“And after this chance meeting with Deauville, Strong tries to contact his handler immediately. But where is Harry Selden? Harry’s in the hospital. So Strong decides to act on his initiative. I’ll shoot the blackmailing bastard myself. Can’t use my service revolver but it’s dead easy to buy a crossbow somewhere. And then I’ll get Harry to get the IRA to claim the hit. End of problem.”
“But the IRA didn’t want to claim the hit, they’re pretty protective of their and other groups’ kills, aren’t they? And it was only with reluctance that Harry got that DAADD claim out into the press,” Lawson said.
We finished our drinks and stared at the sea.
“We have no proof and we’re not going to get any proof,” McCrabban said. “Strong is far too clever to admit anything.”
“What if we wore a wire and confronted him? I mean you, sir, you confront him?” Lawson asked.
I shook my head. “Crabbie’s right. Those Jedi tricks aren’t going to work with him. Overtly or covertly he won’t admit anything to me. And we’ll have played our hand. He’s a very dangerous opponent. The most dangerous opponent we’ve ever had and he’ll destroy us all if we bring him in and only wound him.”
“And what if we’re wrong? What if we bring him in and accuse him and we’re just dead wrong?” Lawson said. “The high jump for all of us.”
“I don’t think we’re wrong. Strong told me to drop the case. He needs it gone. He’s come at me on two fronts, through Special Branch and through the IRA.”
“He can’t know that we suspect him. You have to tell Strong that we’re yellowing the file. DAADD claimed the kill and we’re letting it drop for lack of evidence. Similarly with Mrs Deauville, we’re letting the case lapse,” Crabbie said.
“Then what?” I asked.
“Then you write a letter to Harry Selden on official stationery telling him too that the case is closed and that the RUC regrets any inconvenience it may have caused,” Crabbie said.
“Agent and handler both get the good news and both think they’re in the clear. I officially move on to other work, meanwhile we try harder than ever to nail the fucker,” I said.
23: THE ACC
First things first. Letter off to Selden. Full-throated apology. Regret any inconvenience. Blah, blah, bloody blah. Then wait for the other shoe to drop.
Two days later the phone rang in my office.
“Hello?”
“Duffy, it’s John Strong.”
“Sir, I wasn’t expecting to hear—”
“It’s a pleasure to talk to you, son. I don’t want to embarrass you but you’re quite the hero now, after what happened to you at your home,” ACC Strong said.
“From zero to hero, isn’t that the expression, sir?”
“Now, now, Duffy. Don’t be facetious, I always knew you were a good policeman. And I hear you’re in the running for a medal?”
“Another medal, sir. That’ll be my second.”
“You are in a cocky mood this morning. So, uhm, what are you up to these days?”
“Nothing much, sir, a post office robbery from a few years ago that we can’t seem to crack.”
“Whatever happened to that case you were working on with the French name?”
“Oh, the Deauville case? You were right, sir. There was no juice to it. DAADD murdered the poor chap and we’ve no eyewitnesses or forensic evidence of any kind so we’re dropping it. Moving it to the yellow file. Moving onto other business.”
“I think that’s probably for the best, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry to have let you down, sir. It’s yet another homicide case that goes unsolved, sir, and it won’t do my reputation any good for bringing DAADD or IRA men to justice but—”
“No need to finish that sentence, Duffy. You’re doing the right thing. And there’s some of us up here that know you’re a good policeman. Special Branch still causing you problems?”
“They’re still investigating me, I think, sir.”
“I’ll see what I can do to get them off your back.”
“Thank you, sir, I’ll get you a drink next time you’re down the police club.”
“I won’t get there as often as I’d like now, not with all my new responsibilities.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Bye, Duffy. Good to see you’ve decided to become a company man again.”
“Yes, sir. Straight and narrow for me from now on … Sir, I’d like to get you a wee something for all your help, though. You’re a Rangers man rather than Celtic, am I right?”
“Of course!” he said, laughing. “But you don’t have to get me anything.”
“I’ll find something nice, sir. Tickets to an Old Firm game or something like that.”
“You don’t have to do anything, Duffy. Just keep your nose clean. Bye, Inspector.”
“Bye, sir.”
He hung up.
A Rangers fan who goes to the Rangers club and is seen there by Francis Deauville? Yeah, that would work.
The IRA Council would get the message from two different sources now. Their mole was safe. Yeah don’t worry, lads, Duffy’s not as smart as he thinks he is and he’s safely neutered.
A third Army-Council-sanctioned attack on Sean Duffy seemed an unlikely possibility.