Jack Higgins - The Judas gate

She was instantly aware of what he was trying to do, trying to clear her name of any blame in the matter against what would happen when the news spread; for this was Ireland, and spread it would. So she lied in a sense and said to Kelly, 'I can see his point, but obviously you and the villagers will have a different attitude.'

'Not where you're concerned, but as for this one, here goes…' Kelly shook his head. 'I lost one son at nineteen, Justin, and you were the closest I came to replacing him, but if Sean was alive today, he'd spit on your grave.'

'Well, I'm not in one yet, so be a good chap and clear off.' Justin cocked the Walther and pointed.

Kelly walked out of the room and Justin said to his mother, 'So the Preacher's gone to a better place. That's something to be grateful for, anyway.'

'I wouldn't know about that,' she said. 'In fact, I don't know about anything much any more.' And she too went out.

On the way back, Ferguson called on Roper and filled him in on what had happened. 'Do you think I've done right?' he asked.

'Oh, yes, although it could well give his cleaning lady a heart attack when she finds the body. If we'd used disposal, it would have left an ongoing mystery about what had happened to him. If we'd gone through the motions properly and arrested him, the show trial would have damaged everybody, including the Cabinet Office for having employed him.'

Harry Miller cut in. 'I agree. The Secret Intelligence Service wouldn't have come out of it very well for not spotting him.'

'Well, the Prime Minister's private army has done it again,' Roper said. 'I think he'll be pleased. Another notch on your gun, General.'

'All very well, but Shamrock, the mystery man, is still floating around out there.' Dillon and Holley had just turned up at the computer room, and Roper gave them the news. 'It's fantastic when you think of it,' Holley said. 'A man like that, one of the most eminent in his field, academic degrees up to his armpits, and yet he chooses the path of violence.'

'Ever since Robespierre in the French Revolution, the big movers and shakers have always been intellectuals,' Roper said. 'I seem to remember you got first-class honours in your degree,' he told Holley.

'Which is absolutely no help at all when some bastard's trying to shoot me.'

Ferguson and Miller walked in. The General was in an excellent mood. 'Billy rather pushed things with Shah and I must admit I was annoyed, but in the circumstances, I'm glad he did. He's following us in his own car.'

'A hell of a coup,' Dillon said. 'You could get a promotion with this one.'

'Don't be silly, Dillon.'

Billy joined them and Dillon said, 'You did well. Sometimes you need to take a chance on doing the wrong thing in the hope it will get the right result. You were on the button with this one.'

'I can't really take much credit,' Billy said. 'The truth is, I had it in for Shah for getting me shot.'

'Well, there you go,' Dillon told him. 'Anyway, we've got a lot to celebrate tonight. Are you going to line something up for us, General?' he asked Ferguson.

At that moment, Roper took a call on speaker, and Maggie Duncan's voice boomed out. 'Hello, Major Roper, have you got Sean there?'

'What is it?' Dillon asked.

'We've had movement with Mickeen, lots of groans and moans and vigorous stirring. I've phoned Professor Bellamy. He's at Guy's Hospital. He's going to come straight round when he's finished, but he's suggested you come now if you're available. In this kind of case, a result can come right out of the blue.'

'I'm on my way,' Dillon told her.

'One thing, Sean, I don't want a crowd here, it wouldn't be good for him. Just you, and one other person if you like. I'll see you.'

'Fantastic news,' Ferguson said. 'You must get moving straightaway.'

Dillon said to Holley, 'Will you come with me, Daniel? After all, you and I are the only ones here who've visited the scene of his accident. My Mini Cooper's outside. You can drive it. I'm too excited.'

'How could I refuse?' Holley said, and they hurried out. At Rosedene, there was a certain excitement, Maggie Duncan at the window peering in, a couple of nurses looking over her shoulder. When Dillon and Holley appeared, she chased the other nurses away. An older nurse was sitting at Mickeen's bedside.

'Mary's there to control him if anything happens in a hurry. A patient can get panicked when he awakens out of nowhere.'

As she said that, Mickeen opened his eyes, raised an arm and reached out at Mary. She took his hand. He looked thoroughly bewildered and then spoke very hoarsely.

'Who are you? Where am I?'

'You're all right, Mr Flynn,' she said. 'You've been ill.' He panicked then. 'What's going on? I don't remember you!'

He shrank back, pulling out the line to his saline bag, and another line to the machines monitoring his vital signs. Maggie Duncan opened the door and rushed in to assist Mary.

Mickeen was shaking, crying desperately, and Dillon stepped in the room, leaned over the bed from the other side and took his hand. 'Mickeen Oge Flynn,' he said in Irish. 'It's me, your nephew Sean Dillon, come to help you in your hour of need. Be still now, for you have not been yourself.'

Maggie, Mary and Holley didn't understand a word, but Mickeen did. 'God save the good work, Sean, is it indeed you?'

'And none other.' Dillon smiled and touched his face. 'But shall we speak English now, for it is only good manners with the ladies not understanding.'

The old man nodded slowly and said to Mary in English, 'And who are you, my dear?'

'Staff Nurse Mary Hanson, Mickeen, and this is the Matron, Maggie Duncan. You're in hospital in London.'

He looked puzzled. 'London, you say? I haven't been to London in years.' There was alarm. 'How did I get here – and who's that?'

Dillon glanced up and saw Bellamy standing in the door, excited and fascinated. 'This is your doctor, Professor Bellamy.'

'Now then, Mickeen, you've been on a long journey. Can you remember it?' Bellamy connected the electronics line and Mary the drip.

Mickeen frowned. 'I don't recall,' and then he looked up at Dillon. 'I remember you, Sean, phoning me from London about the funeral.'

'And which funeral would that be?' Bellamy asked, and murmured to Mary, 'A cup of tea I think, and chocolate biscuits; all nice and normal.'

She withdrew and Mickeen said, 'Which funeral? Old Colonel Henry Talbot's. He was a bad man. A real bad man.'

He was wandering now, and Dillon said gently, 'So you went to the funeral?'

Mickeen's face seemed to light up. 'I did that, but they were stopping people going in.'

'Who?'

'The Provos from Kilmartin. Justin didn't want outsiders to go.' His face became vacant as he looked at something he alone could see. 'That's right, I went back to Collyban and Paddy had left Father O'Grady's car up on the jack. His exhaust was damaged, so I thought I'd take a look and I got underneath and they came.'

There was a stillness in the room now. And Bellamy said, 'Who came?'

'I could only see their feet so I put my head out to look up. It was Jack Kelly from Kilmartin and Mr Justin Talbot. He was angry and asked me why I'd tried to go to the funeral, and then he said he knew you'd been on the phone to me, Sean, and asked what was it about.'

'And what did you say?' Dillon asked.

'That you were family, had just called to say hello.'

'And what happened then?'

'He said there must have been more to it than that. He lost his temper. Then he started kicking at my face and the car fell down.' He shook his head, puzzled. 'Or did it?' He smiled a little, like a child in a way. 'I only remember one word after that. Someone said, "Shamrock." A strange thing to say, surely?' He looked around. 'Where am I? How did I get here?'