The Body at the Battery by Fee Derek

Author:Fee, Derek
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was ten to five when they arrived in the squad room and only Brophy and Mullins were present. Fiona made a mental note to send an email concerning timekeeping. The new arrangement wasn’t working out principally because she was spending too much time out of the office on the Gafney investigation. Managing the CID unit was like herding a group of stray cats. It was beginning to look like she would need to work on her man-management skills. There was a Post-it on her computer screen. Horgan wanted to see her as soon as she arrived. She left her small team in the squad room and made her way upstairs.

‘Come in.’

Horgan’s voice sounded deeper and more authoritative. She found him sitting behind O’Reilly’s desk. His face was red, his hair mussed, and he had bags under his eyes. He looked at Fiona and closed the file he was working on. ‘Detective Sergeant Madden, you are more elusive than a sighting of the yeti. I thought I told you that I wanted to be kept informed of progress, or the lack of it, on the Gafney case.’

‘Sorry, boss. We’ve been out a lot over the past few days.’ She didn’t bother to sit.

‘Ginny Hinds flayed you in The Post this morning. No member of the LBGTQ community can sleep soundly in their beds. Hate crime is increasing exponentially and the Garda Síochána are doing nothing about it. And the commissioner is becoming concerned.’

‘We’re not having a great deal of luck on the lines of inquiry we’ve been following. It’s looking like the attack was random.’

‘And that means?’

‘The murderer could be anyone. We’ve been through Gafney’s home and love life and his workplace. He was popular and doing well at his job. The motive seems to be his desire to change his sex.’

Horgan digested this news. ‘I told you that although I don’t like the sound of it.’

‘The funeral is tomorrow. Tracy and I will attend.’

‘You think I should go?’

‘It wouldn’t do any harm.’ She hadn’t seen him in uniform, and she wondered how long it had been since he’d worn one. ‘It’s in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Oughterard at ten o’clock.’

‘I’ll look at my schedule. I hear rumblings from the CID unit.’

‘Anyone in particular?’

Horgan’s face creased in a smile. ‘This is your chance, Madden. O’Reilly will be out for six months, maybe even a year and there’s a possibility that he mightn’t return at all. There might be an open post for a new inspector.’

Fiona had a mental image of Horgan extending a carrot in her direction. It was always the same. She’d learned not to fall into the trap.

Horgan stared at her. ‘We need a result on the Gafney case, and we need it quickly. The Post is whipping up public anger at the issue of hate crime.’

‘Crystal clear, boss.’ She was to provide Horgan with a result that he could claim.

Horgan picked up the file he had discarded and opened it.

Fiona took the hint and left.

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