Free Deadly Intent by Anna Sweeney Page A

Bandon.
    â€˜With your permission, sir,’ he said. ‘I’m sure you’ve seen Jack Talbot’s story today in which he describes problems at the guesthouse where Malden was on holiday. Do you think Talbot could have had a tip-off that Malden was in danger, or that there’s any connection between his early departure from the guesthouse and injuries sustained by a female guest he had become friendly with?’
    â€˜I’m afraid you’re jumping ahead of me with your speculations, sergeant,’ said Devane drily. Redmond heard mutterings around him about lick-arses who were always first to ask questions. ‘Mind the colour of your tongue,’ someone whispered loudly.
    Devane gazed around sternly. ‘I’d like to remind you all of an important point. Two officers from the Garda Press Office are on their way to Bantry tonight, to deal with each and every
communication with the media, whether it’s reaction to gossip such as that raised by my good friend the sergeant, or the progress of our inquiries, or the precise hour at which we expect a shower of rain to fall on our heads.’ His words were like bursts of machine-gun fire. ‘So don’t let me hear of a gang of gardai making merry in the same hotel bar as the media mob, or some innocent eejit among you falling for an attractive television presenter’s
plámás
.’
    Heads were bent on all sides again. ‘If as much as a hint reaches my office that one of you has mishandled a piece of information, or been careless in any other way in the course of this job, believe you me that you will be banished out to the wilds of the Fastnet Rock and left there to wail and cry with the seabirds.’
    Trevor O’Kelleher gave the meeting a summary of Maureen Scurlock’s incident on the hillside and all that had followed. He checked a sheaf of notes in his hand from time to time.
    â€˜I’d like to draw your attention to a few specific points,’ he said. ‘Oscar Malden came on a week’s holiday to Beara, but as you’ve already heard, he decided to leave last Thursday, two days early. However, in spite of telling Nessa McDermott that a business problem had cropped up, he showed no great urgency about travelling home. We know, for example, that he spent Thursday morning strolling along the coast and drinking coffee in Derryowen Hotel, and then set off on another walk around midday.’
    O’Kelleher spoke in his usual measured way. His voice was quiet but could be heard clearly all over the room. Redmond envied his confidence.
    â€˜So we’ve to ask ourselves whether there was a particular reason for Malden’s delayed departure on Thursday. We also have to find out more about his travel arrangements from Beara to Tipperary. Fergus Malden received a text from his father at lunchtime, telling him to cancel the taxi he had booked for him. Oscar mentioned a change of plan in the text, and said he would get a lift instead. So we have to find out what brought about his change of plan, and who else was involved.’
    O’Kelleher glanced at his notes. ‘Malden’s mobile phone hasn’t yet been found, but of course we’ll be trawling for evidence of its signals, and searching every ditch in Beara for it if necessary, as it will provide us with crucial information on calls he received and internet connections he may have made. But even without his phone, the texts he sent to his son’s phone should give us valuable pointers. We’ll also examine all of the phone companies’ records to establish who was in contact with whom, and at what precise times. We can confirm however, that we’ve identified and ruled out the tourist whose call led us to Oscar’s body.’
    Sergeant Fitzmaurice put his hand up, and O’Kelleher and Devane signalled that they would take his question.
    â€˜I understand fully,’ said Fitzmaurice, ‘that we’re