“He’s in a bad way.” He stood up and said to Moil, “Get him in the station wagon.” He turned to Sollazo. “It’s all fight. There’s a nursing home just outside Dublin we’ve been using for years. Decent doctors, good facilities. We’ll take him there.
Twenty-five minutes.” STANDING BESIDE THE TOYOTA OBSERVING THE farmhouse through the binoculars, Devlin said, “There’s something up. Sollazo and the Mori fella have just brought Ryan out of the house. They’re putting him into the station wagon. They looked as if they were supporting him.” ‘
“Let me look.” Dillon took the binoculars.
“They’re all getting in, Barry and Kathleen, too.
Let’s get ready to move.”
He slid behind the wheel and Devlin got in on the
other side. A few moments later the station wagon turned into the road and Dillon followed. THERE WAS A TELEPHONE BOX IN THE VILLAGE, but it was out of order. Hannah needed to speak to Ferguson, had to take a chance. She returned to the Loyalist and went up to her room. There was the usual system where she punched nine to get an outside line, and she dialed Ferguson’s direct line at’the Ministry of Defence.
It was bad luck that Kevin Stringer was sitting at his desk in the office doing accounts and was intrigued by the sound of the rather long series of numbers clicking rough. He reached for the main switchboard phone and lifted it gently.
“Brigadier Ferguson, Chief Inspector Bernstein.”
A little later Stringer heard a voice say, “Ferguson here. What’s happening, Chief Inspector?”
“I’m staying at the Loyalist in $cotstown, sir, on the Down coast. We followed them. up here, Barry and Sollazo. They have a boat in the harbor and brought a load of diving gear. They’ve gone back to Barry’s place outside Dublin., that’s where the Ryans
are. Dillon and Devlin are in hot pursuit.”
“You expect them to return?”
“Probably tomorrow. I’m staying on as an English tourist, lone female variety.”
“Well, for God’s sake watch yourself.”
“Don’t I always?”
She put the phone down. In the office, Stringer sat thinking about it, then he rang Barry’s phone number ZT:Z
at Ballybum. There was no reply. He sat there thinking about it some more and finally opened his desk drawer and took out a Browning automatic. HANNAH, SITTING AT THE DRESSING ]ABLE, WAS aware of a slight noise and turned to find the door open, Stringer standing there, the.Browning in his hand.
“Chief Inspector, is it? So what’s your game, lady?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE SIGN AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE DRIVE SAID Roselea Nursing Home. ‘The station wagon turned in through the gates and Dillon in the Toyota stopped on the other side of the road.
“What in the hell is going on?” “I’m not sure,” Devlin said, “but my ingression is something nobody counted on.”
IN THE RECEPTION AREA, THEY SAT WAITING, Moil, Sollazo, Barry, and Kathleen. She was in a bad way and Barry had an arm round her.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. The guy who runs this place, Dr. All Hassan, is a brilliant doctor.” He tried to make a joke. “An Egyptian Irishman. He’s patched up more bullet holes in more members of the IRA in the last twenty years than most doctors have had hot dinners o’ ‘ “It’s my fault,” she said. “You don’t understand.” “Don’t be crazy, girl, your uncle has a history of heart trouble, you know that as well as I do.” Hassan, a small brown-skinned Arab in a white coat, a stethoscope around his neck, appeared.
“How is he?” Barry demanded.
“Not good, not good at all.” Hassan turned to Kathleen. “Your uncle has a history of angina?
That’s what he told me.” “Yes.” “But this attack is most extreme. I don’t understand.
What is his medication?” “Dazane.” , “Good God, there’s no chance he has overdosed?” She stared at him, her face’ bone white. He said urgently,’ “Could he have overdosed?” She nodded slowly. “He took tlff of the pills at four o’clock.” “Oh, my God.” Hassan turned and ran along the corridor. Kathleen went after him and Barry and Sol-lazo followed, leaving Mori in reception.
RYAN LAY TWITCHING ON THE BED IN INTENSIVE care while Hassan and a male nurse worked on him.