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Back Darkest Truth
Chapters (54)
  1. COVER
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. DEDICATION
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. EPILOGUE
  54. Acknowledgements

‘Go down your blind alleys if you want, Detective Inspector Lenihan. But Gill did it. You know that and I know that.’

‘I know no such thing. And neither do you. What are you saying – that Gill was at home eating his porridge with his mammy while a contract killer was out doing the needful for him on the mean streets of Dublin? The guy isn’t a fucking crime boss. He doesn’t have those kinds of contacts. Even if he did, planning a hit takes time. And you’re saying that Rhona Macbride only became a threat to him after his security guard saw you visiting her house. The same guy you say you saw in Cork the next day, which implies that he followed you down the night before, so that means he wouldn’t have been able to murder Rhona either. The fact is that Rhona Macbride was killed only about twelve hours after you left her. How could Gill have had time to plan a murder in so short a time? And why was he worried, anyway? She’d kept quiet for fifteen, sixteen years. Why would he think she’d talk now?’

‘He couldn’t take the chance that she wouldn’t. And no, I don’t think it was his security guard who killed Rhona. You’re right, he was in Cork following me. And I don’t think Gill took out a contract. You’re right about that too. No, I think Gill did it himself. He used a weapon that he had to hand. He waited outside the only place he was halfway sure she’d be. He either knew she’d be leaving for work, or he banked on it and took a chance and waited for her. The guy is a film director. He’s used to orchestrating scenarios, and executing them. He knew to keep it simple. So that’s what he did. I know he killed her. You just have to break his alibi.’

‘Ah stop it, wouldya, you’ve been watching too much Miss Marple,’ Lenihan said. ‘Listen to me now. Go for your train, go home, stay home and we’ll take it from here. Leave it to the professionals.’

Dismissed in every sense of the word, I dragged myself towards Heuston Station, along the north bank of the Liffey, a walk I had done a thousand times before, to and from the Four Courts and the Law Society. As I ran my hand along the black cast-iron railing of the Croppies Acre, I thought about Rhona and I thought about my sister and I thought about Jeremy Gill. And I didn’t care how, but I was going to bring him down.

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