under his breath. An unwill ingness to 'get involved' was more in evidence in Belfast than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
'I must speak ... to ... British Intelligence . . .' said the woman with obvious and painful difficulty.
'I'll ask the constable to come in, shall I?' said the nurse.
Avedissian was about to agree when the woman put her hand on his arm. 'No police . . . Intelligence . . . Bryant.’
Avedissian went cold at the mention of Bryant's name. Wait a minute,' he asked the nurse who was heading for the door. She paused with her hand on the handle.
Avedissian bent close to the woman and whispered 'What do you know of Bryant?'
I’m . . . Kathleen O'Neill . . . Martin O'Neill's sister . . . have important information . . . must tell Bryant.'
The name O'Neill meant nothing to Avedissian. He left the woman's side for a moment and walked over to the nurse. 'She says she's Kathleen O'Neill. Mean anything to you?'
The girl shook her head.
'She said something about being Martin O'Neill's sister.'
'Now that means something,’ said the nurse. She told Avedissian that Martin O'Neill was a leading IRA man.
Avedissian returned to the woman and said, 'Can't you tell us what it is? You need rest and sleep.'
'No . . . must speak to Bryant . . . tell him . . . it's about the . . . missing person.'
Avedissian shrugged and turned to the nurse. 'Better call the security number.'
The nurse dialled a number, handed him the phone and said, 'It's ringing.'
‘ This is Dr Gillibrand, A & E at the General. I've got a woman here who says that she's Martin O'Neill's sister. She wants to speak to someone called Bryant about a missing person.'
In less than fifteen minutes a black saloon drew up out side A & E and Bryant got out accompanied by three other men. Bryant stared straight ahead but the other two looked about them constantly.
'Well, Dr Gillibrand, this is a coincidence. And how are things in the Emerald Isle?' murmured Bryant after making sure that no one else was within hearing range.
Once again Avedissian noted the sneer in Bryant's voice whenever he used the term 'Emerald Isle'. 'I'm coping,' he said.
'Good. Where's the O'Neill woman?'
'She's in here,' said Avedissian, pointing to a closed door. -But she's very weak. She's been badly beaten.'
Bryant grinned as if Avedissian had said something that had amused him. 'Really?' he said quietly. 'Now isn't that a shame.'
Avedissian said, 'I think it would be best if you could leave off questioning her till the morning.'
The grin left Bryant's face in an instant and he hissed at Avedissian, 'When I want your "professional" advice, Doctor, I'll ask for it. Take me to her.'
Avedissian held his tongue and led the way. He was about to enter the room behind Bryant when Bryant stopped and turned. He said to Avedissian, 'Wait outside please.'
'She is my patient,' insisted Avedissian as loudly as he dared.
Anger flashed in Bryant's eyes. 'Let's not take the game too far, Doctor,' he hissed.
'It's not a game to her,' whispered Avedissian equally angrily. 'You do anything to harm her and I'll bring the whole house of cards tumbling down and screw the con sequences!'
For a moment their eyes were locked in a contest of wills then Bryant relaxed and assumed a smile. 'All right, Doctor,' he replied. 'Five minutes, no longer, I promise.' With that he closed the door and Avedissian turned to face a puzzled nursing staff who were obviously wondering what had been going on.
'Bloody bureaucrats!' he murmured.
'You sound just like Dr Harmon,’ said one of the nurses.
True to his word Bryant came out of the room after five minutes. He seemed very pleased with himself as he approached Avedissian and the nurses melted away. 'Well,’ he said, 'Christmas has come early this year and Santa Claus has just been very good to us indeed.'
Avedissian waited for Bryant to explain but he did not. Instead he said, ‘The O'Neill woman will have to be trans ferred out of here.'
'I must speak ... to ... British Intelligence . . .' said the woman with obvious and painful difficulty.
'I'll ask the constable to come in, shall I?' said the nurse.
Avedissian was about to agree when the woman put her hand on his arm. 'No police . . . Intelligence . . . Bryant.’
Avedissian went cold at the mention of Bryant's name. Wait a minute,' he asked the nurse who was heading for the door. She paused with her hand on the handle.
Avedissian bent close to the woman and whispered 'What do you know of Bryant?'
I’m . . . Kathleen O'Neill . . . Martin O'Neill's sister . . . have important information . . . must tell Bryant.'
The name O'Neill meant nothing to Avedissian. He left the woman's side for a moment and walked over to the nurse. 'She says she's Kathleen O'Neill. Mean anything to you?'
The girl shook her head.
'She said something about being Martin O'Neill's sister.'
'Now that means something,’ said the nurse. She told Avedissian that Martin O'Neill was a leading IRA man.
Avedissian returned to the woman and said, 'Can't you tell us what it is? You need rest and sleep.'
'No . . . must speak to Bryant . . . tell him . . . it's about the . . . missing person.'
Avedissian shrugged and turned to the nurse. 'Better call the security number.'
The nurse dialled a number, handed him the phone and said, 'It's ringing.'
‘ This is Dr Gillibrand, A & E at the General. I've got a woman here who says that she's Martin O'Neill's sister. She wants to speak to someone called Bryant about a missing person.'
In less than fifteen minutes a black saloon drew up out side A & E and Bryant got out accompanied by three other men. Bryant stared straight ahead but the other two looked about them constantly.
'Well, Dr Gillibrand, this is a coincidence. And how are things in the Emerald Isle?' murmured Bryant after making sure that no one else was within hearing range.
Once again Avedissian noted the sneer in Bryant's voice whenever he used the term 'Emerald Isle'. 'I'm coping,' he said.
'Good. Where's the O'Neill woman?'
'She's in here,' said Avedissian, pointing to a closed door. -But she's very weak. She's been badly beaten.'
Bryant grinned as if Avedissian had said something that had amused him. 'Really?' he said quietly. 'Now isn't that a shame.'
Avedissian said, 'I think it would be best if you could leave off questioning her till the morning.'
The grin left Bryant's face in an instant and he hissed at Avedissian, 'When I want your "professional" advice, Doctor, I'll ask for it. Take me to her.'
Avedissian held his tongue and led the way. He was about to enter the room behind Bryant when Bryant stopped and turned. He said to Avedissian, 'Wait outside please.'
'She is my patient,' insisted Avedissian as loudly as he dared.
Anger flashed in Bryant's eyes. 'Let's not take the game too far, Doctor,' he hissed.
'It's not a game to her,' whispered Avedissian equally angrily. 'You do anything to harm her and I'll bring the whole house of cards tumbling down and screw the con sequences!'
For a moment their eyes were locked in a contest of wills then Bryant relaxed and assumed a smile. 'All right, Doctor,' he replied. 'Five minutes, no longer, I promise.' With that he closed the door and Avedissian turned to face a puzzled nursing staff who were obviously wondering what had been going on.
'Bloody bureaucrats!' he murmured.
'You sound just like Dr Harmon,’ said one of the nurses.
True to his word Bryant came out of the room after five minutes. He seemed very pleased with himself as he approached Avedissian and the nurses melted away. 'Well,’ he said, 'Christmas has come early this year and Santa Claus has just been very good to us indeed.'
Avedissian waited for Bryant to explain but he did not. Instead he said, ‘The O'Neill woman will have to be trans ferred out of here.'
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