Cait grimaced as she drove into Galway. She hated driving in bigger cities and though Galway wasn't as big as Dublin, Cait had grown used to the ebb and flow of small-town traffic. She swore as a car cut her off. Typical of the city.

Cait drove towards city centre, uncertain where to start. She wished that she had done a little more research prior to coming into the city. She knew that one of Shane's buildings rested right on the main square and planned to go there first to ask after Ellen. As a property manager, Ellen most likely lived in one of the apartment buildings that Shane owned.

Cait smiled as she drove into the square and admired the line of flags on one end and the people sitting in cafes along another. Galway was a fun city – a cross between small-town Ireland and big-city Dublin. If she had to pick, she'd rather spend time in Galway than Dublin. Spying a parking spot, Cait wrenched her wheel to the left and pulled in, waving a hand as angry horns sounded behind her.

Getting out of her car, Cait stretched and pulled her phone from her messenger bag to pull up the Google app. She knew that Shane had an apartment building right on the main square, but had forgotten the name of it. Cait leaned against her car as she did some sleuthing.

"Aha, of course he would name his building that." Cait rolled her eyes as she read her phone. The Baron was located just steps from where she had parked and Cait considered it a good sign. Cait straightened and tucked her phone in her back pocket. Her stomach twisted and she stopped to think about her approach. Did she know what she was doing? Cait shrugged her shoulder. She was used to improvising on the fly being a pub owner and she trusted her judgment to lead her in the right direction.

Cait followed the sidewalk down a small hill and came to stand in front of the Baron. Shane couldn't be faulted for his taste, Cait thought. A rustic brownstone of a building, the Baron had the charm of yesteryear mixed with the sleekness of modern windows and iron fixtures. Cheerful blooms spilled out of several window boxes and the front stoop was clean. Cait imagined that there was quite a waitlist to live in an apartment building such as this one.

The large double door opened and an elderly gentleman stepped out. The lines of his face sagged down and he stooped over the large box he was carrying. Instinctively, Cait ran up the steps to hold the door for him.

"Thank you, miss," the old man said tiredly.

"Hi, I'm Cait," Cait said impulsively.

The old man turned, his startling blue eyes lost in the wrinkles of his face, and he nodded at her. "Seamus."

"Can I help you?" Cait offered impulsively.

Seamus shrugged and motioned with his head towards a van parked in front that Cait had missed. The back doors were thrown open and an assortment of boxes, lamps and furniture were tucked in the back.

"Are you moving?" Cait asked and took one end of the box.

"I am, at that. Not by choice," Seamus huffed as they maneuvered the steps carefully before walking to the back of the van. Cait helped him to ease the box onto the floor of the van and then turned to examine Seamus' face more closely.

"Why? What happened?" Cait asked. She was tempted to read his mind but decided to let him speak first.

Seamus shrugged and pulled a small pipe from his pocket. He eased down on the back tailgate of the van and lit the pipe, puffing several times before exhaling a plume of smoke.

"I'm being forced out. Raised the rent," Seamus said.

"Shane raised the rent?" Cait questioned.

"You know Shane? Haven't seen him in half a year. No, Ellen did," Seamus said.

"Was it the typical yearly increase?" Cait asked. Her stomach twisted even further into knots.

"It certainly was not! I was astounded. I've been here for years and never seen such a price hike as this one," Seamus said angrily.

"How much did she raise it?"

"Two hundred euros more a month!" Seamus exclaimed.

"What? That's madness," Cait said, just as angry as Seamus was. With every fiber of her being she knew that Shane had not authorized the rent increases.

"I can't afford that. I'm retired and have a budget. I…I love this place though. Breaks my heart to leave it. I feel like I am still alive living here. I can walk to the pub, meet up with friends for lunch, or get my daily shopping done. If I have to move out of the city I'll be dependent on public transportation. I don't want to give up this life," Seamus said and Cait caught a glimpse of tears in his eyes.

"Seamus, look at me," Cait said. The old man turned and met her eyes. Cait reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"I will make this right. Don't pack anything else, okay? Go grab a pint and I'll have this fixed by the end of the day. I promise," Cait said.

Seamus' eyes lit up.

"Can you really do that?"

"I can. I'm good friends with Shane. I'll make it right. Here's my phone number and all of my information," Cait said as she recited her personal information and watched the old man write it on a small notebook he pulled from his coat. "But, I'll need your help."

"Anything at all," Seamus said as he stood up and straightened his shoulders proudly.

"I'm going after Ellen. Do you know where she lives? I suspect that we won't be able to find her after today," Cait said.

"I do, actually. I fixed some wiring in her apartment a few months back. I used to be an electrician," Seamus said.

"Perfect," Cait said.

"She manages and lives in one of the other buildings. It's off the square, down towards the water. A lovely building as well, but I like this location better," Seamus said and rattled off the address for Cait.

"Thank you, Seamus. Now, I just have to figure out how to get in," Cait murmured.

"Ah, that I can help you with. I still have the building key as Ellen wanted me to come back for another apartment." Seamus smiled cagily.

Cait leaned down and kissed the old man's cheek enthusiastically.

"Can I borrow it or do you want to come with?"

"Wouldn't miss this for the world. She's a nasty one," Seamus said.

Cait smiled at him and waited for Seamus to close up his van. It looked like she had gotten herself a sidekick.