The Doll's House

‘Diatoms?’


‘Yeah – minute organisms scurrying around in the water. It’s the final confirmation that Jenkins was alive before taking the dip. Morrison also took swabs from under the fingernails. Weak or not, Keith Jenkins put up a fight, so let’s hope our pal has history.’

‘When will I have the autopsy report?’

‘Whenever I get it. I’ve only got verbals from Morrison.’

‘So let’s hear them.’

‘Half a dozen puncture wounds, all within the same location on the body, below the ribcage. The width, thickness and depth implied severe thrusting into the torso. A double-sided blade was used. It wasn’t a large weapon. The attacker could have hidden it on his person before the assault.’

‘And the dimensions of the blade?’

‘Approximately an inch in width. It sank into the body seven inches. Allowing for the area below the handle, it could have been an eight-inch knife. Morrison thinks it might be a domestic kitchen knife.’

‘And the sequence?’

‘All but one puncture wound happened directly after one another. There was a final, deeper thrust, probably seconds after the first attack. The last wound did the most damage. After that, the victim would have been like putty.’

‘So it was a frenzied attack initially, then a last deciding penetration.’

‘That’s what the master says.’ O’Connor lit another cigarette. ‘So, what do you think?’

‘I think we need to look on the knife attack and the drowning as separate entities. The stabbing is primarily expressive violence, but the drowning was undoubtedly instrumental violence.’

‘Meaning what, Kate?’

‘The first tells us more about the emotional feeling involved. It was aggressive, frenzied, and the sequence is also interesting.’

‘Go on.’

‘The drowning brings a different dimension. When I say, “instrumental”, it represents a means to an end.’

‘He wanted him dead.’

‘Yes, and this was his chosen way of achieving it.’ Finishing her coffee, Kate looked at O’Connor, waiting for the signal to move. But he didn’t seem in any hurry. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have said he was stalling.

‘So how are things with you, Kate, and young Charlie? What age is he now? Four?’

‘Five. He’s finding some things difficult – you know, school and all.’

‘Five! God Almighty, that’s old.’ O’Connor managed a laugh. ‘You’ll be worrying about his college points so.’

O’Connor didn’t have any children, nor was he married, which meant he lived in a separate universe as far as Kate was concerned.

‘Come on, O’Connor. I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing.’ She stood up. O’Connor did the same. Then, both of them walking towards Kildare Street, Kate asked, ‘What’s the final upshot with Johnny Keegan?’

‘He’ll probably walk. Right now it looks like the girlfriend is backing him up. But you can be darn sure that whatever Morrison got from beneath those fingernails, we’ll be looking to play snap when the test results come in.’

‘What about the CCTV footage?’

‘We’ve pieced a lot of it together. There’s a sighting of Jenkins shortly after he left the club, heading down Hatch Street, then another at a late-night shop near Charlemont Street.’

‘Very close to the canal.’

‘Yes, but two hours earlier on.’

‘Have you any idea why Jenkins was out walking? He could have got a taxi home to Malahide.’

‘The current girlfriend lives in town, a Siobhan King. Maybe he was planning to spend the night with her.’

‘What does she do?’

‘PR stuff mostly.’

‘But why walk, O’Connor?’

‘Perhaps he needed some air.’

‘He was alone, I assume.’

‘Yeah, for the most part.’

‘For the most part?’

‘A guy standing outside a late-night shop was picked up on the footage. The two of them had a chat. They both lit cigarettes.’

‘So they knew each other.’

‘Not necessarily, Kate. Strangers often ask each other for a light.’

‘But whoever it was, they would have recognised him?’

‘Maybe. The press office put out a request on the lunchtime bulletin, asking the guy to come forward, but nothing yet.’

‘And after Charlemont Street? Anything after that?’

‘Not so far.’

Looking up at the building on Kildare Street, O’Connor asked, ‘Are you ready to see how the other half lives?

‘Sure, why not?’

‘Good. Let’s start disturbing these lovely people.’

‘Careful, O’Connor,’ she chided.

‘You know me, Kate. I’m full of sensitivity.’





Clodagh