Kilian had forgotten that they were related, though even if he had remembered, it wouldn’t have mattered. In this city, it seemed as if everyone was related to everyone, and couldn’t be helped. More than that, Ron was causing trouble at the pub, and that couldn’t be overlooked either.
Kilian booted up his computer and began typing away at his report of the incident between himself, Grace Walsh, and Ron MacPherson. As he sent it to the printer, a loud noise from the front of the office drew his attention.
“I don’t care, I want everyone in here, and I want them in here now,” the chief’s voice bellowed.
The men in the office jumped to attention as the higher ranking detectives signaled for them to file into the conference room.
Interest piqued, Kilian followed suit, though much less concerned than the rest of them. In the last couple of months, Kilian had gained some valuable insight into the underhanded side of the law. More specifically, he discovered that the chief inspector had a gambling problem, and had been giving himself private bonuses throughout the last year to help compensate for that. Kilian had a feeling that it wouldn’t be long until the chief was found out, and when he was, he would need Kilian’s help.
It was, he knew, one of the better sides of his job. He always had someone in his pocket, so when it came time to ask for a favor, they could hardly tell him no.
As Kilian sat at the long table, he folded his lands in his lap and peered at the map on the wall.
Whatever this was about, the Chief had obviously spent considerable time in here, and had placed colorful strings along the lines of Ireland, and covered the wall surrounding the map in notes. Honestly, it reminded Kilian more of a mad scientist, or even the work of a deranged stalker than that of a dignified police officer.
“Thank you all for coming here on such short notice,” called the chief as he gestured for an officer to close the door. “I know you have all been busy, you’re tired, I’m tired, but we can’t stop now. We have made incredible progress on the crime in Galway, and as you all know, it is my intention to lower crime rates by 5% this year, as it has been each year I have been chief, so that when I retire in five years, crime will have dropped by 25%.”
He paused and beamed proudly at them all before resting his eyes on Kilian.
“And there are certain members of my team who have gone above and beyond, and helped make this great city the safest it has ever been. I would like to thank Kilian Kelly for his hard work.” All eyes were on him now, and he fought to keep an even color. “Kilian Kelly who I will be personally recommending to take over as chief when it comes time for me to leave you good people.”
Kilian knew that he should be flattered, but the prospect of becoming chief was still at least five years away, and he had no doubt that he would have some competition there as well. In fact, as he looked around the table at the faces of the tired men and women, he felt certain that there would be more than a few people running against him.
“Detective Kelly has done incredible work not only by volunteering and working overtime, but by providing key insider information, and personally leading in significant crime busts. Thank you, Detective.”
“Of course, Chief,” Kilian said, his voice quiet. He wasn’t thrilled with the attention, though the chief was right. Kilian had provided key insider information into the workings of the criminal underworld of Galway. No one knew how he was able to sniff these things out. He claimed he had a nose for it, he was born to be a cop, but the truth was, he’d been using his contacts and personal experience with the mafia to set up other crime families, or petty criminals who were getting in the way.
Some people might have felt bad for it, but he didn’t. To his mind, it was strictly business, and more than that, he was turning in the kind of people who robbed drug stores or beat up prostitutes; the lowlifes, the kind that needed to be kept off the streets. In Kilian’s mind, he was still performing a civil service, and if anyone on the other side ever opened their mouths about it, well, they would meet his father’s .45. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
“As you all know, Galway has become more and more popular with smugglers due to it being a port. We cannot let that happen to our great city. I am expecting everyone to do their very best. Now, I want to have more surveillance on local businesses, more than that, I want a focus on new businesses because they can be a front for other things.” The chief dropped his clipboard on the table as a loud bang echoed through the room.
“Any business in particular?” Kilian asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, the new boxing gym that’s just opened. The family,” the chief paused to pick up his clipboard again, “The new family is known as Walsh, and has been very successful as trainers and boxers in Cork, and the patriarch, Peter, is an accomplished boxer who retired early due to an injury. I want to make sure they’re clean.”
Murmuring broke out around the table as the group discussed encounters with the Walsh Family, and one name stuck out to Kilian more than any other, “Grace.”
“How would you like us to begin?” Kilian asked, interrupting the low rumbling of voices.
“Well, Detective, since you’re already acquainted with the lass,” he gestured to Kilian’s nose, “why don’t you take point?”
Several men around him chuckled as Kilian’s face flushed.
“Fine,” Kilian said, turning his eyes back to the chief’s, “I’ll take point.”
5
As soon asthe man she had been bargaining with was out of view, Grace scowled. She kicked the pavement in frustration before storming off, shaking her head in furious disbelief at his attempts to worm his way out of the deal they had established.
Before she could open her mouth to start venting to nobody in particular, however, the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
I’m being followed, she thought to herself, quickening her pace slightly.
As she became aware of footsteps bounding behind her, getting ever closer, she darted into an alleyway and broke into a full sprint.
“Shit,” she hissed, nearly tripping over a crack in the pavement beneath her. She quickly regained her balance and bolted down another alleyway branching off to her right, glancing behind her for a moment before making her way through the winding twists and turns of the town’s many backstreets.
Grace wasn’t one for running from a fight, but since she had no idea who or what it was, well, it was best to follow instinct.
