Gemini Rain (16 page)

Noting her disapproval David stopped walking and turned to his mother, ‘Maman please she will be a good friend, someone we can trust I can get that feeling from her. But I
’m
enjoy
ing how she blushes sometimes it’s in my nature I can’
t stop myself! I feel she is the same and will get used to me.’

‘Friends only,’ Gabrielle searched David’s face for the truth.

‘I promise, Maman,’ he reassured her.

Gabrielle just grunted in response.

Chapter 13

Dublin –
Detective Inspector O’Reilly observed the packed room. Thirty-five men now under his command, the new Minister for Justice is trying his damnest to prove a point. O’Reilly felt a lit
tle nervous which surprised him even
t
hough he had an excuse he reasoned
with himself,
this was the largest command of
his career and now he too wanted to prove his ability.

Everybody was talking, loud laughter came from one of the far corners and the smoke, which was beginning to suffocate the small room, was stinging his small narrow eyes, he rose to open a side window. Turning back he decided it would be
friendlier
and open if he sat at the front of the desk rather than on the chair
and perhaps just throw a few subtle hints to the gathering
that it was in fact illegal to smoke in the workplace
.

Eyeing the
small
desk
which belonged to a schoolroom rather than the headquarters of the Irish Police Force,
as he walked to the front of it he awkwardly lowered his bulky rura
l frame to sit on it
,
he wondered if the bloody thing was going to collapse with his weight. But thankfully it just moaned a little and the anxious frown disappeared from his low forehead but he kept one foot on the ground prepared. 

Checking the personnel files once more he flicked through them casually, unable to believe the cream of the force were here under his command, Bridge and Kane from the Press Office, Ryan and White from the
Forensic
Photographic Section, Burke, Fitzgerald and Morriarty from the International Liaison Office. Specialists from nearly every section,
Fraud,
Criminal Assets Bureau, National Drugs Unit, National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and of course his own Special Detective Unit.

Listening to the sparring between the detectives from the different departments, he knew it was one of those light-hearted routines that made life and their work that little bit easier. Relieved, he sensed that there was no tension on the team, each detective received a brief background to the investigation when receiving their transfer orders so they knew that trust and professionalism must be there from the start.

He cleared his throat and commenced his speech but he got no-one’s attention so he rapped the desk with his large red knuckles.  As the noise level lowered he cleared his throat once more. Introducing himself, he looked around they’re getting younger and taller by the minute he thought wryly to himself remembering how he just barely passed the height requirement. ‘You’re lucky you’ve got the country build in ya,’ his Dublin Sergeant said to him on his first day in Pearse St. Station.
‘
Now that seems such a long time ago,
’
he ironically thought.

His mind jumped fast-forward to the present as the as
sembled were silent and waiting.
‘Today,’ he informed the anticipated faces staring back at him, ‘will be a getting to know each other and the task ahead of us.’ Admitting he knew some of them through their records only he wanted everybody to introduce themselves and talk about what they felt was their line of thinking on this case. ‘I want suggestions, ideas,’ he told them, ‘everything will be taken into consideration,
everything
,’ emphasizing that word, ‘will be noted.’

‘Our bosses in Dail Eireann
wants this investigation up, running and closed as quickly as possible, as discreetly
as possible. So now consider ye
rselves undercover
twenty-four seven
, for
those who have partners or families
, prepare them but
definitely
don’t reveal anything of this investigation to
them,’ he stressed. ‘This is your life for the next few weeks or few months however long its going to take. Prepare yourselves. We need a result from this one,
as usual
politics and budgets are
coming into the frame
so if we can prove that with the proper resources
and backing
we can achieve results, maybe there won’t be anymore cutbacks, just investment. Now can we st
art with Det. Sgt. Marc Farrell?
’ O’Reilly looked around the room finding his second in command at the back where previously the loud laughter emerged, he nodded to Marc and the detective commenced with his introduction.

O’Reilly watched the reaction of his other colleagues in the room,
respect was showing on the majority of the assembled
as Farrell walked around the room
,
it was important that his second-in-command
had authority and influence over the others but could be relied upon to act as the go-
between between O’Reilly and the
team.

Listening to Marc as he spoke and discussed the assignment with the others, O’Reilly admired the lean, muscular man walking about the room, pleased with the fact that Marc was achieving a sense of equality and comradeship within the team. O’Reilly could see this young, enthusiastic, fair-haired man rising in the ranks and out passing both himself and others in the room, his features
and body language
as he spoke were as sharp as his mind.

‘
Maybe one day he’ll be sitting on this desk and I’ll be the second in command walking around the room encouraging the assembled,
’
he thought
despairingly. But then he laughed to himself,
‘
you’ve three more years left before retirement Dermot, hopefully you’ll be fishing on the Shannon before that happens.
’

Ahh fishing on the Shannon, despairing at the thought of
being unable to spend his winter
vacation there;
all holidays for this team were now officially suspended until the case was closed.
‘
Not even a weekend break,
’
he sighed remembering the last weekend he and his wife spent on their little cruiser moored in between Lough Key and Lough Gara in County Roscommon. With both being from Boyle in Roscommon they loved to return there as often as pos
sible to see family and friends. T
aking trips along the Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, gave them the ability to visit the many riverside towns, pubs and restaurants. Sometimes if he was successful on one of his many attempts at fishing they would moor at the side of the river to enjoy a peaceful ev
ening together. Ahh the Shannon -
opening its arms to those who want
either the option of tranquillity or
a bloody good night out.

Quickly putting his yearning to the back of his mind, he switched back to the present day. Having rehearsed this line of introduction earlier this morning
with Marc
, he then commenced pinning pictures of the family being discussed along with their personal and public details. As each officer in the room spoke, if it related to what the officer said he would pin more information on the large notice board until the file was empty. Nothing was left out everybody he ensured would know the smallest of detail. 

Eventually, the discussion finished with the assembled studying the Board, a picture of the Minister for Justice was placed beside one member of the family being discussed, O’Reilly received permission from the Minister to inform the team of his connection and involvement. At the end of the board was a poster with a shaded figure containing a red key, all knew and recognised the symbol and the meaning.

‘This,’ O’Reilly stated, ‘
my friends
is the key to solving our case but despite every effort and resource we only have one suspect and no evidence. If we get to him or her as the case may be, we should wrap up this case in no time.’ Then he added, ‘with evidence of course and our key.’

‘Why don’t we get a court order and confiscate all their records?’ Keegan from the Criminal Assets Bureau enquired.

Farrell answered before his boss could even draw breath, ‘Only under final, extreme and desperate circumstances will the courts be used for search warrants. Not only do we want the
supplier and the
carrier but we want the connection on the street. And with
all
the Governments involvement everything must be behind closed doors, when it does eventually go to court we hope the charges will be more than what we want to stop, with the ma
in problem, that is the government’s connection
only being an added inconsequential matter in the eyes of the public. In our eyes and the Governments, it will add more to the length of the sentence and the judge will be advised of this.’

Pointing to a photo pinned on the board, Farrell looked to his commander receiving the nod of approval, ‘beca
use of the death of our initial suspect and the circumstances of that death,
all suspicion now lies with this person as the chief carrier and navigator of how our problem is brought into the country. But when this case is wrapped up our Red Key will not only see the carrier locked up but also the negotiator between Colombia and Ireland and the streets of Dublin, Cork, Galway and wherever else. There are other countries involved but because of the nature of distribution, we cannot pinpoint every country as yet.’

After the meeting Farrell joined O’Reilly in his office, ‘So when are you off on your French holiday with the Minister?’ the young detective joked.

O’Reilly looked up in surprise, ‘How the hell do you know about that?’

‘Ah, Paul and I met at a Garda conference
a few years ago
, he was heading a political debate on past governments influence and involvement with
in
the force. I had a lot to say and it was a heated debate but we’ve been friends ever since.’

O’Reilly grew wary, ‘
i
n
May.’

‘I made the connection when Paul said he was going to France o
n combined business and holiday
then you informed us that you may
be going to talk to Mrs Connolly
. So how long will I be Julius for?’ Farrell grinned as he referred to the nickname the team already picked for their new boss.

O’Reilly chuckled at least the name wasn’t a bad one he just hoped nobody would stab him in the back like they did with Caesar, ‘I don’t know yet, one or two days perhaps. I’m still waiting for confirmation from the
Minister;
will the flight details be coming from you?’

Farrell smirked, ‘Paul and I are friends enjoying an occasional pint together, we don’t go into that sort of detail.’

‘Do you not
now
,’ O’Reilly replied sarcastically.

Chapter 14

Marseille – ‘
Now don’t tell me part of the job description now includes having to buy the clothes as well as delivering the new arrivals!’

Veronique quickl
y shoved the pink and white
baby dress back onto the rail, immediately recognising
the Irish accent attempting her beloved
French
language. Turning she noticed Lauren was smiling with the smile soon disappearing when Lauren realised Veronique’s discomfort.

‘Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you, is it for a friend?’

But Veronique didn’t know how to answer,
‘Mon Dieu
an Irish woman is trying to talk to me in my own language and I don’t know what to say,
’
her cheeks were beginning to burn, the shock of meeting someone she knew was still bouncing around in her stomach
, normally she felt safe from prying eyes in the large city
.

‘Are you okay?’ Lauren was becoming concerned, ‘you look very flushed’, immediately dropping her heap of shopping bags on the ground and taking Veronique’s arm.