As we rode in his car, he told me stories about the people who lived in the area. He was a grand storyteller and had me laughing ’til I cried. He was great craic altogether. I was almost sorry when we came to the outskirts of Shotgun City and he stopped talking. As he drove down the main street, I could hardly believe my eyes. The place was packed with every class of people you could imagine, from toffs to people wearing what I’d say were rags. Men in narrow trousers with some sort of leather coverings, boots like Mr. Kearney’s except scuffed and dirty and big hats with wide brims, loitered beside tethered horses. They eyed me as we drove past, their eyes squinting against the sun.

Mr. Kearney stopped outside the biggest building in the town. A sign above it read “Kearney Hotel.” I looked at him sharply. “You didn’t say you owned this bloody place!”

He laughed. “You’ll learn everything in good time, Miss Sweeney, including the fact that I know another Miss Sweeney who may come to work for me. Her name is Delia. Would you happen to know her?”

I sat bolt upright. I hadn’t prepared myself for this question. Even though I had come all this way to find Delia, suddenly I wasn’t quite ready to see her. I didn’t want to know just yet whether she was involved with Aidan O’Hanlon. If she was, I’d have to forget about working for Sullivan. And I had to admit that I was looking forward to the challenge of selling oil leases. In the back of my mind I also knew, but wouldn’t admit, that I already liked being treated like a queen, and the lure of more money would be hard to resist. What harm can it do to put our reunion off for a wee while? I told myself. After all, it’s been well over a year since we’ve seen each other.

“Sweeney’s a common name,” I said. “She could be my sister. I haven’t laid eyes on her since the Titanic sank. But I heard a rumor she’d gone to Texas.” I nodded to the hotel. “I can’t believe she’d work in a place like this. She’s very refined.”

A smile stole across Kearney’s face. “Don’t worry your head none about that. She wouldn’t be working in the dance hall. Would you like me to arrange a meeting?”