‘We’ve come to ask you one or two questions, that’s all,’ said Katie. ‘As you know, you’ve been arrested and formally charged, and so the caution that you were given then still applies. Anything you do say, and all that.’

Sheenagh pulled the earplugs out of her ears and said, ‘That means you don’t have to say anything, Feargal. Not unless you want to.’

‘As if I fecking didn’t know that. I’ve heard it enough times in me life.’

‘Feargal—’ said Katie. ‘You don’t mind if I call you Feargal?’

‘You can call me Billy the Bullseye if you want to. You seem to get your rocks off taking potshots at me, after all.’

‘Feargal, you were arrested for threatening behaviour and for illegally carrying a firearm. But I’m afraid there’s more that you have to answer for, because our ballistics experts have examined the Glock pistol that was taken from you at the time. They’ve conclusively proved that it was the same pistol that was used to shoot and kill Billy Hagerty outside The Weavers, and the same pistol that was used to shoot and kill Timbo Coffey. Not only that, you used it to shoot at myself and Mr Justice Connolly, which you’ve admitted, and all I can say is thank the Lord your aim was off and you missed us.’

Sheenagh said, ‘Feargal – you don’t have to respond to that. That’s not even a question. DS Maguire – do you have a copy of that ballistics report for me to peruse?’

‘I’ll send you a PDF, Sheenagh. But we can prove beyond any doubt at all that Feargal was responsible for murdering Billy Hagerty and Timbo Coffey, as well as attempting to murder me and Justice Connolly. There are no other prints or traces of DNA on the murder weapon apart from Feargal’s. Nobody has ever touched that gun except for him.’

‘I thought you came here to interview my client,’ said Sheenagh, with a tut. ‘So far you haven’t asked him even one question. Not that I would advise him to answer.’

‘Oh, I’m going to ask him one now, Sheenagh, no bother at all. Feargal – do you understand that we have sufficient evidence to have you locked away for the rest of your natural days? That’s two murders we can prove that you’ve committed, plus attempted murder.’

‘There’s no need to answer that, Feargal,’ said Sheenagh. ‘If they have the evidence, like they say, let them formally charge you and take you to court and prove in front of a judge and jury. You’re under no obligation at all to make their life any easier by committing yourself.’