Minogue lifted out the phone and waved it at Malone. Eilis sounded pleased.
“They’re on the way, your honor. ”
“Who, Eilis? The both of them?”
“To be sure. They don’t want to be in the squad with Purcell and company looking through the laundry here.”
“But who’s in charge there then?”
“I am.”
“Eilis, much as I admire — ”
“I have Purcell corralled in the palace. I think he’s busy phoning people. Locksmiths or such like.”
Minogue stared at the frayed tip of the windscreen wiper. Malone had shoved home the clip and had tested the safety twice.
“What in the name of God does he want a locksmith for?”
“We can’t find keys to some of the cabinets, your honor.”
“Eilis — ”
“Whissht! I’ve enough on my hands. Farrell’s here too. He’ll cover the legit side of the staffing for the investigation.”
“Should I be hearing this?”
“Decide that for yourself,” she said.
“Is there anything coming in then?”
“Not a thing — wait. There’s only seven cars left at the long-term car park unaccounted for. Three were claimed this morning, all holiday people in from Greece I think.”
Minogue glanced at Malone.
“I take it Purcell has tried to contact me at home to get those keys then?”
“He has,” she said. “And you’re not there are you?”
Minogue closed the phone and checked he had switched it off.
“We’re on,” he said to Malone “They got it. The warrant, Fergal and John. ”
Malone handed him the pistol.
“Take it,” he said. “Remember the deal: I don’t want to be a sitting duck like this morning.”
Minogue waited until Malone had stepped out to greet Sheehy when he and Murtagh showed up ten minutes later. He drew out the pistol and shoved it under the seat before he stepped out.
Fergal Sheehy unfolded the warrant and handed it to the inspector.
“So we’re investigating the theft of a bit of the nation’s heritage then.”
Minogue checked the Premises section again.
“That’s right, Fergal,” he said.
“You look like you’re just after getting out of ten years solitary,” said Sheehy. Malone leaned against the window. He looked from Murtagh to Sheehy.
“You look worse,” said Murtagh. Malone grunted.
“Do you want us in then?” asked Sheehy. Minogue folded the warrant again.
“As long as you know you’re only assisting us in a theft investigation,” he said. “We’re, er, standing back. In a manner of speaking.”
Sheehy nodded. Minogue heard Malone’s mocking snort.
“Here, look,” said Malone then. “Here’s our fella.”
“With the hair?” said Murtagh. Minogue opened the door first.
Paddy Mac stopped and pulled his jacket tighter. Minogue almost smiled. Horsey people ended up looking like their horses. Why not racing pigeons? It must be the haircut.
“.. Teddy boy, for Jases’ sake…” Minogue heard before slamming the door. He nodded at Paddy Mac and walked over.
“Well,” said Paddy Mac. Minogue studied the white spots by his nostrils. The wind had picked up.
“We have a warrant here, Paddy,” Minogue began. “But I don’t want to just march in there and start in on it.”
Paddy Mac eyed the three policemen in the Corolla.
“What,” he said, “more of yous? That should be enough to overpower any resistors. ”
Rezizz-tarz. The gleeful scorn. How could he ever leave this damned city, Minogue thought. It was the whole bit. the stance, the jaw lowered, Paddy Mac’s slow-moving eyes that took in an imagined future which could only be comical.
“So what are yous waiting for?”
“It has to be done on the QT, Paddy. I need you.”
Paddy Mac eyed the Corolla again and sighed. He began to sing between his teeth.
“ I ne-heedyou so-o…”
“The Commodores?”
“ I-hi wa-hantyou so-hoo. No.”
“The Bachelors?”
“No. No Commodores, no Bachelors.”
“Will you come over to the car for a chat?”
“What? Into that car with three, four cops? Are you mad?”
“No. I have that Opel there.”
“Why on the quiet, if you have the warrant?”
“We need it tight so’s no one knows we’ve been through.”
“Do I look like James Bond? Yous’ll have to do your own thing here — ”
“Will you sit in the car and I’ll tell you?”
Paddy Mac looked from the Corolla to the Opel.
“All right. Where’s your butty, the musical know-it-all. The Dubb-al-in man.”
“He’s hiding in the car there.”
Minogue waved at the Corolla. Malone sat up.
“Yous have a plan, I hear,” Paddy Mac said.
Malone said nothing. Minogue led Paddy Mac to the passenger seat.
“We need to keep it clean,” Minogue said. “It’s not the time to waltz in and grab people yet.”
“What people?”
“If what we’re thinking is not there, then they’ll never bring it if they know we’re onto it.”
“Who, though? Are you trying to tell me there’s bent staff here?”
“I don’t know who,” said Minogue. “But if there’s cargo going out — ”
“Freight. Cargo’s for boats.”
“Freight. If there’s something going out with a certain shipment — is shipment the right word?”
“I like payload: but shipment’s okay for runners-in.”
“Well then, it might not have been brought out here yet.”
“What thing are yous talking about?”
“A rock.”
“A rock? A rock band?”
“A stone,” said Minogue. “It’d be like a kind of a statue.”
“What, an antique, like?”
“Something like that, yes. Can I tell you what we’d need?”
“You can try, but I have to kick this upstairs. Someone has to know about it.”
“No, Paddy. Sorry. No. That can’t be done.”
“Says who?”
“Let me explain it, then.”
Paddy Mac listened, watching Malone fiddle with the keys, then the wipers, then the keys again.
“Okay,” said Paddy Mac. “But maybe you weren’t listening to a whole lot of things I told you earlier on. Number one, anything to do with the likes of the Works would be clean as a whistle. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to smuggle anything.”
