A Deadly Affair (Detective Jack Brody Book 3) by J.M. O'Rourke

Author:J.M. O'Rourke [O'Rourke, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Published: 2023-04-08T16:00:00+00:00

32

Brody knew he’d underestimated Tomás O’Chaillagh within one minute of his speaking with him again. It must be understood that there is a certain trait in the Irish psyche to underplay events, indeed, to sometimes come across as less knowledgeable than you actually are. That way, people will hopefully think you’re stupid and leave you alone. As Brody had thought of O’Chaillagh.

‘She’s not feeling too bad, so she’s not,’ O’Chaillagh said in that slow drawl of his. ‘I asked her all the questions you told me I should ask her, so I did… Oh, I did, right enough.’

‘Go on.’ Brody rested one elbow on his desk, leaned forward onto it.

‘She’s at home with her sister-in-law. That would be Mildred O’Donnell, from Letterkenny. Who’s staying with Monica for a few days. Monica and Donagh’s two boys are grown up now. Fine young men they are too. One is in Dubai; the other fella’s in Canada. She doesn’t want to worry them if she can help it, so she doesn’t. You were right not to make a fuss. She doesn’t want to make any fuss. Now’ – there was the sound of a rustling of paper – ‘there was no talk of him having an affair. So I didn’t mention it either. No need to stir that up unless we need to. But I know she knows about it; she doesn’t have to say it… Tell me, did you ever get the impression when talking to someone that you were discussing one thing but ye were both meaning something else entirely?’

Brody took a breath. Oh yes, he was wrong about O’Chaillagh alright.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, Monica said she spends a lot of time at home alone because her husband is away practically all the time. “Who knows what people get up to,” is what she said. But the same could be said for her too, so it could, is what I hear.’

‘What you mean?’

‘Och, nothing specific. What people get up to behind closed doors is none of my business, provided they’re not breaking the law, of course.’

‘Of course. Getting up to stuff behind closed doors. Having affairs, you mean?’

‘Och, I don’t know, who does? Could be nothing but malicious gossip. I asked her did he have any enemies like you said, and she laughed out loud. She said he had a Garda security detail looking after him when he was at home, but there wasn’t one when he wasn’t at home. Although I think that suits her right fine, but she said she didn’t think it was very fair. “And what good are they anyway,” she said, “when he can disappear the way he has.” I think she was only getting her point across that the security detail weren’t always with him because he didn’t want them with him. Common knowledge. So in her own way she was subtly pointing a finger at us, at the force.’

Talking about one thing but meaning another.

‘So what’s she actually saying?’

‘That it’s our fault, and she knows it, that’s what she means.

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