Minogue had had enough.
“All right, Jimmy, all right. I was-”
Kilmartin snapped back with the first show of anger.
“Shut up and listen. I want you to know what you’re missing. Poor lad has a gambling syndrome. Worst of all, God help him, he has food allergies-”
“Jimmy-”
“Yes indeed! A walking collection of troubles and tribulations. His food allergies that he didn’t know he had must have caused him to kick the other fella, you see. Now why didn’t I think of that? I heard of the case in the States where a fella got off because he was demented by a bar of chocolate, but we’re obviously way behind here in our grasp of this new psychology. Nolan’s a victim of society.”
The back of Minogue’s neck began to ache with tension.
“But as I was saying,” Kilmartin resumed in a singsong voice, “I think that I didn’t give this place in Greece a fair hearing when you were talking about it.”
“I was going to phone you anyway,” said Minogue.
“You were on your granny’s teeth. Like hell, pal. The more I think of it, Greece is the best place for you. Without a doubt. I hear that the police there need experienced men for mountain work, chasing the runaway goats and sheep. After your few days in Ennis, sure that’ll qualify you eminently for that class of demanding work. Gob, you could count the sheep for them too. Oh, and I hear tell there are good-looking sheep there, as well. Why don’t you toddle down to Shannon Airport, it’s right beside you there, and head for Greece. And take Hoey with you-”
“Leave Shea out of it, Jimmy.”
“And take that double-dehydrated, know-it-all, trouble-making bollocks Hynes with you. Where the hell did you get the idea of letting that bastard out of the bottle? That move was well below the water-line, man.”
Minogue did not think it wise to tell Kilmartin that he could muzzle Hynes for the moment because he intended to give Hynes exclusive if the Bourke thing came to anything. Then Kilmartin could afford to smile again at seeing Hynes all over the likes of Tom Russell and the Supers who wanted Kilmartin’s monkeys in their own zoos.
“I can phone the airport for ye, and lay on a plane,” Kilmartin was saying.
“Tynan told me to lay off the shooting death here, the one with the German tourist. That I’ll do.”
“Very big of you. Why didn’t you tell him to piss off? He’s only the Garda Commissioner.”
“But the rehash of the Bourke thing still stands. It stinks. I feel bad that I sort of fobbed off the thing when Crossan got to me, and now it’s too late. Maybe I can get something out of it-”
“For who? Isn’t the man dead now?”
“I plan to talk to the principals in the case, if I can find them.”
“Did I tell you that the hearing is gone bad on me?” Kilmartin asked remotely. “Maura says I should have me ears checked. I get a buzzing in me ears at certain times.”
“Look, Jimmy. I used Hynes because I had the local nabob, Tom Russell, slam a door in my face here. Hynes phoned Tynan about the German.”
The Chief Inspector’s voice turned gravelly.
“A word to the wise now, hair-oiclass="underline" Tom Russell’s a hard man. Russell has his friends and Tynan knows that well. If you play trick-of-the-loop with Tom, he’ll nail you. And he’ll set the phone-lines to Tynan’s office burning.”
“He already has. He might do it again if he finds out I’m talking to the witnesses and so on.”
“Listen,” Kilmartin said with a softer urgency. “You started out this thing with some remarks that this lawman fella-what’s his name again?”
“Crossan. Alo Crossan.”
“…that Crossan made. If you really want to firm up, why not do the paperwork for an official reopening? I’ll phone Sheehan or someone in Justice, if you want. See what the score is. The appeal period is long gone but maybe we can work out a back door to getting the trial record typed up. Then you might see that you’re going nowhere.”
Minogue was taken aback by this sudden solicitude.
“Well,” he hesitated, while he tried to guess Kilmartin’s motive. “We don’t really have any new evidence to warrant a…”
The Inspector imagined Kilmartin’s smirk.
“Okay, look, Jimmy. My quandary is that I’ll have nothing until I talk to the people involved in the case. It’s tricky, I admit.”
“Tricky, you admit. Hhnn. And if you find the investigation produced the proper conviction?”
“I’ll walk away from it, with me head hanging. And I’ll buy you a hearing aid.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” said Kilmartin solemnly. “Very smucking fart, I’m sure. Keep your head, that’s what I say to all that. By the way, how’s the patient?”
“Progressing.”
“Unn-hhh. Florence Nightingale. Off the jar, I hope. That’ll be the cure, if you ask me.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I can tell you’re not going to be talking your face off about that particular matter. I have something to tell you now and you’d better mark it well. Monsignor Tynan spared me five minutes of his precious time here on the phone. ‘Asked’ me to let you alone on this Bourke thing-”
“He did? Well, why didn’t you tell me that first?”
“Because I wanted to hear your bloody side. Do you take me for an iijit? Do you think I don’t know what Tynan’s up to here? Anyway, he phones me. As if he wanted you seconded, bejases. Gave him a soft ball, you know, ‘The Inspector is on his holidays,’ says I. ‘That’s the whole idea,’ he says back to me. Very shagging strange conversation. Tynan did not tell me that he’d be pleased as punch if you dug up any dirt in Tom Russell’s field. Do you know why he didn’t tell me that? It’s because I bloody well know that already!”
“I don’t think Tynan’s playing politics,” said Minogue.
“God, you’re the trusting little schoolboy, aren’t you?” Kilmartin scoffed with genial scorn. “Sure what do you know? You have your head in the clouds half the time. You don’t care who’s backstabbing who here. Tom Russell got passed over for Tynan several years ago. He can’t stand Tynan!”
“A question, James. Tell me something now, my memory is failing. Is Tom Russell also one of the Divisional Superintendents asking for the Squad to be dispersed?”
“Ha, ha,” said Kilmartin. “You finally woke up! You’re a quick learner. Figure it out for yourself, smart arse. Ha, ha, ha!”
There was bounce in Minogue’s step as he headed back to the dining-room. Hoey was alone at the table.
“What’s the word?” said Hoey.
Minogue sat down.
“Well, we still have jobs. Jimmy stepped aside for Tynan, but don’t expect an overdose of help and encouragement is about the size of it, I’m afraid.”
“Tynan? Where does he fit here?”
Minogue considered his reply.
“Remember the archaeologists going through the Viking rubbish pits down by the City Hall?”
Hoey frowned and began playing with coins in his pocket.
“You can tell a lot about what’s been kept by what’s been swept under the carpet.”
Crossan strode across the floor and flopped into his seat.
“I’m not guaranteeing Eilo McInerny will sing, now,” he said. “And she sounds cagey enough, but she’ll be in the hotel this afternoon.”
His eyes had returned to their full, startled appearance. He handed Minogue a piece of paper with the phone number and address of the hotel.
“I told her you were Guards, mind,” Crossan warned. “Everything above board. She wasn’t too keen, but I think I have her persuaded.”
“Did you tell her what happened to Bourke last night?”
“No. Let it be a trump when you deliver the news.”
Minogue nodded his appreciation slowly.
“We’ll be off this minute,” he said. “Before she or anyone else up in Dublin changes their minds.”
“What does that mean?” Crossan asked. “About Dublin?”
“It’s an inside joke.”
“Well. Go easy on her now,” said Crossan, and rolled his watch around his wristbone. “I told her that, for Guards, you were all right.”