Unlikely Hero-10

1

Chapter 92

Assistant Chief Constable Hailey had been having nearly as rotten a morning as his daughter. It wasn’t yet noon and his neatly turned out attire was displaying signs of distress. Rudely he tapped his fingers on his desk as he glared at the two investigators who stood like errant schoolboys in front of him. “Not only don’t you have a spit of an idea who butchered the Ahern woman but now we have another body. A welfare worker murdered in the same manner.”3

“Not exactly,” said the senior of the investigators. “Nan Fitzgibbon wasn’t knifed. She was raped and bludgeoned to death in her own bedroom. A single lass, she lived alone in her house.” 4

“And her neighbors didn’t hear or see anything?” 5

The stocky black haired man attempted to straighten his shirt over a belly that bore witness to his love of beer. He was shaking his head no. 6

Beside him, his leaner, younger, ruddy complexioned partner was sweating profusely as he took on the explanation. “With the Ahern case over she’d taken a three-day leave. Her sister drove down from Bray this morning to fetch her. They planned on takin’ the shuttle plane to London. Poor lass, found Nan’s front door ajar and when she walked into the bedroom she discovered the horrible sight. Her sister naked on her bed and beaten to a bloody pulp.” 7

They had already explained to their boss that Nan’s last assignment had been tending to Garth Ahern. ‘That damnable youngster.’ Hailey’s stomach constricted and he felt raising acid in his esophagus. A dull pain was mounting into a full-blown headache. The Fitzgibbon lass had been caring for Garth. His daughter had been counseling Garth. The boy’s mother murdered, his caregiver murdered. ‘ My God! ‘ A coincidence—it had to be. A nine-year-old boy didn’t go around raping and killing. 8

He was trying hard to concentrate on what the senior investigator was saying. “Doc figures she was killed sometime last night. There wasn’t a bit of warmth left in the body and the blood had dried. Most likely we wouldn’t have found her for days, since she wasn’t overly friendly being a Catholic lass in a Protestant neighborhood. Might be what the killer figured on. At least four days before she’d be missed at work.” 9

“If he knew that, he’d have to know her.” 10

“Right, Chief. This one wasn’t likely done in by a stranger.” The man was again smoothing his shirtfront. “Her sis says Nan didn’t have a steady fellow, but she did date. We are already on that. Got some lads questioning her co-workers. Andy and I are heading out to her parish. Priest would have an idea about fellows she knew and any crazies in his congregation.” 11

“He’ll give us names?” The younger officer finger-combed loosely cut brown hair and lifted his shoulders to show apparent distrust of priests in general. “Not likely to be too open in discussing his parishioners. He’s gonna figure, her being single and given a council house, someone angry over it did her in. We had trouble enough without this integration business.” 12

Hailey shared the other man’s view but couldn’t admit it. He said, “When a few ministers want to attempt integration, we make it safe, that’s our job. We don’t have to like it, but we do it. If this was a case of throwing things, even a homemade bomb, or shooting the lass, I’d agree. But this is something far more sinister. Two women raped and brutally murdered. You have to impress that on the priest.” 13

“You think there’s a connection with Leona Ahern’s murder?” 14

Hailey waved his hand impatiently at the older inspector’s question. “Most likely not, but you needn’t tell the priest that. In fact, I’d impress upon him, he’s likely got one of these deranged killers in his own congregation. Might get him to thinking about what he’s heard in the confessional.” 15

“Luv to bug one of them boxes.” A nasty smile surfaced on the younger man’s mouth. “You think it’s ever been done?” 16

“Everything’s been done at one time or another,” Hailey said. “But for now settle with trying to get the priest talking.” 17

As he watched the pair leave his office, he was surprised to find he was comparing them with Ryan Mason. They were good men, he thought, suited to investigating the usual crimes that plagued their small country. Schooled in the kind of violence that ran amok in a divided society, they were adept at investigating crimes of hate. Something made him feel these two murders didn’t fall into that classification. The hate was present all right, but not because both women were Catholics. 18

Ryan Mason had been to their home for dinner the previous evening. His relationship with Aileen seemed to be blossoming beautifully and Hailey hoped it would soon come to full bloom. While his daughter, he accepted, was a mature and modern young woman, still, he was an old fashion bloke. He needed to see her safely wed to a reliable fellow like Ryan. 19

He certainly would feel more comfortable if he had a man like Mason on the Ahern case. Last evening the Special Branch detective had clued him in on their latest endeavors. 20

“Big bust. Netted us not only forty thousand in Yankee dollars, but also we got a talkative courier. We were able to hit them at the docks when they were unloading the ammo all nicely packaged in washing machines. So, I figure the SAS owes us a break. The Brits can scrap McCarthy's demise attributing it to pest control.” 21

“They should be damn grateful,” Hailey agreed. “If the IRA smuggled that ammo in, it would have been across the border before the week was out, and we’d be tallying up a lot more dead soldiers.” 22

Mason had started to ask about the Ahern case, but Hailey’s wife pleaded, “Ryan, Calvin, can’t we find better dinner conversation. I swear you’ll give us all indigestion.” 23

Hailey’s stomach didn’t feel all that fine now. Another senseless and brutal murder of a young woman. Aileen had been friendly with the Fitzgibbon lass; they‘d worked with Garth Ahern together. He started to reach for the phone then remembered. Aileen had gone into Belfast. His wife was doing her church duties, and their housekeeper had the day off. Hopefully they wouldn’t learn about the murder until he had a chance to tell them. 24

***25

So an empty house greeted Aileen as she drove in and parked as close to the garage as she could. She rushed to her room to change into a pair of jeans and a baggy shirt. She swept her hair into a bun and covered it with a scarf. In less than ten minutes she was back outside lugging a pail of warm sudsy water. She rolled out the hose and turned on the tap. For an hour she diligently labored restoring the fresh new look to her Audi. 26

Finally satisfied, she returned to the house. Upstairs, she drew a bath added a flowery scented bath oil and descended into its warmth. She was determined to relax for the rest of the day. She wouldn’t think about anyone but perhaps Ryan. 27

Her mind played at creating fantasies as the lovely caress of the water drained the tension from her body. They would honeymoon in Spain. Everyone honeymooned in Spain. No, she wanted a place that would be secretly their own. Several ideas came to her and she filed them for discussion. After all Ryan should have some say in the choice. 28

When the water started to chill, she turned on the hot tap and let it run. She smiled at a fresh idea. Aboard ship, the captain could perform the ceremony. Married at sea, in the middle of the Atlantic. No, they couldn’t deprive her mum of planning the wedding. Dream-like, she saw herself in an exquisite white gown and delicate veil. Ryan wasn’t great looking, she thought, but yes, every man is handsome in a tux. And he certainly wasn’t homely. 29

It was so peaceful and safe here in her own home. She felt she could drift off to sleep. Little Garth was somewhere across the Atlantic. It was strange how bad things had worked to the child’s advantage. If that car hadn’t hit him, his uncle might never have learned about him. Now his mother’s death released him from the ranks of the underprivileged and plummeted him into a society of wealth and privilege. 30

A noise in the distance like a door closing? 31

She sat up straight in the tub. ‘What!’ She was holding her breath again and abusing her lungs. Her staring eyes noticed the bathroom door was ajar. Someone was coming up the back stairway. There was no carpeting on the rear stairs and she could distinctly hear the footsteps. ‘Had she left the garage door unlocked?’ 32

She jumped out of the tub, and hit the door shut in a single motion. Her wet fingers reached for the slide lock.33