James Benn - Evil for evil

"So I make my way north, crossing over fields and through farm lanes, until I'm in occupied Ireland. No offense intended," Uncle Dan said, grinning. "Then I proceed with good old-fashioned detective work, real gumshoe stuff. I ask certain unnamed contacts about Taggart but they all deny any knowledge of the man. It's as if he went underground from the underground, if you know what I mean. Finally, I get a message to meet a man."

"In Annalong," I said.

"Well, well, Billy! You may become a real detective yet! How did you find that out?"

"These were in Mahoney's room, along with all his personal effects. He left everything behind the night he went off with Taggart to steal the BARs." I handed him the Boston Braves matchbook.

"Whose room?"

"You may have known him as John Davies. That was the name on the driver's license he carried."

"Jesus, that'll teach me to empty my pockets next time I do this cloak-and-dagger stuff. I never even thought about it. We had a few pints and smoked. He must've picked them up."

"So the man you met-Eddie Mahoney-called himself Davies?"

"Yes. He told me Dublin had sent him north as well, on a similar mission, to keep tabs on Taggart."

"By Dublin you mean the IRA?" Carrick asked.

"It wasn't the organization that sent me. Remember, my group raised and sent the money. We had our own suspicions, and wanted to find out if Taggart was implicated before contacting Dublin."

That sounded like Joe McGarrity. He'd tell his left hand a lie to keep it from meeting his right.

"Why did Mahoney want to meet you?"

"Word had gotten back that I was asking questions. His bosses in Dublin had checked me out and learned I was here at the request of my American group. Davies-or Mahoney, rather-wanted to exchange information but also to tell me to keep my hands off for a while. Something big was in the works."

"What happened next?"

"He was supposed to meet me again in four days but he never showed. I heard about the arms theft and guessed that was the big deal he'd talked about. I kept asking questions, until one day, who do I see driving by in a jeep but my own nephew. Knowing he works for Ike, I start following him. Wasn't much left for me to do at that point anyway. Taggart had gone to ground, and no one had heard a thing from him."

"I heard from him. He killed a U.S. Army MP and almost got me too. With a BAR."

"Yes, I know. Word travels. That's when I decided you needed a bodyguard as well as a tail. I kept as close as I could without tipping my hand."

"Are we getting close to how you learned of the bomb?"

"In a way, yes. I've said several times I won't mention names. One of those I won't mention said there was some sort of operation going on, and that Taggart had asked for plastic explosive. The IRA Northern Command provided it, as well as a bomb maker to wire it up. I didn't know where the explosion was going to happen. I feared for you, Billy, since he'd tried to kill you once already. But when I saw you heading into Stormont, not looking like a prisoner, I thought you'd be safe for a while. Then the grapevine started chattering."

"About Jenkins?" I asked.

"Yes. Taggart had taken him, I learned, in Lisburn, part of the same operation. Guaranteed to take out RUC and MI-5 personnel, my contact said. It was the combination that had me worried. I knew you'd be working the case with them, so I used my charms on the fellow who'd told me, and got the whole story."

"Brass-knuckle charm?" Carrick asked.

"It gave him the gift of the gab," Uncle Dan said. "I wasn't far away, so I hightailed it straight to Jenkins's warehouse, dodged a few poorly aimed shots, and saved the RUC from a manpower shortage."

"I have to ask," said Carrick, laying down his pen, "for the names of all concerned."

"Yes, you do," said Uncle Dan. They stared at each other for five seconds that felt like five hours, and then Carrick nodded slightly.

"Very well. I owe you my personal thanks as well as those of the Royal Ulster Constabulary."

"Glad to assist another police force, even in Ulster," Uncle Dan said. "One other thing. I found out that Taggart didn't exactly give the weapons to the IRA. He sold them."

"How much?" I said.

"One thousand dollars each, and another ten grand for the ammo. They paid too. Sixty thousand smackers."

"Good lord," said Carrick. "A fortune."

"Yeah, it is," Uncle Dan agreed. "It shows how important this operation is. No wonder he set up the bomb in the truck."

"Why now?" Slaine asked.

"What?" We all spoke at the same time.

"Why now?" she repeated. "Why go through all this trouble today, now? Why not four days ago or three days from now?"

"Obviously, because Taggart felt us closing in," Cosgrove said.

"But we weren't," she said. "We had no idea where he was. So why lure us in at this moment?"

Uncle Dan whistled. "I wish a woman of your brains and beauty was serving a better cause than English dominion over Ireland," he said. "You have a sharp mind. While I sit here playing the hero and accepting thanks for my great deeds, it escaped me completely. He wanted to eliminate everyone connected to the investigation of the BARs. In case you were getting close. Which means that something is about to happen, something he didn't want to take any chances with."

Slaine, Cosgrove, and I exchanged glances. Carrick furrowed his brow and watched us. "Something is happening, isn't it?"

"Ah, I think it's time for Mr. Boyle to be removed from the conversation," Cosgrove said.

"It appears Mr. Boyle has been more straightforward than you have, Major Cosgrove. As a guest of the RUC, he will remain with me for the time being, so there is no need to worry about security. A guest, not a prisoner," Carrick added, for Uncle Dan's enlightenment.

Cosgrove said, "We have information concerning two teams of German agents, possibly commandos, landing separately in the north within the past few days. One more two-man team is due to parachute in tonight, somewhere along the border. It seems the timing is right for a joint IRA/Abwehr operation. Eliminating us would have helped them by creating chaos." Cosgrove sank back into his chair, all the bluff and bluster blown out of him as he considered the possibilities.

"What's the target?" Uncle Dan asked.

"We don't know," I said. "What matters is that if the IRA and the Germans launch a major joint attack in Northern Ireland, it could affect the course of the war."

"Would it pull the Republic in?" Uncle Dan said.

"Either willingly or not. You know there'd be pressure to come to the aid of the IRA in the north. The British might retaliate. Our troops would certainly be involved; they're everywhere. Chaos pretty well describes it."

"Mr. Boyle, your political sympathies are quite clear," Carrick said. "Even so, you seem to be an honorable man. I ask you now, if you have any inclination to support those extremists who are laboring to bring this about, to tell us."

"And if I did?"

"I already have arranged with the U.S. Army Air Force to have you brought to the Greencastle Aerodrome and flown back to America on the first available flight. As a courtesy, of course," he added with a smile.

"Since you've spoke true with me, I'll do the same. Yes, I wish Ireland united as one free nation. If I saw this plan as a way to accomplish that, I'd be off in the mountains with a weapon in my hand right now. But this is madness. I saw enough carnage to last me a lifetime in the First World War, and we're due for much more in this one. No need to add to it. The people of Ireland don't deserve to be used as pawns. And I mean all of them, north and south."

The room was silent. Cosgrove grunted as he nodded, giving his grudging consent. I waited. Carrick signaled to a constable sitting outside near the window, who opened the door.