I know it doesn t seem likely, Holley began, and Dillon cut in.

The same Jack Kelly who became an IRA volunteer at eighteen, was involved for over thirty years in the Troubles, and served on the Army Council?

And never too happy about the peace process, Holley said. So if it is him… I wonder what he s up to.

That s for Ferguson and Roper to decide.

Strange, us having a foot in both camps, Holley said. How do you think that happened?

Daniel, me boy, if I was of a religious turn of mind, I d say God must have a purpose in mind for us, but for the life of me, I can t imagine what it would be.

Well, I m damned if I can, Holley said.

Although I should imagine that the general will pay Kelly a call sooner rather than later.

Dillon turned to Murphy. Happy, are you, Patrick, now that you ve come clean? I mean, as you did turn out to have lied, you must have thought I might take it the wrong way?

Of course not, Mr. Dillon, Murphy said, but there was a gathering alarm on his face.

Don t worry, Dillon carried on. You ve done us a good turn. Although it would help the situation, restore mutual trust, you might say, if you produced my friend s Colt. 25. It doesn t seem to be on the spring clip, which I can see quite clearly inside the rain hat on the desk there.

Murphy managed to look astonished. But that s nonsense, he said, and then moved with lightning speed behind Holley, grabbed him by the collar, and produced the Colt.

I don t want trouble, I just want out, but if I have to, I ll kill your friend. So just drop that Walther into the sewage, and then we ll walk to the door and I ll get into my car and vanish. Otherwise, your friend s a dead man.

Now, we can t have that, can we? Here we go, a perfectly good Walther down the toilet, in a manner of speaking. Dillon dropped it in.

Murphy pushed Holley toward the entrance, the Colt against his skull, and as Dillon trailed them, cried, Stay back or I ll drop him.