“That’s some weather,” I said, brushing the wet from my face.

“Aye, it’s cat.” He leaned on the counter. “I heard you were back. How was Florida? Wee bit drier than this, I suppose.”

I shivered. I needed to dry out my feet. “A damn sight warmer anyway. It’s good to be back though.” I picked up two papers, the national Irish Times and the local Inish Times, one letter difference in the title, considerable difference in the coverage. “What’s the story with the charity cycle?” I asked. “Have they postponed it? I’ve just seen a load of them going into the Oak.”

Stoop nodded, ringing up the papers on the cash register. “Aye. They’re leaving it till this afternoon to set off. A few of them were in here buying papers.” He shook his head. “I can see them having to abandon it altogether, the forecast is so bad. But you couldn’t be saying it to them, people always think they know best. Some of them thought they should get going this morning as planned; there was a bit of a spat about it in the shop.”

I looked at the open doorway, rain hammering off the step. “Really?”

“Aye.” He clicked his teeth. “Not wise. They don’t know the roads around there. They could get rightly stranded.”

The rain had stopped again by the time I paid for the papers and braved the street, stuffing them beneath my jacket just in case. The footpath was sodden, water running down the street in rivulets. I saw that the bank was open and remembered I needed to call in, but as I crossed the square, a couple standing outside the doctor’s surgery caught my eye, umbrellas at their sides. It took me a second to recognize her, but it was Marina, my locum, saying goodbye to someone with a kiss. And, I was surprised to see, the someone she was kissing was the doctor himself: Dr Harry. Leah’s cousin, newish man about town and a man I’d been seeing myself very casually the previous summer, until Molloy had returned and complicated matters.

Dr Harry had found himself in hot water when he’d concealed his past in the context of a murder investigation, and he’d been lucky not to be charged with anything. Which was just as well for Marina, I thought, because from where I was standing, they looked pretty close. I tested how I felt about Harry having a new love interest but there was nothing. I had no feelings for him anymore. I wondered if I ever had. Despite sometimes wishing other-wise, it had always been Molloy. The realization hit me like a bolt. But I decided to put that thought away for later.

In the meantime, I turned my head away so they wouldn’t catch me staring and took the long way to the bank, ducking in quickly when I reached it.