Eye for an Eye Read Free Page B

said Mary. ‘If ever there was one of God’s messengers walking this earth, it’s you.’
    *
    ‘Is that what she called you?’ said Detective Inspector O’Rourke. ‘Well, quite right, too, ma’am. You deserve it. You are an angel, whatever Jimmy O’Reilly says about you.’
    Detective Inspector O’Rourke was a stocky, round-faced man of forty-five, with chestnut hair that was shaved up the sides of his head like an Irish cousin of Kim Jong-Un, and protruding ears. Katie liked him a lot, though, because he was always straightforward and blunt, and he had never shown her any of the sexual prejudice that she had encountered from other Garda officers. It was probably because his wife Maeve always kept him in order.
    Assistant Commissioner Jimmy O’Reilly had never made any secret of his dislike of high-ranking female officers, which hadn’t been ameliorated by the appointment of Noirin O’Sullivan as the first-ever woman commissioner.
    Katie said, ‘There’s no question at all that this “Satan” who’s been scaring Mary O’Donnell is some fellow dressed up. But what’s the point of it? She’s an old woman with no money and nothing worth stealing, unless you count the biggest collection of plaster saints outside of the Holy Shop.’
    ‘Maybe somebody has a grudge against her, though that would be a fierce quare way of getting their own back, wouldn’t it? Dooley’s located one of her younger brothers in Carrigaline and he’ll be going down there later this afternoon to talk to him, for whatever good that will do.’
    ‘All right,’ said Katie. ‘I’m going back up to White’s Cross myself a little later to have a word with the fellow who runs the Toolmate factory. He won’t be back from Dublin until five, but I want him to get his whole workforce together so that we can question them en masse , like, and see if any of them saw anything suspicious. I’ve met him before, at a charity do. Redmond Keane, his name is. Very charming man indeed, so I’m sure he’ll help us, if he can.’
    Inspector O’Rourke said, ‘It’s the motive that has me puggalized, If that was the real Satan, all right, I can see that he would have wanted to kill a priest who was trying to exorcize him – although the real Satan would probably would have struck him with a bolt of lightning or pronged him with his fork, like, wouldn’t he, rather than bash him on the head with a rock? But if it was a fellow dressed up, why would he want to kill him? He’s not going to be afraid of a bit of chanting and a splash of the holy water, is he? Not unless he’s a total header.’
    ‘Maybe he recognized Father Fiachra as a priest who’d once abused him,’ said Katie. ‘That’s always a possibility.’
    ‘Well, yes, I suppose so,’ said Detective Inspector O’Rourke. ‘To be fair, though, the priests who taught me at school were all great, and right comedians one or two of them, but not one of them touched me, ever. I think the ones who are guilty of kiddy-fiddling deserve everything they get, but it’s a fierce pity that the good ones never seem to get any credit.’
    Katie smiled. ‘I have to go to a social services meeting tomorrow. I’ll tell the bishop you said so. He’ll be happy out, I can tell you.’
    *
    Redmond Keane stood up from behind his desk as Katie and Detective O’Donovan were shown in by his plump young secretary.
    ‘Katie!’ he smiled, holding out his hand. ‘Very good to see you again. Well – not under these circumstances, I suppose. But you’re looking just as radiant as the last time I saw you. Do you know what I said to my cousin after that night? I’ve met a merrow with legs! Red hair, wonderful figure, and the sweetest of smiles!’
    Redmond was tall and good-looking, with dark brown hair brushed up in a fashionable quiff. He was wearing a tailored black three-piece suit and a dazzling white shirt, although he didn’t have a tie and his collar was open. His eyes were bright blue, but