at all.
Allen felt the beginnings of a headache grasping the back of his neck. Of course he was nervous, he couldn't deny that. Which was he more nervous about, asking her, or facing these soldiers and RUC at the border?
'Are you O. K?' Agnes was asking.
'Oh. Yes. Just tired, that's all,' he replied.
Minogue followed Scully over to an unmarked car. Behind him the blades were slowing and the monster was bathed in light. His legs felt like pieces of wood. The blower was on in the car. The driver reminded Minogue of Connors. A creased coat, the shirt half out of his pants probably.
'I'm Scully. Sergeant Minogue here is along for the ride. He's investigating a link here.'
'Geraghty, sir. I'm to take yous to the customs post.'
So they were going to wait, Minogue thought. That was odd.
'Away, so, Geraghty. What kind of time do we have?' Scully asked.
'The suspects are in Dundalk, sir. They're probably ten minutes back the road.'
'Timing, hah?' Scully said, rubbing his hands.
'Were they waiting for us before they make the pick up?' Minogue tried.
Scully didn't answer. Minogue felt his tension edge into anger.
'Who's the other suspect?' he said.
'A woman, sir,' Geraghty answered, suddenly aware of a brittle atmosphere.
'Reddish hair, young?'
'We don't know, sir,' Geraghty said cautiously.
Traffic was light as they passed the sign for the border. Minogue remembered Kilmartin's injunction to him about meddling. Scully turned to him and said:
'Not to worry, Sergeant, everything will go well.'
The mention of his rank skittered away in Minogue's mind. A warning? The floodlights at the customs post ahead filled up the windscreen. A lorry was parked off to the side, facing south. Minogue could see figures in the shed through the screens. They pulled up on the gravel behind the shed. Minogue noticed two cars and a Land Rover in the shadows. It'd be the same up the road, he guessed, on the Northern side. RUC armed and some soldiers off to the side of the road; invisible from within the arena of floodlights. Minogue stepped out of the car. He felt ropey.
Scully walked over to the car and began talking in the window. Minogue heard a man laugh. The car creaked on its suspension. The lorry which had been parked drove off. No other vehicles could be heard. Minogue saw a movement in the shadows behind the customs shed, then another. He recognised the outlines of soldiers carrying automatic rifles.
Headlights appeared, coming from the south. It was a van. It slowed and a hand waved toward the customs shed. Probably a local who made the crossing every day. It accelerated slowly away to the North. Minogue stood at the side of the road. He saw a group of lights on the northern side which filtered dimly through the yellow-white glare of the customs post. He heard a car door open behind him. A big man climbed out awkwardly. In the weak light which shone from the car's interior, Minogue saw the man heft a strap on his shoulder inside his coat. He was carrying a submachine gun, Minogue realised. More cowboys.
Scully walked over to Minogue.
'Any minute now,' Scully said.
'I don't see all your lads, is there more of them?' Minogue asked.
'Ah we don't need an army now,' Scully said smoothly.
'Are they obliged to stop here? Heading north?'
'Not obliged. But people slow down.'
'Do you put down some barrier?' Minogue persisted.
Scully shook his head.
'You're making a lot out of this now. Leave the details to me. Everything's in place. We're here to just see that everything goes smoothly. Don't be worrying,' Scully soothed.
Minogue could smell the sea. It was mixed in with the smell of turned soil. He looked to the north again, at the lights of their customs post. A few hundred yards away were British soldiers like on the telly, with real guns and real uniforms.
'Oi,' said Scully behind him. Minogue turned. The lights of one vehicle were approaching from Dundalk.
'Over here,' Scully said. Minogue followed him to the customs post and stood next to him in the shadows. The big detective joined them. A radio squawked under his anorak and he reached in to turn it down. Minogue caught a few words before the volume went.
'Car's through, maintaining speed. Roadblock in place-'
'What roadblock?' Minogue whispered.
Allen had the road to himself. Only one lorry passed him going south. No lights appeared in his mirror. He felt some relief that he wasn't being followed. He wondered why there were so few vehicles on the road. Ahead of him the lights of the Irish customs post formed an island in the darkness. The place looked deserted. Allen knew that this post here at Killeen had been blown up a half dozen times in the past. Often it was closed down at night. He could see lights on the far side of the border now. He slowed the car and let it coast up to the light. He knew he didn't have to stop. There was someone on duty in the office. Yellow glare filled the car interior. Agnes was squinting. Allen noticed an army Land Rover and several cars parked some distance behind the customs post. For a moment he felt a bolt of panic, but nobody was out on the road. There was no barrier. He drew abreast of the shed and looked in.
A customs officer looked out at the car through the grid of wire. Should he stop? The customs man made no gesture but continued looking dully out at the car. Allen's eyes were straining to see better.
'God, what a pack of ujits,' Agnes said. 'They don't know whether they're coming or going.'
Allen was almost at a standstill.
'Go ahead' she said, 'you don't have to stop, so you don't. It's just that everybody slows down to a crawl. If they want you, they wave.'
Allen clutched into second gear.
'What roadblock? I don't see a roadblock,' Minogue hissed. The car was pulling away from the customs post. Minogue saw a profile of the driver, yellow light on his shoulder. There was someone else too. Agnes. Minogue felt an aching in his shins and knees. His mouth was dry. The night was suddenly lurid to him with the lights and the evasions. He fixed his eyes on the red lights of the car drawing away.
The detective took out his portable, squelched it and handed it to Scully.
'Gone through now. Over,' Scully said.
'What's going on?' Minogue said, louder.
'A success. That's what's going on. What do you want?' Scully said. Minogue looked at Scully's shadowed face. It confirmed what Minogue had felt from the voice: a changed man.
'Who's going to stop them?' Minogue said.
'The other crowd. The Brits,' Scully replied. He turned and nodded to the others who began heading for the door of the customs post. Minogue overheard one of them saying 'big deal.'
Minogue grabbed Scully's arm. Scully's head darted around.
'It's a set-up, isn't it?'
Scully looked disparagingly at the hand holding him. He shook himself free.
'Your superiors didn't burden you with too much info. Leave well enough alone, now. Your job's done, so's ours.'
'What's going to happen?'
'Look Minogue. There's reasons.'
Minogue stood in front of Scully.
'I want to know, Scully. I'm involved.'
Scully stared a hole in Minogue before replying.
'We have to give the Brits something. They're moaning about security this side. They're expecting this. We had that tip-off about the car and we passed the ball to them. It's a token. They get the credit and so do we for delivering. We'd have a job convicting them in the South probably. Trade, tit for tat,' Scully said.
