‘Muireann – Megan – I’m arresting you both for murder,’ she said. ‘You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but anything you say will be taken down in writing and may be given in evidence.’

‘That was for Bryanna,’ said Muireann. ‘Now my poor darling sister can rest in peace.’

Megan raised her chin as if she were proud of what she had done.

‘That was for me,’ she said.

As soon as she spoke, Barry’s body slid sideways off his chair and thumped on to the floor.

*

They stepped outside the building to get some fresh air and wait for the ambulance and the technical team. The bodyguards had all been driven away in two Garda vans and would be up in front of the court tomorrow morning. Muireann and Megan had been taken away in separate squad cars. The media had already got wind of what had happened and were gathering on the opposite side of the Old Mallow Road.

Katie was sitting on the front steps when her phone rang.

‘Bill Phinner, ma’am. There’s a team of six technicians just left.’

‘Thanks, Bill.’

‘I also thought you’d like to know that your idea about Eamonn O’Malley was bang on, to coin a phrase. Me and the team were overthinking it, checking out all those fancy compressing machines. His head was crushed in a car door, and what’s more we’ve even been able to identify which car. A Toyota Land Cruiser, such as was registered to Thomas O’Flynn. There’s even the indentation of lettering on the side of his skull.’

‘I think the same Land Cruiser is up here now at Clery’s. You’ll be able to check it for sure now.’

‘It’s a pure shame you won’t be able to arrest him. I would have liked to have seen his face when we told him that we’d not only found O’Malley’s body but worked out how he was killed.’

‘There’s no chance of that, Bill. He doesn’t have a face any more.’

51

Katie’s meeting with Assistant Commissioner Frank Magorian the following afternoon was so low-key that it was more like a quiet discussion about what arrangements they should be making for an unloved relative’s funeral.

Frank stood by his office window, looking out, as if he were talking to somebody who was standing on the window ledge outside. Katie sat in the tub-like leather chair in front of his desk, her head slightly bowed. She hadn’t slept all night and she was feeling frayed and exhausted.