"You're wrong," Seamus repeated, but there was far less conviction behind the words this time. Ernie just seemed so resigned, like he knew already and this was just a formality. But he had to be wrong. Seamus clung to that as he forced his legs to work, taking halting steps forward.
Seamus didn't want to go where Ernie was taking him. He didn't want to entertain the possibility that Ernie might be right. But what choice did he have? Even if Seamus didn't want to know, the authorities had to make sure. Seamus didn't know where his father was. His cousin Fergus has moved to America with his family a few years ago. Who else was there? "There's no one else." The words were quiet, too quiet to have come from Seamus on a normal day, but nothing was normal. Not any more.