I wrote up what had happened, and went back over my notes from the previous night. The facts were there in black and white: Gill was still a suspect in the murder of Rhona Macbride, he had to be, and I had valuable new information I needed to pass on to the investigation team. I rang Lenihan. He was his usual polite self when he answered.

‘I’m in the middle of my fucking breakfast. What do you want?’

‘It’s Gill,’ I said.

‘Of course it’s fucking Gill,’ Lenihan said. ‘It’s never anyone else with you.’

‘What I mean is, last night I found out that he owns the house next door to where he lives. Or, more precisely, his trust company, ProGill Trust, owns ProProperty Limited which, in turn, owns the house next door. He got out through that house, the garden of it, and I think Esther has a car, and that he used it to drive over to Rhona’s place and kill her.’

Lenihan wasn’t saying a word.

‘Gill’s no longer in custody,’ I said.

‘That’s an operational matter. As a civilian you are not entitled to know that information. But, yeah, we let him go. That info about the other possible exit is interesting, though. We’ll take a look at it when we get a chance.’

‘Are you watching Gill’s house? Make sure you watch it front and rear.’

‘That’s another operational matter,’ Lenihan said.

Which meant that they weren’t. But after hearing about the second exit, they would be watching from now on. And if they could catch Gill going in the back way after his visit to Cork …

‘Don’t forget about the car, Esther’s car.’

‘We thought of the car ourselves. We’re not as thick as you seem to think. Nice idea, Finn, but Esther Gill has no car registered in her name. We checked Gill’s insurance too. She’s not registered as a named driver on his insurance either. And there’s no third car in his name, he only owns the two you already know about.’

‘Fuck no,’ I said.

‘Fuck yeah,’ Lenihan said. ‘Welcome to the real world. So, thanks for your input anyway, like, and we’ll take it from here.’

‘Gill didn’t go home after he left Garda custody, did he?’

‘That is the last question of yours that I am answering, Fitzpatrick. He went for a consultation at his solicitor’s office. He’s still there, last I heard. Good. Bye.’

It was the opening I needed to get in the information about Gill’s morning visit.

‘He’s not at his solicitor’s office,’ I said. ‘He’s––’

Lenihan had hung up. I tried calling back but he didn’t take my call.