My God, its you, Sean.
As ever was. Get me a large Bushmills.
Docherty did as he was told, and when he turned, Dillon had a computer photo of Mary on the bar. He took his whiskey and drank it. Dochertys face said it all.
I can see by your face you know her.
Whats she done?
Got herself killed.
Docherty crossed himself. Mother of God.
Dont start getting pious with me. Who did she come in with?
And how would I be knowing that?
Because theres an IRA connection and a possible Liam Bell connection, so tell me what you know. If you dont, Ill be back tonight to haunt you. Ill cripple you, both knees. This is important to me.
All right, Sean, I hear you. He turned, poured a whiskey, hands shaking. Nice girl. A nurse. She was a sleeper.
How do you know?
I took letters from Dublin for her and the fella.
Which fella?
Well, he was a sleeper, too. Dermot Fitzgerald.
What did it say in the letters?
How would I know?
Because you steamed the envelopes open.
Docherty was panicking. I only did it a couple of times. They were just notes, no signature. Things like phone a certain number at such and such a time. Fitzgerald was a handsome rogue. A real scholar. Doing an MA at London University.
A scholar and a gentleman thinking it was romantic to be in the IRA?
There was word about him.
What kind of word?
That hed killed three or four times.
There was silence. Do you have his address?
Only round the corner, but hes gone.
Gone where?
Ibiza. He told me a couple of days ago. Said hed made a bit of money and was going over there for a while. Likes to dive.
Dillon thought about it, then took another computer photo out, Levins this time. Anyone you know?
Docherty shook his head. Definitely not.
Dillon put the photos away. I hope I dont have to come back.
Igor Levin, following Dillon to the Green Tinker, had glanced through a window, seen him approach the bar to talk to Docherty. He moved on and discovered a door to a separate saloon bar. He moved in. There was no one there, but there was an access door into the other bar, and when he put his earpiece in, he could hear what passed between them from the moment Docherty recognized Mary Killane and was told she had been killed.
There was really little else Levin could do. He waited by the front door, giving Dillon time, then moved out and went along the street to his Mercedes. Once behind the wheel, he phoned Luhzkov at the Embassy, and asked him to do a trace on Dermot Fitzgerald and flights to Ibiza.
In Dublin, Flynn sat in his favorite bar and had a large whiskey. He had a problem. A fine officer, Hannah Bernstein, had gone down and he felt that. On the other hand, there was a question of family loyalty and his brother, not ex-IRA at all, but still active. So he did the good thing, or the bad thing, and gave him a ring. Billy Salter had come calling, maybe Liam Bell needed to know. Afterward, he felt even worse and consoled himself with another whiskey.
Levin phoned Drumore Place and got Ashimov. He told him what Dillon had learned at the Green Tinker. The important thing is weve checked through the GRU computer and Dermot Fitzgerald left London Gatwick for Ibiza the day before yesterday.
So what are you saying to me?
That if I was Dillon and fired up like he is, Id be on the next plane over on Fitzgeralds case. If he can find him and squeeze him, hell know it was Liam Bell behind the execution of Mary Killane, and thats a direct lead to Drumore Place and what goes with that.
Do you think I dont know?
So what do you want me to do?
Get after Fitzgerald. Get rid of him.
Are you going to come?
Ive other things to do.
Can I say something?
Anything you like as long as its relevant.
Getting on Fitzgeralds tail is one thing, but theres another side to it. Why waste him? If Dillon comes after him, which he will, wed get two for the price of one.
Ashimov said, Thats good. I like that. He thought about it. I tell you what. Ill send a company Falcon from Ballykelly. It can bring Greta. She could be useful to you. Itll collect you at Archbury, then onwards to Ibiza.
Sounds good to me.
Then lets do it.
At Holland Park, Dillon found Roper and gave him the information hed obtained from Docherty about Fitzgerald. He had no known criminal connections, but was on the books at London University. A BA in English literature. His thesis for his masters degree was on the pending list.
Sounds good to me.
Then lets do it.
At Holland Park, Dillon found Roper and gave him the information hed obtained from Docherty about Fitzgerald. He had no known criminal connections, but was on the books at London University. A BA in English literature. His thesis for his masters degree was on the pending list.
Roper trawled through the passenger lists for Ibiza and confirmed that Fitzgerald had left. Anything else?
This diving business. Check that out if you can.
I can do anything, old lad. Roper went through the PADI list, the world association of professional divers, and nodded. There you are. A master diver. So what do you want to do?
I think I should go after him. I know Ibiza well. I used to go there a lot in the old days. A good friend of mine ran an outfit flying floatplanes between the islands. I flew for him. I wonder if hes still at it? Aldo Russo, Eagle Air. Hes Italian. Has strong Mafia connections, or did have.
Roper went back to his computer, which came up trumps again. There you go. Still up and running, but would you be? How much flying have you done lately?
Ive kept my hand in. Mostly weekend stuff these days. I can fly anything short of a jumbo, but who says Im going to fly?
I think Ferguson will say no to you going. He wants the Hannah investigation to stay in the hands of Scotland Yard.
Look, Mary Killane eased Hannahs going with those pills, but the IRA contact between her and Fitzgerald is more than a coincidence, and Id take a large bet with you he killed her. It makes sense. Shes the nurse with access. Afterwards shes got to be got rid of. On top of that, he clears off to Ibiza.
You could persuade me, Roper said, but at that moment, Ferguson came in, immaculate in black tie.
Whats going on? he said.
Dillon told him, not that it did any good. I told you, I dont want you to intervene. The Yard will handle it. All right, youve done well, Sean, and so has young Salter in Dublin. Its a step forward knowing that Liam Bell is at Drumore Place, but Im not having you running off to Ibiza. Im at Saint Jamess Palace for a luncheon with the Prime Minister. Hell want to know how things are, so leave it alone.
Whatever you say.
He went out. Roper said, But youre not going to leave it alone, are you?
Not a chance. Im going to presume on friendship. Im going to phone Lacey at Farley Field and tell him a priority jobs come up and I need a Citation flight to Ibiza tonight. Ill say Ferguson has ordered it. That clears you.
Roper sat back, frowning, then said, Give me a Marlboro and well call it quits.
My pleasure. Dillon took one himself.
Only one thing, Roper said. I make the call. Lacey trusts me.
So where does that leave you with Ferguson?
What can he do? Roper smiled. Im handicapped. Hed end up in front of a tribunal. Ill tell Lacey youll be there in two hours. Go on, get out of here.
He phoned Lacey and stated his requirements, the usual schedule, the Quartermaster for weaponry, and then he phoned Billy Salter.
Somethings come up, he said, and told him. What do you think?
That hes not been the same since she died, not his old self at all. Whats more, to go off on a hunt like this, on his own, in the state hes in, is barmy.
So what are you going to do?
Pack a suitcase.
I thought youd say that. Theyre expecting you at Farley, too. Stay in touch.
IBIZA
8
The Falcon, with Greta on board, dropped in at Archbury and picked up Levin. Youve been busy, she said as they took off again.
Whats happening?
The nets closing in. She told him about Billy Salter in Dublin.
So now they know definitely, Levin said. Thanks to a family-minded Dublin detective.
They know Liam Bell is in charge of Drumore, theyre aware that Max Zubin is playing Belov at Station Gorky. They dont know about Ashimov or me.
He smiled. Or me.
So lets keep it that way.
Youve got Fitzgeralds address, details of what hes up to? He knows were coming?
Oh, yes. Bells been in touch with him.
That was a mistake. Levin opened the bar cabinet and got out the vodka.
Why? she asked as he poured.
He could wonder why. He could wonder whether the only present were bringing is a bullet in the head.
Not with me along.
A good-looking woman to make him feel comfortable?
Why not? Tell me one thing. You really think Dillon will turn up?
Absolutely.
It should be an interesting trip, then, and they toasted each other. Heres to Mary Hall.
Whos that?
Me, Igor. Thats what it says on my passport.
When Billy arrived at Farley Field, he was delivered by Harry, grumbling as usual. I mean, whats he got you into now?
Im a member of the Security Services, Harry. They yell, I jump. Its called doing your duty.
Only Ferguson doesnt know.
He will when hes finished dinner. Roper will see to that.
They parked outside the terminal building, went in and there was Lacey in flight overalls talking to Dillon. The Quartermasters left you the usual bag, Sean, said youll find everything you want inside.
Billy and Harry looked on. There you are, you little Irish bastard, Harry said.
Lacey said, Ill go and get us started.
Dillon frowned. Does Ferguson know about this?
He soon will. Ropers in charge. Billy picked up the Quartermasters bag and took his own from Harry. Come on, Dillon, lets get moving, and he led the way out and walked to the Citation X.
Flying through the night at thirty thousand feet, Dillon indulged himself on half a bottle of Krug champagne.
So whats the first move? asked Billy.
To find Fitzgerald. Ropers going to check diving sites and the kind of hotels divers use. If that doesnt work, Ill try my old friend Aldo Russo.
Italian, not Spanish? How come you were involved with him?
Way back in the old days when I was the pride of the IRA, I was sent to Sicily to buy arms, only the Mafia knew British intelligence was onto them, so they moved Russo, his wife and son to Ibiza, and used that as a base. There were Spanish elements who didnt like it, thought the Mafia were encroaching on their territory.
What happened?
I did him a favor one night when a bit of business came up at the last minute. I offered to drive his wife and son home. Two men whod been given the contract ambushed us, wounded the boy and his mother.