One Coffin Too Many

by Brendan O'Grady

  “ You’re right, Helen and what a pity – a great pity. “

  Helen lay her hand on Beatrice’s arm.

  “ But all is not lost, Beatrice. I’m sure you could organize a private show of some kind now that we know we’re on the same wavelength. “

  Helen watched as Beatrice’s eyes widened.

  “ Oh, that’s a splendid idea, Helen. A splendid idea altogether. “

  “ I just can’t figure it, “ said Devoy to Burke. “ How about you? “

  Burke shook his head.

  “ I don’t know how they did it but they did it? That’s for sure. “

  “ We’re missing something. Your idea was spot on but there’s no access to the attic. Maybe from inside but that’s a no, no so it has to be outside somewhere. Let’s take a walk around the site; something might occur to us. “

  Devoy and Burke walked around the site of dilapidated 1960s chalets.

  “ Horgan must have picked these up for next to nothing. Some of them are about to fall down. “

  “ If I know Horgan he probably had his hand up for a grant to renovate these chalets. He wasn’t a local politician for the good of his health. The satellite dish still bothers me. Why just that chalet? “

  “ I’d say the idea was to entice people here – young couples, young men on the tear for the weekend or their holidays. What better way to attract them than with a satellite dish beaming in pornography from Continental stations. I hear it’s available in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Beam that sort of stuff in and there’s nothing like it to give you a sexual appetite. “

  “ So what’s wrong with that? “ asked Burke.

  “ Nothing. Except Horgan saw a spinoff from it. “

  “ A spinoff? “

  “ Yes, it’s only supposition. Somehow or the other, Horgan another possibility. He knew what these young couples were up to so he decided to profit from it: he filmed them and put it on the internet. They were hardly going to complain. And then came the big fish. They just swam into his net unexpectedly. “

  “ You say ‘ they ‘. Who are you referring to? “

  “ Caroline Gleeson and friends. Lesbians. And in the act. And not just unknowns but local notables. He couldn’t believe his luck. He had these unfortunate women by the proverbial short and curlies and boy, was he going to make something out of it. And he did. Money. Lots of it. Dirty lousy, rotten blackmail. And he squeezed them. “

  “ But he couldn’t have done it on his own. Horgan was a busy man. Local politician, estate agent, property owner, and who knows maybe he had other fingers in other pies. “

  “ Kennedy. It had to be Kennedy. That would explain his absences. “

  “ Right. “

  “ So what do we do now? “

  “ Me, I’m returning to town. I’ve a date with somebody. You, you’re staying here until you find out how they arranged the filming. “

  “ But we’re miles from nowhere. How am I going to get back? It’ll be dark at ten. “

  “ You’ll just have to hurry, Andy. I’m sorry. I’ve got to nail somebody and I’ve got to do it within the next half-an-hour. Sorry. “

  A little after five Devoy watched Margo Walsh exit Fallon’s undertakers and walk down the street to her car. She paused a few times to look into shop windows and then went into a mini-market. Five minutes later she came out clutching two plastic shopping bags which she put on the back seat of her car. For a moment Devoy thought she had caught sight of him. Then she was away speeding off down the street on her way home. Devoy put the car into gear and followed her.

  He wondered how he was going to approach her with the information he had gleaned from Kennedy’s phone? What would her reaction be? Would she quickly deny it or would she tell him to get out of her house right away? Devoy was in a quandary. He still hadn’t sorted out the strange bank notes that they’d found in Cremin’s safe and there was no word from the experts in the Department of Finance. Like a love-struck teenager all sorts of scenarios flashed through his mind. He hadn’t seen her for ages. He should at least have tried when he discovered she had come to see him in hospital.

  His loins ached for her. All he could think of was spending the evening in bed with her forgetting everything and everybody – the way she made the outside world cease to exist when they made love. How would he play it without destroying their relationship? A growl from his stomach gave him the answer. For some reason the image and taste of a Chinese takeaway shot into his mind: Sweet and Sour. That was the answer.

  He slowed down as she turned off into the little street where she lived. He parked and watched her haul out her shopping bags and disappear into her house. He considered giving her ten minutes at least to settle in but then his lust for her overcame his caution. He reached into the back seat and grabbed hold of the bunch of red roses he had laid out a lot of money for earlier. He hid the roses behind his back as he pressed the doorbell. He could hear her moving about inside and worse the hiss of water as it cascaded onto a tiled floor. Then the noise stopped. The door was opened and she stood there in all her glory in a see-through cotton bathrobe with water dripping from her face down her neck and into the gap of her great cleavage.

  “ Well, well, Frank, “ she said as her lips parted in a marvelous smile. “ It’s you and I thought you’d forgotten me. “

  Challenged by her presence and his expectations Devoy managed to croak out ‘ hello ‘ before stepping back and presenting her with the bouquet.

  “ Oh my God, Frank, “ she said and leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek while her bathrobe parted to reveal her perfect breasts hanging like exotic fruits.

  Devoy swallowed.

  “ I’m sorry, “ he muttered. “ I’ve been on a special mission since I came out of hospital. I should have phoned. “

  Margot stepped back.

  “ Well don’t stand there forever, Frank. Come in. “

  He moved past her into the small hallway but she pulled him close to her and kissed him firmly on the lips.

  “ It’s being a long time, Frank. You shouldn’t do that to a girl. You could lose her, you know. “

  “ I hope I haven’t, “ Devoy replied meekly.

  “ I don’t think so, Frank but be warned. A lady can’t wait forever. “

  “ I’m not disturbing anything now, am I, Margo? “

  “ Well, you didn’t give me much time to hide my other lover in the attic now, did you, Frank? “ she replied teasingly.

  “ No, I suppose I didn’t. Maybe I should have brought a search warrant and a pair of handcuffs. “

  “ You mean you left the ‘cuffs in the car, Frank? Whatever will I do for stimulation? “

  “ How about a drink for starters? “ ventured Devoy getting his hopes up.

  “ You’re in luck, there, Frank. I came across a lovely Rosé all the way from Corsica. Why don’t you open a bottle for me while I arrange the roses? “

  “ Good idea, “ replied Devoy, heading for the kitchen.

  When he came back with the bottle and glasses she had positioned herself on the sofa.

  “ They’re really gorgeous, Frank. “

  “ Nothing but the best for you, Margo. “

  “ Really? And what happened to your little shrimp of a colleague? “

  “ I’m afraid she’s indisposed – ill. “

  “ So who’s with you now? “

  “ Oh a young officer called Andy. He’s only temporary until we get a proper replacement. “

  “ I don’t think I met him. “

  “ No, he’s usually in uniform. We’re giving him a try-out as a detective. “

  “ I see. “

  Devoy poured the wine and handed a glass to Margo. Then he sat down in front of her to admire her beauty.

  “ Cheers, “ she said. “ To us, Frank. “

  “Cheers, “ relied Devoy, “ and to us. “

  “ There’s still an ‘ us ‘, isn’t there, Frank? “

  “ Of course th
ere is. If you really want to be a cop’s woman you’ll have to get used to long absences, Margo. Sometimes things come up and, well, we’re like the fire brigade. Off we go. No time to say goodbye or to phone. That’s the nature of the job. “

  Margo took a sip of the Rosé.

  “ I was expecting you to sit beside me, Frank but there you are sitting across from me as if you’re going to interrogate me. “

  Devoy shook his head.

  “ I’m sitting over here, Margo because I like looking at you. I’m not a groper. You’re a beautiful woman. You know that. A man, a real man likes to appreciate and savour the beauty of a woman before he makes love to her. Love is like a good wine. You have to wait for it to mature. “

  “ You should drink Corsican wine more often, Frank. Look where it got Napoleon. “

  “ And end up contemplating the waves on a lonely island. No thank you. I’d rather contemplate you anytime. “

  Margo drained her glass.

  “ I think a refill is in order, Detective Inspector Devoy. Why don’t you bring the bottle over here? “

  Devoy moved over to her and poured another glass.

  “ Take off your coat, Frank and sit down. You’re making me dizzy looking up at you. Sit down here beside me. “

  Devoy took off his jacket and placed his automatic in one of the pockets.

  “ Do you always carry that thing around with you? “

  “ Only when I’m with dangerous, saucy women. “

  “ So you think I’m dangerous now, Frank? “

  “ Highly dangerous. “

  “ You’re right, “ Margo replied, standing up and straddling him.

  “ How does this suit you, then, Mr. Policeman? “

  “ I’ve no complaints to make, Madam but then again I’m not armed. “

  “ Oh, but I think you are, sir. Why don’t we retire to my bedroom and see what we can do to alleviate the situation? “

  Devoy sighed.

  “ You know that’s the best suggestion I’ve had for a long time. I think you should lead the way. “

  They were about to disentangle themselves from one another when Devoy’s phone started to hum in his jacket pocket. Devoy cursed Burke and Margo gave him a pleading look. She began to move against him making him hard for her. What he had contemplated earlier about approaching her suddenly hit: the sweet and sour. Duty called. He had to do it now. She had begun to slowly undress him, taking over his mind, dominating him, making him a slave to her body as she had done before. The phone continued to hum. She continued to move against him locking him in with her thighs. He felt himself succumbing. He had to do it now!

  “ We arrested Kennedy this morning, Margo. We accidentally came across his wife delivering food. She was on a bike miles from home. It had to be her. He tried to get away but we stopped him. He’s now under arrest on a variety of charges and he’s singing implicating others. “

  She stopped moving against him the momentum ceasing.

  “ Why are you telling this now, Frank? “

  “ I’m sorry, Margo. I felt I had to. “

  “ But why now of all times? “

  “ Why now. Yes, why now. Well I’ll tell you why now. Because we got hold of his mobile later in his lair and it had some very interesting originating numbers on it. Very interesting numbers indeed, numbers that I didn’t expect to find there. Some people are going to have a lot of explaining to do. “

  “ You’re referring to mine? “

  “ More exactly Fallon’s. Certain calls originated at Fallon’s. That’s all I can tell you for the moment and maybe I shouldn’t be even telling you. But I am. Because you’re you and because of us. Any other cop would have you in for questioning and it may come to that yet. I’m giving you time to consider your position. Consider it as me reading you your rights without actually doing it. “

  “ So you think I’m somehow involved with this man? Is that it? “

  Devoy shook his head in exasperation.

  “ I don’t honestly know, Margo. You tell me. I have to do my job. Kennedy is in serious trouble and he’s put his wife’s freedom in jeopardy. “

  The phone hummed again.

  “ I’ve got to get that, Margo. I left Officer Burke all alone at Kennedy’s chalet. He’s expecting me. “

  “ And what about you and me – us, Frank? What’s going to happen? “

  “ I don’t know, Margo. I just hope for your sake you are in no way involved with Kennedy or any of his exploits. Don’t forget you still have that business with the funny money hanging over you. There’s still a lot of unresolved issues with you. “

  “ Are you going to arrest me, Frank? “

  “ I hope not, Margo. I hope it doesn’t come to that. “

  Devoy picked up Margo from his lap and deposited her on the couch. He then took his mobile out of his pocket just as it hummed again. This time he answered.

  “ Andy, “ he asked.

  “ Yes, “ replied Burke. “ Where the devil were you? I’ve been trying to get you for ages? “

  “ Sorry Andy. I didn’t hear you with the shower running. Got anything? “

  “ Yes, “ replied Burke. “ I figured it out. I know how they did it. We were looking in the wrong place, that’s all. “

  “ Okay, give me twenty minutes. “

  “ We’re going to need a hammer, a screwdriver and a crowbar. A torch would be handy, too. “

  “ Right. See you then. “

  Devoy turned to face Margo but she had already made her way to the shower. He knocked on the glass but she kept her back to him.

  Half-an-hour later he managed to find his way to the chalet park despite the descending darkness. Burke was waiting for him in the semi-darkness with his torch light dimming.

  “ God am I glad to see you. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me. “

  “ Sorry, “ replied Devoy. “ It was thoughtless of me. So what did you find? “

  Burke led him over to Kennedy’s chalet.

  “ Look up there, “ he said. “ What do you see? “

  Devoy peered up into the darkness.

  “ Nothing much – some sort of cable, I think. “

  “ Run your torch over that. It’s stronger than mine. “

  Devoy did as Burke asked.

  “ So it’s a cable. So what? “

  “ That’s an electricity cable. It runs from one chalet to the other. It goes into one junction box and continues onto the next one. They’re all connected. “

  “ Right. I can see that. “

  “ What else can you see? “

  “ Nothing much in this darkness. “

  “ Shine your torch again. See. There’s another cable there. You can’t really see it in this light but it leads from Kennedy’s chalet to that one over there. It doesn’t exit. It stops there. “

  “ So, I took the liberty of prising back one of those shutters. Follow me. “

  Devoy followed Burke across the clearing up to the next chalet.

  “ Have a look inside. What do you see? “

  Devoy peered through the crack and whistled. One wall of the room was covered in electronic equipment. It looked like a small recording studio.

  “ We’ve got to get in there and examine that stuff. I think we’ve finally hit paydirt. “

  “ How do you propose to do that? Every window has a shutter of some kind. There’s no back entrance. The side windows are nailed shut. I’ve tried everything. I can’t get in. “

  “ Well, Andy, seeing as out little town has had murders visited upon them, arson attacks, strange goings-on in the cemetery and God knows what else besides, what’s a little breaking and entering in a deserted chalet park at this hour of night? “

  “ You’re not honestly advocating breaking in? “

  “ Well in the interests of justice I am. Besides, why did you ask me to bring these tools? To do a repair job? “

  “ Well, I suppose I was passing the buck. “


  “ Nice. Why don’t you go over there and have a smoke and I’ll put in this window. “

  “ I don’t smoke. “

  “ Well in that case turn your back. That way you can’t go witness against me. “

  Burke turned his back and heard Devoy swearing as he used the crowbar to wrench the shutter back. It sprung back with a clang followed by the sound of breaking glass.

  “ Now for your part, Officer Burke. “

  “ What do you mean? “

  “ You’re lighter than me. I’ll help you up and you can climb in and open the door for your heavier and older not to mention senior colleague. “

  Devoy cupped his hands and heaved Burke up to the level of the window. A few minutes later the door opened.

  “ Aladdin’s cave. I’ll be damned. “ said Devoy, throwing his eye over the wall of recording equipment. “ They really had everything organized here, the bastards. Kennedy is going to pay dearly for this. Anything working? “

  Burke tried a few switches.

  “ No, electricity’s been cut. “

  “ They must have been able to activate cameras in the electrical fixtures as well as the TV and elsewhere. The whole chalet was wired. I wonder what Kennedy will have to say to this? “

  “ So where do we go from here? “

  “ We’ll phone in and report a burglary. We’ll have to get a patrol down here. We’re going to need someone to spend the night here to keep an eye on things. “

  “ I hope you’re not thinking of me. I’m famished as it is. “

  “ No, you’ve done your work, Andy. Well done. We’ll get a uniform. He can stay in Kennedy’s pad. In the meantime let’s take a few photos with our phones just to show Kennedy the game’s up. He’ll sing even louder now when he sees this. “

  Burke’s nose began to twitch.

  “ Something up? “ Devoy asked.

  “ Phew,that was some shower you took. You smell to high heaven. “

  “ I was in high heaven till you called. Now I’m in bloody Limbo and I don’t know how long it’ll last. Thank you, Andy. “