Through the Door (The Thin Veil) - By Jodi McIsaac Page 0,28

tried to give Jane an awkward hug, ducking under Rohan’s arms.

Jane sniffed. “Thanks. Oh, shit. I think…I can remember…OH!” She wrenched her head out of Rohan’s grasp and turned to stare at Cedar, wide-eyed. “Bloody hell, Cedar! You weren’t kidding about those doors!”

Cedar leaned forward. “What? What do you remember? What happened?”

“It was like I said. I was kind of ignoring her, and she kept bugging me. So I told her to go away, and she did. A few minutes later she came back and said she had something really cool to show me. I thought if I looked at this one thing it would make her shut up. Sorry,” she said, wincing as she looked at Cedar. “Anyway—can I be remembering this right?—she had the door to the bathroom open, and inside was…it sounds impossible, but it was Times Square. In New York. You know, just like in all the movies. I couldn’t believe it. She told me she could open a door to anywhere in the world and wasn’t it the coolest thing ever. It was.”

“It’s called a sidh, apparently,” Cedar said. “So, did she go through it?” Her whole body pulsed with anticipation. Finally, some answers.

“No,” Jane answered slowly. “She said she felt bad because she wasn’t supposed to show anyone. Then this woman just walked into the apartment. I have no idea how she got in, Ceeds. Anyway, she goes, ‘That’s a pretty impressive talent you’ve got there!’ and Eden kind of freaked out and went to shut the door, but then the woman said she had been sent by Eden’s father. Eden just stood there, staring at her. I asked her who she was and how she had gotten in, but she just ignored me. She was totally focused on Eden. She told her that her father was just like her and had been looking for her, but they had to leave right away.” Jane looked at Cedar, who had gone so pale Riona had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and was holding her hands.

“I tried to stop her,” she continued. “I told her to get out or I would call the police. But then she said something to me. It was the first time she had even acknowledged I was there. I’m trying to remember…She told me to go to New York, that I really wanted to go, and I wanted Eden to stay behind. And she told me to forget I had even been at your apartment.” Jane looked horrified. “That must be what I did. I must have gone through that door. And then I forgot all about her.” Jane took a moment to swear profusely, then continued, “Who was that bitch?” Before anyone could answer, Rohan spoke. “Tell us what she looked like.”

“She was gorgeous—stunning, actually. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was tall and thin, like a supermodel, and she had the most amazing wavy long red hair.”

Cedar thought of the woman she had encountered outside Rohan and Riona’s house, and the way she had looked at her with such hatred. Could she be the woman who had taken her child?

Rohan stood up. “Thank you, Jane,” he said. Then he turned to the others. “And now we know.”

There was a stunned silence in the room. Then Anya said, “Are you saying you think Nuala took the child?”

“That’s a hell of an accusation! How do we know she’s telling the truth?” Murdoch said, jumping to his feet and pointing at Jane.

“Why would she lie?” asked Riona.

“Because maybe she’s the one who took off with Eden or lost her or got her killed, and now she’s trying to cover it up!” Murdoch yelled, pointing a finger at Jane, who sat frozen.

“Jane has never met Nuala!” Riona said. “And she described her perfectly. She must be telling the truth.”

“Nuala is hardly the only woman in this world with red hair. How do we know you didn’t tell this woman what to say?” Murdoch demanded of Riona, coming closer, thrusting his chin out. “He said this was your idea. How do we know you’re not just trying to pin the blame on her?”

Rohan turned on Murdoch, burning with suppressed rage. The other man seemed to grow smaller as Rohan stared him down. “We have the proof of it right here! You think we would lie to all of you about something like this? Think! Riona has it right. Nuala has every reason to want that child. But the longer we