Edge of Danger. Jack Higgins

at Dillon. ‘Yes, ma’am, like a good dog I obey.’

      Dillon laughed out loud. ‘Well, this dog I like. Can he have a drink?’

      ‘Not on duty,’ Kelly said. ‘And by the way, I’m from County Down, too, you Fenian bastard.’

      ‘So we know where we are.’ Dillon smiled. ‘Go on, have one Bushmills, and sit down and hear what the lady wants.’

      Her story was quite convincing. ‘The thing is, Dillon, we, that is, Rashid Investments, are moving into Ulster in a big way because of the peace process, but we’re experiencing roadblocks, if you know what I mean. Our developments would bring high employment, but we’re being leaned on.’

      ‘So?’ Dillon asked.

      ‘Well, we need what I suppose you would call protection. People who might help.’

      ‘And who might that be?’

      She waved to a waiter and paused until he’d poured more champagne. ‘Have you heard of a man called Aidan Bell?’

      Dillon almost fell over the table laughing. ‘Jesus, girl, he’s tried to shoot me more than once. Our Aidan was big with what you might call fringe organizations on the hard right of the IRA.’

      ‘I heard he was possibly responsible for killing Lord Mountbatten.’

      ‘Well, I was accused of that myself.’

      ‘They also say you attacked Number Ten Downing Street in February ninety-one with mortar bombs.’

      ‘Never proved.’ He smiled. ‘Mind you, if we’d had a bit more time…’

      ‘All right,’ she said. ‘So you’re a bad boy, but I need to get to Aidan Bell to see if we can do a deal. Protection, call it what you want. He lives in a place called Drumcree in County Down.’

      ‘I know it well, I’m from Down myself, but then you know that.’

      ‘I’m supposed to meet him on Thursday. I’ll take George.’ She turned to Kelly. ‘Can I count on you, too?’

      ‘Of course, ma’am.’

      Dillon said to him, ‘Good man yourself,’ and turned to her. ‘And you’re asking for me? I work for Ferguson.’

      ‘So you’ll tell him. This isn’t an intelligence matter. I want back-up, that’s all, and in that damn place you’re the best. What’s the matter, doesn’t Ferguson ever let you work freelance?’

      ‘I’ll see what the good Brigadier thinks, and I’ll let you know.’

      At Ferguson’s flat later that night, he gave the Brigadier a rundown of what had taken place. Hannah Bernstein heard it all, too. When Dillon was finished, Ferguson thought about it, then turned to her.

      ‘What do you think?’

      ‘On the surface, it makes sense. The Rashid outfit is definitely into Ulster these days, but so are a lot of people. On the other hand, it’s a good story. Too good.’

      Ferguson turned to Dillon, who smiled and said, ‘I always believed in women coppers. She’s right.’

      Ferguson nodded. ‘There’s a hidden agenda. See if you can find out what, Sean.’

      ‘There you go, calling me Sean again.’ Dillon smiled. ‘Still and all, things are quiet. I’ll take a look.’

      ‘And keep in touch,’ Ferguson told him.

      The Rashid Gulfstream flew from RAF Northolt, a popular venue with executive jets that found problems with the congestion of Heathrow. Besides the two pilots, the other people on board were Kate, Dillon, George Rashid and Kelly. Dillon had arrived last, and once they were in flight, he opened the bar box and found a half bottle of Bushmills.

      ‘We still don’t know what’s happening,’ Kate said.

      ‘Well, it’s reasonably simple. Aidan Bell at Drumcree is expecting you sometime tomorrow to discover whatever you want to discuss with him. We land this afternoon at Aldergrove. My arrangements are that we go to a little fishing port called Magee, sail overnight to Drumcree and you can see Bell in the morning.’

      There was silence. She said, ‘Are you sure about this?’

      ‘It’s a nice forty-foot boat called Aran. I could handle it myself, but these two can act as deckhands. It leaves Aidan Bell slightly left-footed, you arriving that way – he won’t expect it – so a bright girl should do rather well.’

      ‘Bastard,’ she told him. ‘Why is it I think of you like that?’

      ‘Because that’s what I am.’

      ‘Well, as long as you’re my bastard on this thing, all right?’

      Not that she believed him, not for a moment, but she had her agenda and she was playing it through.

      The flight was normal, the drive down to the coast just as uneventful. Magee was a small place, the kind that in the old days had been mainly occupied with fishing. The Aran was tied up at the pier, a shabby boat, as Dillon had said, forty feet, but having used Ferguson’s best efforts, he knew it had twin screws and the kind of engine you needed for action by night. He waited until almost midnight before leaving.

      They had a simple meal of fried eggs and canned spaghetti bolognese, and even split a bottle of white wine so cheap that it had a screw cap instead of a cork.

      ‘We’ll take our leave,’ Dillon said. ‘The weather isn’t too bad. Wind’s six or seven. Half engines mostly.’ He nodded to George and Kelly. ‘You two cast off, then I suggest you get some sleep. There’s no way of knowing how things will go in the morning.’

      ‘And what about you?’ Kate asked.

      ‘I’ll manage.’

      ‘Dillon, I’ve been sailing boats for years.’

      ‘Then if it gets rough, you can give me a hand.’

      As the Aran moved out to sea, the tide was still running in. Visibility was poor, rain drifting. Kate stood beside Dillon in the wheelhouse, with only the light over the chart table.

      ‘Rain squalls and maybe fog in the morning,’ he said. ‘Are you okay? There are sea-sickness pills in that drawer.’

      ‘I told you, Dillon, I’ve sailed before. I’ll make some tea and perhaps a sandwich.’

      Not long afterwards, he smelled bacon, and she came into the wheelhouse with a thermos flask of tea and three sandwiches.

      ‘Two for you, one for me.’

      ‘And you half Bedu, eating bacon.’

      ‘Islam is a wonderful moral faith, Dillon.’

      ‘And how does that sit with those twelfth-century Dauncey Christians?’

      ‘Oh, they were hard people and their beliefs were very similar in some ways. You know something, Dillon? I’m half Bedu, but my God, I’m proud of my Dauncey roots. There are a lot of great ancestors there.’

      Dillon finished his second bacon sandwich. ‘It’s an unusual situation, I can see that. I’m not sure about the aristocracy, Kate, but I like you. What about George and Kelly?’

      ‘Last seen getting their heads down.’

      ‘Good. I’ll do the same, and since you keep boasting of your sailing prowess, I’ll hand it over.’

      When he returned four hours later, it was to a rolling motion. He had been lying on one of the bench seats in the saloon, come awake slowly and gone up the companionway. He opened the door of the wheelhouse to the sight of dawn, a grey light, heavy mist and rain, and the Down coast a couple of miles away. Kate stood there, hands steady on the wheel.

      ‘Good man yourself,’ Dillon said.