Blinding Lies Read online

  “I’m not making any point. I imagine Detective Sergeant Taylor is exploring the angle that these two gangs may have fallen out – maybe there’s a grudge war going on. I doubt Gallagher killed his own men. I read his file. From what I understand, he runs a tight ship, and it’s a long time since he’s had a man step out of line.”

  William gestured to the images of David Gallagher at the front of the room.

  “The Gallagher family are certainly having a bad week.”

  Elise was seething. What was this jumped-up newcomer playing at, butting into her investigation? In front of a room full of her colleagues, and Doherty staring at her the whole time.

  She struggled to keep the animosity from her voice as she said, “We are of course looking at every angle. To recap for those of you not included in the investigation into the shooting of David Gallagher, four members of what we believe are a criminal gang from Munich arrived into Cork a number of days ago. We are most definitely concerned that there’s a link to his killing. Our investigation informs us they rented a Ford Galaxy and drove southwest. The rental was returned after twenty-four hours. After that they disappeared. We have no evidence they are still in Cork, but we are looking at all possibilities. I’m waiting on further intel from our counterparts in Germany but, as far as we can ascertain, they’ve kept their heads down.”

  “Could they pose a terror threat for the conference?” As usual, Doherty was singularly focused on the upcoming political conference.

  “We don’t think so. It’s thought they move in different circles, drugs and the like, money laundering, women, that sort of thing. Terrorism doesn’t appear to be their speciality.”

  “Maybe they are on holidays, eh?” a uniformed Garda sitting near the back of the room suggested sarcastically, smiling. There was muttering and low laughter from colleagues clustered around him.

  William Ryan turned and glared at the man, who blushed and folded his arms across his chest.

  Superintendent Doherty was beginning to perspire under his trench coat. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began to mop the back of his neck.

  “Find out if they’re in the city and what they want. We cannot have some type of gang war in Cork, not this week. The conference is happening in a few days, people! I want this wrapped up, Taylor – pull in whoever you need to but get answers. There’ll be no warrant to search Gallagher’s property, but I’ll see if I can do anything about at least talking to the man, purely because he was the Addams’ employer.” He rubbed the top of his bald head with the now damp handkerchief. “Any update on the whereabouts of the suspect in the shooting?”

  “No.” Elise was still seething over events the night before. “Our undercovers missed her at the club, but we do believe it was Kate Crowley attempting to buy fake documents. We’re looking into getting the CCTV from the venue.”

  “Bloody hell, it’s hot in here!” Doherty moaned, pulling at his shirt collar. “Why can’t we find this girl! There are very few bodies to spare with the conference on Thursday. I cannot stress the seriousness of this enough – there will be too many government ministers in this city in a few days, including our own top people, for anything to go wrong. We will have a peaceful conference – all of our jobs depend on it. Taylor, find out all you can on these Germans – find out where they are staying, what they are doing here – I want to know what they eat for breakfast. Pull in every available man. This needs to get wrapped up. Got it? And pull in all your eyes and ears around the city to find the Crowley girl.”

  Elise nodded wearily. Her lack of enthusiasm went unnoticed by Doherty.

  “Janet McCarthy has a press conference at three, so I want a full report on everything in an hour, everything you have.” He paused and stared around the room. “Is there anything else?” His expression made it very clear there had better be nothing else to blight his mood any further.

  William Ryan cleared his throat and raised his finger. “We’ve made significant progress on the case of the sexual assaults occurring in the city and county over the last few years. I’m confident of an arrest soon. I’m waiting on a warrant to come through.”

  “Good,” Doherty answered. “I expect the report is on my desk.”

  Doherty pulled open the conference-room door and stormed out, trench coat flapping.

  Elise gathered up her papers as her colleagues filed out. There were some half-hearted offers of help after hours, but she didn’t raise her head or acknowledge anyone. She had always made an island of herself here at the Lee Street Station – her achievements were her own, she wasn’t concerned about pulling in favours. Once she was back at her desk, she would decide who she was dragging into this case, and it wouldn’t be “after hours” either. This needed everyone’s full attention. The clock was ticking on the arrival of VIPs into the city. The killing spree associated with the Gallagher family needed to be resolved and filed away.

  William Ryan approached her. “You look tired, detective. I’d be more than happy to pitch in with the murder cases and finding the Meier boys.”

  “Sure,” Elise said, pulling on her suit jacket. “I could use a good man on this one.”

  William missed the sarcasm in her tone or ignored it – Elise didn’t care. There was no point antagonising the man, she thought, it was better to have him in her camp than not.

  They walked out together.

  27

  Anna gripped the steering wheel with whitened knuckles as tears of rage pooled in her eyes. Just as she had parked her car in the city, ready to meet the private investigator as arranged, he had cancelled. And not with a telephone call either, just a pathetic text! He couldn’t make it today, sent sincere apologies, and asked to reschedule.

  She stayed in her car, breathing calmly, until her tears had dried and her heart rate returned to its normal beat. What was she hoping for anyway? That Kristian Lane would find her parents living in a little cottage somewhere? With no memory of the children they had left behind, but alive and well? It was a fantasy she had played out many times – in her mind, it was the only explanation that made sense. Her parents would never leave them. But no sign of their bodies had ever been found! It was infuriating!

  Anna had grown weary of this mystery. It shrouded her heart and she was tired of carrying its weight. Maybe Alex was right – perhaps it was time to move forward, to accept the past.

  But now she had three hours to kill until it was time to meet Myles.

  She texted him. Hi! Could we meet at 5pm instead?

  She decided to head in to work and make her statement about what had happened with Kate Crowley, as DS Taylor wanted. Then she could easily pass time around the shops, maybe make a start on some Christmas shopping. Her mobile beeped as Myles’ message of confirmation came through.

  Meet me at the briefing centre, third floor. I’m catching up on some work.

  Anna admired Myles’ work ethic. She knew where the briefing centre, as Myles called it, was – in a new development of offices in the city centre near the docks. It was a short walk from the main shopping promenade.

  Making her statement to the detective on duty took less than an hour, and soon Anna was in the heart of the city, jostled along by the shoppers and festive spirit. The city streets were gleaming, the debris from a typical Saturday night washed away. She wondered about the influx of people into Cork for the conference – heads of state with security guards and staff for each dignitary. They would find the city looking its best, the Christmas lights already adorning every building. Her breath formed a halo in front of her as she walked through the streets. It was almost the end of November and the temperature was firmly below zero. The shoppers that moved around her were indistinguishable in their winter coats and scarves, their arms laden down with bags, their cheeks ruddy from the wind. Anna wondered about Kate – would she recognise her if she saw her now, mingling with the crowd? The pantomime had begun its winter season in the Cork Opera House. Anna smiled at the children, wrapped up in bundles of la
yers against the cold, as they moved excitedly in that direction. She made a mental note to buy tickets for herself and Chloe, thinking that her niece was probably old enough now to enjoy Aladdin on the stage and stay up past her usual bedtime.

  As she browsed the perfume section of the city’s biggest department store her mobile phone rang in her bag – Lauren. Anna smiled as she answered. Her exuberant friend was just the tonic she needed after the disappointment of the private investigator cancelling their meeting.

  “Hello! I’ve been waiting for your call! How was last night?”

  “Sorry, Lauren, I completely forgot!” Anna thought of the online searches for Kate Crowley and realised she had been so consumed by it she had completely forgotten to call her friend. “Last night was … very eventful. I can’t really go into it here, I’m shopping, but loads happened – I’ll tell you about it at work tomorrow. Myles was a complete gentleman – I’m meeting him for dinner tonight actually.”

  Grinning, Anna pulled the phone away from her ear as Lauren squealed in excitement. After they agreed to meet in Victus for coffee before work the following morning, Anna said goodbye, and brought the perfume she was holding to the checkout. It would be a perfect Christmas gift for her friend – there was no time like the present to get started on her shopping.

  Just before five o’clock she made her way to the briefing centre building. It was dark now, but the Christmas lights overhead lit the way for her. She walked briskly to the office block by the docks and stopped outside. She looked up at a chrome-and-glass building. This was the place. She pushed through the revolving door and stepped inside. The interior was bright and spacious, with a bank of lifts directly opposite the entrance, and an information desk to the left. Men and women, dressed in suits and carrying files and briefcases, walked to and fro, in and out of lifts. It was a busy place, despite the fact that it was a Sunday evening.

  She headed towards the lifts. She noticed they were attended. A suited and pimply young man asked her which floor she was going to, and she was there in seconds. As she stepped from the lift, he bid her a pleasant evening and was whisked away again.

  Her feet sank into plush cream carpet. She was standing in a spacious, square hall, with several doors off three of the walls. A lime sofa lined the fourth wall and she sat, unsure what to do next. There was no receptionist, nor any signage indicating a company name. The walls were bare. She marvelled at the luxurious décor and surroundings. Compared to the Lee Street station, the briefing centre was plush.

  Before she had a chance to pull out her mobile phone to call Myles, he appeared in front of her, smiling warmly.

  “Anna, I’m so glad you came!”

  She stood up and was immediately engulfed in a massive hug. She smiled into Myles’ chest.

  “You’re freezing! Come on in, I’m almost finished.” He turned and disappeared inside a room off one of the doors.

  Anna followed, stepping inside a conference room that was dominated by a large oval table with twelve black leather chairs. On the wall at the back of the room a projector screen was mounted. Along the left-hand wall a number of computers were stationed at smaller tables, screens full of text and other information. A small coffee station stood in the corner.

  She walked to where Myles leant over the screen at a table at the back of the room, shutting down various applications.

  “How did the surfing go?” she asked, looking around her.

  “Great! Amazing actually. I could have stayed out all day.”

  Her eyes spotted the slight indentation in the wall by the door.

  “Ugh! I hate these storage cupboards! We have them too – stealth storage, Lauren calls them. They give me the creeps!”

  Myles laughed. He pulled on a thick black jacket and wound a scarf around his neck.

  “Stealth storage – I like it!” He grinned at Anna as he linked her arm.

  They walked outside, Myles switching off the lights and locking the door after them.

  Myles took Anna’s gloved hand as they made their way outside. She felt him shiver with the cold beside her as they walked quickly. He made easy conversation about his morning surfing in Garrettstown. He seemed thrilled with it, despite the cold. His hair was still sleek, damp from a shower earlier; Anna imagined it would be a mess of curls again once it was dry.

  “I see you’ve been shopping,” he said as they reached the seafood restaurant. “I hope you didn’t spend too much on my Christmas present?”

  Anna laughed as they entered.

  It was hot inside the restaurant, and they peeled their coats and scarves off and hung them on a coat-stand. Soon, they were seated at the back, Anna’s shopping bags under the table between their feet. A waitress arrived with their menus.

  Anna glanced at Myles and smiled – his brown eyes were serious behind his glasses as he perused his options. She marvelled at how at ease she felt in his company.

  “Er, I should have said earlier but I’m not a fan of seafood to be honest.” Myles’ brow was furrowed in concentration. “My Greek mother threatened to disown me, but unless it’s a fish finger or something coated in batter and ready for the oven, I usually steer clear.”

  “I thought you love the sea!”

  “Just the surfing part!” Myles said with a grin.

  Anna laughed. “OK.” She quickly read through the menu. “They have steak and chicken – you’re safe!”

  “With chips on the side?”

  “Sure.”

  “Done!”

  Having decided on seafood chowder, Anna sat back and looked around the restaurant. It was busy and adorned with Christmas decorations already. A large tree stood in one corner, decorated all in white – it was beautiful. The din of the restaurant swelled around them like a warm embrace – and she allowed herself to relax – her earlier anger and irritation at the sudden cancellation of her meeting with the private investigator forgotten.

  After they had ordered, Myles reached across the table and grasped her hands in his.

  “You’re still freezing!”

  She blushed a little; she felt like an idiot, smiling so much.

  “You were telling me last night how you joined the Guards,” she prompted, with a wicked grin.

  He snorted with laughter. “I knew you’d ask me that!” He met her eyes briefly before pulling his hands back and concentrating on the silver cutlery in front of him. “Fair enough. I’ll tell you. No secrets. But don’t judge me, OK?”

  Wide-eyed, Anna crossed her heart with her little finger.

  “I’m a bit of a prodigy, you see.” Myles looked up again and winked, prompting an eye-roll from Anna in response. He burst out laughing. “Seriously! This is me being modest. I built my own functioning computer when I was ten years old. I skipped a year in school and ended up in college at sixteen. I’ve a Master’s degree in computer science and a PhD in Software Design. Can’t talk to women, though, but I can decode software all day long. I swear, what I gained in IT skills I completely lost in social skills. My brothers joke that one day I’ll just build myself a robot girlfriend and we’ll ride off into the sunset together and decode algorithms for the rest of our lives.”

  Anna burst out laughing. Myles seemed pleased to have entertained her.

  “I got a job in Dublin City College, lecturing in a range of computer subjects. I liked it. I didn’t think I’d have the neck for standing in front of people all day, talking, but hey, it worked out. Until I messed up.”

  “So, what did you do wrong?”

  “I had my suspicions that one of my students was dealing.”

  “Drugs?”

  “Yeah. And I was right. He’d show up to class, always on his phone, always disrespectful, drawing attention to himself for the wrong reasons. He would have covert conversations in the corridors, quiet words with people, moving off whenever someone approached. On more than one occasion I saw notes, money I mean, pushed into his hand by some of the other students, who quite frankly were looking worse
for wear. Their grades were slipping, they started missing class. I just had a feeling he was dealing drugs – but I had no real evidence. I took it to my supervisor, but what could they do? They certainly weren’t prepared to act on my suspicions.” He pushed and pulled his napkin into various shapes, looking sombre. “I’m not exactly proud of this. I hacked into his mobile phone. In class he was always using it. He used the college WIFI – his phone was wide open if you knew what you were doing. I accessed his texts and it confirmed everything. He was dealing cocaine. I passed the information to my superiors and to the Guards, but I was naive. I had breached my contract and was dismissed. It was his first offense. He received only a four-year sentence and will probably be out in half that! I lost my job. It was a disaster!”

  Anna exhaled loudly. “Wow, that’s rough!”

  “Yep. But somehow my name ended up on the desk of someone … shall we say, important? And here I am.”

  He had finished his story and sat back.

  The waitress brought their drinks and some bread in a basket. Anna felt sorry for Myles. In trying to do the right thing he had lost his whole career.

  She changed tack. “So, you have brothers?”

  “Four of them!” He brightened again. “As I said, my mother’s Greek – she’s from a very large family. She was blessed with five sons!”

  “Lucky her.” She sipped her sparkling water. She was enjoying the conversation and the laughter was a welcome relief.

  “What about you? Do you have family?”

  “Yes, a brother, Alex. He’s married – he has a little girl.”

  “Are ye close?”

  “Very. He took care of me after my parents –” Anna abruptly stopped. She didn’t know what to say next.

  Myles sat still, waiting.

  She hated talking about this subject. She looked at Myles; his brown eyes were kind behind his thick glasses. She took a deep breath and decided to fill him in on her greatest sadness.

  “My parents were great. My dad was an accountant. My mum loved music, anything orchestral. They were heading to Dublin for the weekend to attend a performance by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Alex was twenty-five at the time, and I was sixteen, so there was no problem leaving us at home. Anyway,” she sighed and looked down, brushing imaginary crumbs from her jeans, “they crashed on the motorway. The weather was bad; it was winter. When their car was found, the doors were open, but my parents were missing. Their personal things were all gone too – wallet and purse, that sort of thing. I like to think they both banged their heads and are living somewhere with their memories wiped and someday they’ll realise Alex and I are still waiting for them to come home.”