Gallows Lane (Inspector Devlin Mystery 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

panicked and ran,’ Williams said. ‘Locking up the house seems like a futile enough attempt to hide his crime.’
    ‘Or it could just suggest how callous this guy is. Business taken care of and on his way,’ I said. ‘Maybe she started to wake while he was getting ready to rape her. He hits her, kills her, runs.’
    ‘What about fingerprints?’
    ‘McLoone’s prints fairly much cover any others that might be on the key. No good to us. There are prints on the condom, though, and not Karen’s.’
    ‘All we need now is a suspect to match them with,’ Costello muttered. ‘Who’s in the frame?’
    This time Williams looked to me. I nodded.
    ‘We reckon one of the builders, sir,’ she said. ‘Someone muscled, with access to the house, knows where the key is. We’re going to start there. Get a list of his workers’ names off Paddy Hannon. Contracted and subcontracted.’
    ‘Sounds good. Keep me informed,’ Costello said. Assuming he was finished, we rose to leave. ‘Caroline, give myself and Inspector Devlin a minute or two alone, would you?’ Costello said. Williams looked at me, shrugged slightly and left.
    ‘How’s James Kerr?’ he asked, the change in direction catching me completely off guard.
    ‘I … I lost him, sir. I dropped him at a B&B, but he’s done a runner.’
    ‘Well, find him,’ Costello said softly. ‘Find him, Benedict, and convince him to go back across the border. Let them deal with him. This business is enough to keep us on our toes.’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ I said, still standing.
    ‘It looks well out there, doesn’t it?’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ I said again.
    ‘It’s good for the station, Benedict. That’s important for all of us.’ He waved towards the seat I had just vacated. ‘Sit down, Benedict.’
    I smiled a little uncertainly, but sat again anyway.
    ‘Try to get involved out there, Benedict. Successes like this are important. We’re up to our eyes in it with this Doherty thing, and God knows Kerr is just a bomb waiting to go off, but this find of Patterson’s is something we can be proud of; something we can show the papers. D’ye see?’
    ‘I understand, sir,’ I said.
    ‘Have you thought about what I told you the other night?’ he asked.
    ‘Sir, I’m not sure I have an interest in your job,’ I protested, not wholly sincerely. ‘Besides, even if I did make the promotion list, there’s no guarantee I’d be posted here. I could end up in Cork. I’m not sure I’m ready to uproot Debbie and the kids.’ Each year, An Garda compiles a list of officers selected for promotion. Successful officers are expected to take the first available post, regardless of their current location.
    ‘I wouldn’t worry about that, Benedict. A word in the right ear would see you here. If you’re selected for the list, of course,’ Costello said, smiling. ‘Even if you aren’t selected, the person who ends up here will be based in Letterkenny again. I only moved here for Emily.’ He gestured towards the photograph on his desk.
    Costello had requested a temporary move from Letterkenny to Lifford several years previous, in order to be closer to home for his wife who had a cancer scare. She survived that only to meet death violently in her own home on a frozen New Year’s Eve. Certainly I had as much chance for promotion as someone like Patterson – until his serendipitous finds.
    ‘Of course, this all depends on Harry,’ Costello added.
    ‘Why?’ I attempted, vainly, to feign indifference to the turn the conversation had taken.
    ‘Things are looking good for Inspector Patterson, Benedict. These finds have given him a bit of an edge, I don’t mind telling you. And they’re doing the station as much good.’
    I nodded in agreement.
    ‘I know it’s not your style, but try to be a team player, Benedict, eh? And get your bloody application in. This chance’ll not come up for another while, you know.’
    I nodded my head a little uncertainly. Much as I liked the idea of