The Doll's House

‘Kate, Mark will be working closely with you on this investigation. He’s your contact. You can take it that everything you hear from him is also coming from me. Is that okay with you?’


‘Of course.’ She nodded. She’d assumed she would be working directly with O’Connor, but he had clearly decided otherwise. Within moments of their initial introduction, O’Connor turned on his heels, leaving her and Lynch to get acquainted.

‘How long have you worked with O’Connor?’

‘The last few months. Before that I covered the Sweetman case. O’Connor was part of the final review squad before we handed the file over to the DPP.’

‘The young model who committed suicide?’

‘That’s the one. Gloria Sweetman.’

Lynch had obviously earned his stripes, and if he was working closely with O’Connor, he was a detective to depend on. There was something sharp about him, a quiet confidence that Kate liked. Sensing Lynch wanted to move the conversation on, she obliged. ‘So, what do we have here, Mark?’

Flicking open his notebook, he began: ‘Victim was found floating face up in the water. No effort had been made to hide the body, nothing attached to it to weigh it down, or any form of covering over it.’

‘Perhaps the killer was short on time?’

Lynch took her question as rhetorical, looking up briefly from his notebook before continuing as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘The grassed area running alongside the canal bank has recently been cut, so the grass was tight. Some bagged and tagged items have been taken from the immediate vicinity. Surface litter mainly, including a receipt for a hotel.’

‘Which one?’

‘Maldon House – it’s in Blessington.’

Kate knew it might be nothing – the receipt could have belonged to anyone – but it wouldn’t be the first time a killer had made a slip-up of such magnitude. She turned away from Lynch to where Hanley and the rest of the techies had set up shop. ‘And the blood markings, there must be plenty?’

‘Examination of blood characteristics is currently being carried out on the grassed area, footpath, roadway, and the canal ledge.’ Lynch also looked over to where the techies and their large white van were parked.

‘Anything concrete in yet?’

‘Not to me, but it’s early days.’

‘Apart from believing the victim was alive going into the water, what else did Morrison have to say?’

‘He’s confirmed that the stab wounds were to the lower chest. The details of angle, estimated type and length of blade will form part of his autopsy report.’

‘Mark, you can call me Kate.’

‘Kate.’ For the first time he looked slightly wrong-footed.

‘Did Morrison say if the attack was frenzied?’

‘There were multiple stab wounds. The slash mark on the victim’s right arm means he put up some kind of initial fight, but Morrison is not saying any more than that. I’m no expert, but from what I could see, the killer did a lot of damage.’

‘You’re the most expert person I have right now.’ She hoped her smile would put the detective at ease.

Returning to his notebook, Lynch continued: ‘House-to-house enquiries are under way. Harry Robinson is in charge of those. Witness statements from the last known sightings of the victim in Gogan’s pub and the Caldine Club on Kildare Street are also being taken. They’ll be ready for the briefing at midday. Hanley, as you can see, is in charge of the tech team. He and the guys will be here for a while.’

‘Where have you set up the incident room?’

‘We’re operating from Harcourt Street.’

‘Is Mick Butler still the chief super there?’ Kate watched for Lynch’s reaction. If he had any negative opinion of his line boss, he was keeping it to himself, nodding in confirmation and continuing.

‘CCTV footage is currently being pieced together. We’re running through our own cameras in Temple Bar. As for the rest, we’re dependent on footage from businesses or personal premises. As you know, these are erected for the protection of the premises only, so any shots we get of public areas or roads sighting the victim will be pure luck.’

‘I see, and the same with the canal.’

‘Indeed.’ Lynch paused to allow the last piece of information to sink in before continuing. ‘The victim was on foot leaving Gogan’s, and also when he left the club on Kildare Street. Based on the eye-witness statement, we believe Keith Jenkins was taken here by car. Clothing on the victim was the same as he was last seen wearing, apart from a scarf, which he could have mislaid at any point after he left the Kildare Street club.’

‘Lynch filling you in?’ Kate hadn’t noticed O’Connor walking up behind them.

‘Yes, he is.’ Turning back to Lynch, Kate noted he had taken the arrival of his superior as his cue to stop talking.

‘Lynch?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘The techies have some details on possible tyre markings. Get what you can down before the briefing and I’ll fill Kate in.’

As Lynch left them, Kate waited until he was some distance away before saying, ‘He’s a good guy, O’Connor.’