t have to go anywhere else to drop off the pipe. The collector is in town. His name is Conrad Thayer, and he lives right here in Elmwood.”

  It was as if Marlee had been hit over the head. She’d had previous dealings with the eccentric Conrad Thayer and his wackadoodle sister, Rita. Conrad was a collector of everything from medieval torture devices to life-sized paintings featuring monkeys riding horses. Marlee and her ex-boyfriend, Vince Chipperton, toured the Thayer residence two years earlier and found it to be an exercise in absurdism. Doll heads were mounted on the wall like hunting trophies along with the heads of once-living deer, bear, and a tiger. Marlee and her other ex-boyfriend, Hector Ramos, also visited the Thayer residence more than once and found a collection of empty milk cartons, a suit of armor, and a mishmash of furniture and artwork from various countries over the past three centuries.

  “Conrad Thayer? Really? What are the odds that you and I would meet at your parents’ bed and breakfast inn and then you’d be pushed into bringing a piece of artwork to the same town where I lived?” Marlee frowned, the gears in her head turning as she put the pieces together.

  “I don’t know much about smuggling collectibles, Marlee, but I’m guessing they knew I’d be able to get something to the United States and were able to target this particular area.”

  “How would the loan shark be able to do that unless you told him you’d become friends with me and could come here as a visitor? You told him all this, and then he went looking for someone in the area who was in search of a specific piece of work. Maybe he found Conrad Thayer from an Internet chat room and discovered he collects a bit of everything. At that point, it was easy as pie to entice you to bring the pipe in your suitcase and get it to Thayer.”

  Kelsey nodded, knowing that her host had figured out the scheme. “All I need to do is drop this off with Mr. Thayer, and my parents’ debt is erased. They can run the B&B without worry.”

  “Did you do this to relieve your parents from the debt to the loan shark or to make sure you didn’t have to work at the B&B anymore?” Marlee asked.

  A blush rose to Kelsey’s face. “I know this sounds awf
ul, but the answer is that I did it for both reasons. I don’t want Ma and Da to suffer, but I don’t want to be stuck in Dublin at the B&B for the rest of my life either. Do you have any idea how suffocating it was? Every day, I had to cook breakfast, wash laundry, make beds, clean the loo, and check in new guests. And all with a smile on my face like I was thrilled to be picking up after them. I want to get out and do what I want to do. Wrapping up this pipe in my socks and bringing it here was a small price to pay for everything my family and I will gain. I know I could’ve been stopped at the airport, but it was a risk I was willing to take.”

  “Why couldn’t the loan shark send it through regular shipping methods? What makes that thing such a treasure that it will erase eighteen thousand euros of debt?” Marlee asked.

  “Maybe it’s stolen. To go through the regular channels would bring unwanted attention to Mr. Thayer and me, which could link back to the loan shark,” Kelsey stated with an unsettling air of nonchalance. Marlee was beginning to realize that Kelsey was wise beyond her years. She originally found Kelsey to be superficial and flighty. Now, she recognized that the time she spent answering the young woman’s questions about the United States all fit into the scheme to transport the pipe to the U.S. under the guise of fleeing her restrictive parents and relocating.

  “How in the world did your parents find this loan shark? Did one of their friends connect them?”

  “I’ve no idea how they met.”

  Marlee wasn’t sure Kelsey was telling the truth and wanted to call her out on her lies but thought better of it. “Well, how did you find out about the loan shark? How did you know his identity?”

  “I didn’t at first, but then I overheard Ma and Da arguing about it. They mentioned him and all the money they owed. Finally, I approached Da and asked him. He didn’t want to tell me, so I talked to Ma. She told me the whole story, including the threats the loan shark made toward our family. Ma told me to keep my mouth shut and ignore anything else I heard her and Da talking about.”

  “Did they know you went to the loan shark to get him to back off?”

  “Oh, Jaysus, no. They’d a-had a fit if they knew about that,” Kelsey said.

  “So, I’m guessing they didn’t know about his proposition for you to be a stripper or a smuggler?” Marlee asked.

  “They’d been beside themselves if they knew. It was best to let them think I just wanted to get away from the B&B and come to America. It’s best this way.”

  “So, who is this loan shark? And what exactly is his connection to the Irish government?” Marlee asked.

  She shook her head back and forth. “Oh, no. That I can’t tell you. I want to be honest with you about the other things, but there’s no way I can reveal his name. Not if I want to protect my family and stay alive.”

  “I realize you’re scared, Kelsey, but do you really think he’d kill you? Guys like him are nothing more than thugs. If he were to kill you, it might lead the police back to him and then he’d rot away in jail. My guess is he wanted to scare you into doing everything he asked.” Marlee had dealt with this type of crook many times in her previous work as a probation officer. Most of them talked a good game but would never go as far as murder. Not that they were opposed to a moderate amount of violence. A broken hand here or a smashed kneecap there was all part of the enforcement business. As long as the borrowers were still able to work, a bit of roughing up was just incentive for them to pay their debts. Plus, it served as a not-so-gentle reminder to others that debts had to be paid in full and on time. But murder? No, not usually. How can a dead person pay back the money they owe?

  “Oh, he’ll kill me for sure. I’m not the one who owes the debt. It’s Ma and Da. Killing me would just reinforce that they need to pay the money they owe or else he’ll move on to my two sisters,” Kelsey said earnestly. “There’s no way our family can be free of this man until the debt is paid. I’m so close. All I have to do is drop off this pipe with Mr. Thayer, and he’ll wire the money to the loan shark.”

  “I think we should get the police involved. A good friend of mine is a detective, and I think if we explained everything to her, she could help you find a good solution. Something that will keep you and your family safe while getting the loan shark off your backs.”

  “He’ll be off my back later today. I already texted Mr. Thayer, and I’m meeting with him at 7:00 tonight. After that, the matter is behind me, and my parents will be out from under the loan shark’s thumb. The debt will be paid, and they can afford to hire someone to do all the free work I was doing for them. They can continue on with the B&B, and I can live my life as I see fit.” Kelsey stood and began walking toward the guest room. Pippa jumped in front of her and hissed, blocking her exit.

  Kelsey jumped back, even though Pippa was only a fraction of her weight and was missing several teeth in addition to being declawed. “Move this bloody animal out of my way,” she demanded with an air of entitlement.

  Pippa was Marlee’s whole world, and she didn’t appreciate a guest, an uninvited guest, making demands regarding the unruly pet. “Keep in mind that you’re a guest here, Kelsey. And you’re already on shaky ground with me as it is.” Marlee stood and walked over to Pippa and swooped the fluffy cat up into her arms. “Finish up your business with the loan shark and Conrad Thayer and then move on.” Marlee stomped off to her bedroom and shut the door behind her, leaving an indifferent Kelsey standing outside her bedroom door.

  What do a fish and a houseguest have in common? They both start to stink after three days. Luckily, I’m good at ignoring hints.

  Chapter 8

  The snow swirled outside, mesmerizing Marlee as she stared through the picture window, holding Pippa in her arms. They both watched as new flakes mingled with existing snow as a stiff breeze whisked them into a miniature tornado. A soft knock at the bedroom door pulled Marlee away from her daydream about moving to a warmer climate.

  Before she could answer, Kelsey poked her head inside the door. “I am so sorry about what I said. Of course, I’m grateful to be staying here, and I was terrible, just terrible to become short-tempered with you.”

  “I can’t trust you, Kelsey. You used me to get information about myself and Elmwood and then found a way to work it to your advantage. Why would anyone in their right mind believe a word you say?”

  Kelsey nodded her head in agreement. “I know I’ve behaved badly, and I don’t blame you for being disappointed in me. You were right. I told the loan shark about you, and he was able to pinpoint a buyer for the pipe who lived in your area. But everything else I told you about my parents’ debt and what I did to get them out of it is true. I’m only trying to do right by my family, and to do that I had to tell some lies. And for that, I’m sorry. You’ve been nothing but lovely to me, and I want to regain your trust.”

  Pippa struggled free from Marlee’s embrace and jumped from the bed to the floor before hissing at Kelsey one last time as she left the bedroom. Marlee admired Kelsey’s commitment to her family and trying to get their debt forgiven. On the other hand, Kelsey had a vested interest in staying on her host’s good side.

  “You’ve got plenty of work to do to earn my trust,” Marlee said, looking Kelsey straight in the eye. “But you can stay here for a little bit, under some conditions.”

  “Of course, anything you want.”

  “First, I want you to be truthful with me about everything from now on. Second, be nice to Pippa and don’t antagonize her. And third, I want to go with you to drop off the pipe with Conrad Thayer tonight,” Marlee said. “These are my terms and they are non-negotiable.”

  Running her hand through her tangled mop of curls, Kelsey nodded. “I agree. The only things I can’t tell you are the name of the loan shark and his connection to the Irish government. Other than that, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

  Marlee motioned for Kelsey to sit on the bed. “First things first. Where are you meeting Conrad Thayer?” Marlee plopped down beside Kelsey and turned to f
ace her.

  “He’s supposed to text me this afternoon to let me know the drop off point. All I’ve been told is that the meeting is at 7:00 tonight.”

  “And how were you going to get to this meeting?” Marlee raised an eyebrow at her guest.

  “Um, I was trying to figure out a way to get you to take me,” Kelsey said sheepishly. “I hadn’t quite figured out an explanation for why I needed a ride to wherever it is I’ll be meeting Mr. Thayer.”

  A smirk spread across Marlee’s face. “At least you won’t have to worry about that now since I’ll be going with you. How do you know Thayer will actually follow through with the money transfer? I mean, maybe he just takes the pipe and then doesn’t send the wire transfer. If the loan shark is in Dublin, there’s not much he can do to Thayer here.”

  “Mr. X, that’s what I call the loan shark, has connections all over the world. He wouldn’t let me go with this valuable pipe and hand it over to someone who wasn’t legitimate,” Kelsey commented.

  “As legit as someone receiving stolen property from a person paying off her family’s debt,” Marlee said, a scowl spreading across her tired face. “I know Conrad Thayer and can think of several words to describe him, but legitimate isn’t one of them.” Without rehashing the whole story, Marlee filled Kelsey in on her previous dealings with Thayer and his sister. “He’s not to be trusted, and I still think we should bring my friend from the police department in on this.”

  “No, I can’t have the coppers involved. The reason I was brought in is because Mr. X and Mr. Thayer didn’t want to go through legal channels to transport the pipe. It’s either illegal or they’re avoiding import fees. No matter the reason, we need to keep it a secret. Promise me that you won’t tell the police. At least not until the deal is done and my parents’ debt is erased.” Kelsey gave Marlee a pleading look.