Nothing but Trouble_ A Kevin Kerney Novel - Michael Mcgarrity [98]
Called in by Deputy Commissioner Noel Clancy, Hugh Fitzmaurice settled into a chair in front of Clancy’s desk and smiled at his old friend.
“Am I here to be caned for some misdeed, Commissioner?” he asked.
“Nothing like that, Hugh,” Clancy replied with a laugh.
Almost totally bald and with a round, chubby face, Clancy had just celebrated his thirty-ninth year with the Garda. Twenty-five years ago, as a sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he’d taken Fitzmaurice, then a new detective with five years in uniform service, under his wing and had shown him the ropes. For the next fifteen years Fitzmaurice, who was perfectly content to remain a detective, had worked for Clancy until he’d been promoted out of criminal investigations into upper management.
“You won’t be too long with me, then, will you?” Fitzmaurice said, glancing at his watch. He had two hours to get to Dún Laoghaire before George Spalding was due at the villa.
Clancy shook his head. “An American diplomat paid the commissioner a visit this morning, asking if we’d be so kind, should we happen upon him, to quietly turn over to them this George Spalding fellow you’ve been searching for.”
“Was any reason given?” Fitzmaurice asked.
“Supposedly, it’s a matter concerning their national security and thus very hush-hush.”
“I very much doubt that is the case,” Fitzmaurice replied.
Clancy lifted his head and stared down his nose at Fitzmaurice. “Explain your reasoning.”
Fitzmaurice gave Commissioner Clancy a quick summary of the investigation, including the information about Thomas Loring Carrier on the computer disk Sara Brannon had passed to him at the airport bookstore before being whisked away by the two American embassy staff members for a flight to the States.
“I did my own computer search on Carrier last night,” he added. “He is a well-connected, staunch supporter of current American foreign policy and a saber rattler for the war on terrorism. Revealing him to be a member of a smuggling ring during his service in Vietnam would be an embarrassment to both the Pentagon and the White House.”
“International affairs of state do not fall under our purview, Hugh,” Clancy said.
“No, sir, but arresting criminals does.”
Clancy leaned back in his chair. “Indeed. But is there sufficient reason to believe that the allegation about Carrier is well founded?”
“I have no reason to doubt Colonel Brannon,” Fitzmaurice replied. “Am I to do as the Yanks ask, and help them clean up their sticky little mess?”
“I see no need for that,” Clancy said. “We have to consider the Canadian authorities, after all. They have as great a claim on Spalding as the Americans. Take Spalding into custody, interrogate him, but do not charge him without my authorization.”
Fitzmaurice smiled as he pulled himself out of the chair.
“Find a way if you can,” Clancy added, “to make it appear that circumstances beyond our control made us unable to comply with the wishes of the Americans.”
“I’ll make it so.”
Fitzmaurice left Garda Headquarters in a hurry and headed down the motorway to Dún Laoghaire. When he arrived at the villa, the officer on station reported the Coast Guard had spotted Spalding’s boat forty-five minutes out. Fitzmaurice took a deep breath and relaxed. It gave him just enough time to put into play the scheme he’d worked up after leaving Clancy’s office. He sent the officer down to the slip along the beachfront to keep watch for Spalding, called the Canadian embassy, and spoke to Ronald Weber, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police liaison officer.
“Surely you’re acquainted with the George Spalding case,” Fitzmaurice said.
“I am,” replied Weber. “An American army officer requested our assistance in gathering information regarding one of his known associates.”
“Well, I’ve a bit of a sticky situation. Apparently, the Yanks now want us to seize up Spalding and surreptitiously turn him over to them.”
“Do you know where Spalding is?” Weber asked.
“We not only know where he is, we know where