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lead us to whoever it was that killed Father Fiachra.’
    *
    She called Detective O’Donovan and explained what Clodagh had told her.
    ‘Well, I have to say that doesn’t surprise me at all,’ said Detective O’Donovan. ‘I had a feeling about that scobe right from the start. I’m allergic to fellows like him.’
    ‘That’s beside the point, Patrick. The point is, what’s a factory manager doing conspiring to frighten the wits out of some poor old woman and then aiding and abetting the murder of a priest who’s come to give her a little reassurance?’
    ‘Search me,’ said Detective O’Donovan. ‘Maybe he thinks she’s a witch and she’s been putting a hex on his factory for making too much noise. You remember that so-called witch in Montenotte – the one who tried to cast a spell on the oil tankers whenever they docked into the Shell depot on the river because their pumping kept her awake all night?’
    ‘I do, yes. The difference is that Shell didn’t try to scare that old woman to death, or bash her head in with a rock. Anyway... I think another visit to Toolmate is called for. Think about it: the only access to Mary O’Donnell’s back garden fence is through the factory grounds, and if Satan had come from outside the factory, surely Redmond Keane must have seen him through his office window?’
    ‘So you reckon that Satan came from inside the factory?’
    ‘Yes, I do, and if Redmond Keane won’t voluntarily allow us to search the premises to see if his outfit’s hidden there anywhere, I’ll apply for a warrant.’
    *
    ‘I rang her back for you,’ said Desmond Keane, as Clodagh came into the office. ‘I told her you’d only gone to the toilet and you wouldn’t be long.’
    Clodagh glanced over at her iPhone which she had left on her desk.
    ‘Who was it?’ she said, although she felt like saying, ‘You’ve no business, answering my private calls!’ She would have done, if he hadn’t been her boss, and if she hadn’t been so frightened of him.
    ‘Well, who were you expecting?’ asked Redmond, getting up from his desk and walking across the office until he was close enough to touch her. Or slap her.
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Clodagh. She was flustered now and she clutched her large white handbag defensively in front of her. She tried to get past Redmond so that she could sit down, but he took a step sideways and blocked her. ‘I wasn’t expecting anybody.’
    ‘Are you sure of that, Clodagh? Not even Detective Superintendent Kathleen Maguire?’
    Clodagh blushed and again she tried to get past him, but this time he took hold of the cuff of her white Aran sweater and twisted it.
    ‘Let me go, please,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
    ‘Oh, don’t you, now? Well, that’s very strange altogether because she left you a message. Would you like to hear it, this message?’
    Redmond picked up her phone and held it up in front of her. Clodagh made a snatch for it, but he held it tantalizingly out of her reach.
    ‘Look, if I put it on the speakerphone, then we’ll both be able to hear it, won’t we?’
    There was nothing that Clodagh could do. Redmond switched on her phone and they heard Katie’s voice saying, ‘ Clodagh? I just wanted to thank you for your help and advise you that we’ll be acting on it immediately. When you see me, though, say nothing at all to suggest that you might have spoken to me. I’ll call you later so .’
    ‘Well, your mystery caller didn’t give her name, so I rang her back,’ said Redmond. As it happened, she was engaged on another call, but her answerphone told me who she was and invited me to leave a message. Which I did.’
    He released his grip on her sleeve and handed her back her iPhone. Clodagh stood there miserably, glancing towards the door every now and then, as if all she wanted to do was escape.
    ‘So you spoke to Detective Superintendent Maguire, did you? And what exactly did you speak about that she’s