Dillon hauled himself over the rail and slipped down the companionway to the saloon. He got the Emergency Flares cupboard open, found the Walther, and went back up.

Barry was standing at one side of Hannah and Kathleen engaged in unfastening a lifebelt. As he threw it over, Dillon said, “Easy does it, Jack.”

He stood in the entrance to the companionway, a supremely menacing figure in the black diving suit, the Walther in his right hand.

“Get over here, Hannah.”

She did so. Barry still leaned over the rail, glancing back over his shoulder. “Still the eighth wonder of the world, aren’t you, Sean?”

“Don’t do it, Jack,” Dillon said gently.

But Barry did, half turning, Browning in hand, and Dillon shot him twice in the heart. Barry was hurled against the rail, the Browning skidding across the deck, and he toppled over into the sea.

Dillon ran to the rail, Walther extended. Mori stared up at him, an arm around Sollazo, and Dillon took deliberate aim and shot him between the eyes. There was silence, only seagulls calling, whirling above them in the mist. Dillon sat down against the rail.

“Jesus, but I could do with a cigarette.”

Hannah went down on one knee beside him. “Are you all right, Sean?”

Kathleen Ryan said, her voice strangely dead, “Martin, push the Walther over this way.”

Dillon had put it on the deck beside him. He looked up and Hannah turned and there she was, Barry’s Browning in one hand. The look on her face was that of the truly mad.

“Not there, Martin, not there in the first place. The cunning old bastard, my uncle. Only told me the other day, but clever, you must agree. It’s there waiting for me and I’ll fly in out of the sea to get it. Soon now, Martin, soon.”

“I know, Kate, I know.”

“Wouldn’t hurt you, Martin, my lovely Martin, so down you go, the both of you.”

“I think we’d better,” Hannah murmured.

“Anything you say, Kate.” Dillon smiled, stood up, and kicked the Walther across.

Hannah went down the companionway and Dillon followed. “Close the door,” Kathleen called.

He did as he was told, was aware of her footsteps on the companionway, the key turning in the door. It was only two or three minutes later that they heard the outboard motor start up.

“WHAT DO WE do?” Hannah asked.

“Simple,” Dillon told her, “now that she’s gone. These things have a forward deck hatch, always do. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He went out into the galley and saw the hatch at once above his head, stood on a stool, unclipped it, and pulled himself through. A moment later, Hannah heard him on the companionway and the door opened. She followed him out on deck and they saw the green inflatable disappearing into the mist. Dillon went into the wheelhouse and switched on the engines. He turned back toward Scotstown.

“Here, you take the wheel and I’ll go and change.”

When he returned, Hannah said, “She’s crazy, Sean, over the edge.”

“She always was a bit that way,” Dillon said. “Something there, something really heavy, and I never knew what. Now she thinks she killed her uncle. By the way, is that Jack Barry’s raincoat on the peg there? If so, I might just find those two Walthers he took off me.” He searched the pockets and turned. “There you are, one for you and one for me. I’ll take the wheel.”

“What did she mean that the gold wasn’t there in the first place?”

“Remember I told you I felt there was something wrong when I went through the files and the newspaper clippings.”

“Yes.”

“Now I know what it was. Michael Ryan had a replica truck at Folly’s End and Benny was to dump it on the coast road to put the police off for a while.”

“So?”

“It didn’t strike me at first, but there wasn’t a single mention of that truck in any police report or newspaper file. Now why would that be?”

“Oh, my God!” Hannah said.

“Exactly. After the robbery I took off for the Irish Rose on the motorcycle with Kathleen. Michael followed in the truck only he was late. Told us the automatic clutch was giving trouble.”

“Which it wasn’t.”

“Of course not. He was late because he called at Folly’s End and switched trucks. The bullion never went down with the Irish Rose because it was never on board. It’s locked away in that hidey hole at the back of the barn at the farm, at Folly’s End. Isn’t that the biggest laugh you’ve had in years?”

THE LAKE DISTRICT

1995

FIFTEEN

KATHLEEN RYAN COASTED in out of the mist and grounded on the slipway beside the jetty. She didn’t bother tying up, simply left the inflatable where it was, and went up to the quayside and crossed to the Loyalist. She went round to the yard at the rear and found Barry’s station wagon. When she tried the door it was locked. She stood there thinking about it. She had to get out of it, had to keep moving, so she crossed to the back door.

Kevin Stringer sat at the table drinking tea and reading yesterday’s newspaper. He looked up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Jack Barry’s keys for the station wagon, where are they?”

“On the sideboard.”

She reached for them and put them in her pocket. “I need my shoulder bag. I left it in the bedroom. I’ll go and fetch it, then I’ll be off.”

She went out and left Stringer there, very disturbed. It was quiet, no staff due in for a couple of hours, and for some reason he knew fear.

He heard her coming down the stairs and she came in. She’d got rid of the reefer coat she’d worn on the boat, was wearing a long raincoat and her old black beret. The bag hung from her left shoulder.

“Do you know where Ladytown is?”

“It’s on the far side of Newcastle on Dundrum Bay. You just follow the coast road.”

“How far?”

“Twenty miles.”

“Good, I’ll be away, then.” It was noticeable that the American accent had disappeared and now she had reverted to the hard Belfast accent of her youth.

Stringer got up and moved to block her way. “What the hell is going on? Where’s Jack?”

“Dead. Martin killed him, Martin Keogh. He killed Sollazo and the other fella, too. He’s still on the boat with that woman. I locked them in the cabin and came back in the inflatable.”

Her voice was flat and monotonous and Stringer felt strangely light-headed. “Not Keogh – Dillon. Have you lost your wits, girl? They can’t all be dead, not all three.”

“Oh, yes they are. Anyway, I’ll be off.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” He put his hands on her shoulders.

Her eyes seemed to burn in that pale face and she cried out, “Don’t put your hands on me, you Taig bastard.” She pulled the Browning from her right-hand pocket, jammed the muzzle against his side, and fired.

He gave a terrible groan and staggered back. “Damn you, you’ve done for me.”

She shot him again and he fell against the table and dropped to the floor. “Good riddance,” she said. “If I had my way I’d shoot the lot of you.”

She put the Browning back in her pocket and went out. A few moments later she drove away in the station wagon.

DILLON EASED THE Avenger into the side of the jetty and Hannah scrambled over with a line. He cut the engines, went over the rail to join her, and tied up.

“Right, let’s get moving.”

He took Hannah’s hand and they ran across the street in the rain going round the side to the yard at the back. Hannah peered cautiously in through the kitchen window.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone there,” she said, “and I see the station wagon has gone.”

“All right, in we go,” Dillon told her and took out his Walther.

There was the immediate pungent smell of cordite and then, of course, Stringer’s body. Hannah dropped to one knee and searched for a pulse. She looked up and shook her head.