Page 225 of The Texas Sterling Collection
“One of your neighbors, Fergus Rafferty, was found dead in his flat.”
“Oh my,” she looked distraught. “He was such a nice young man. He often ran errands for me. I’m unable to get around as well as I used to.”
“It happened last night, Mrs. Hallion. I wondered if you saw anything unusual.”
“Now that you mention it, I could swear I saw someone pass my window.” She motioned toward the window behind O’Brien. “It was night, so I wasn’t sure. But perhaps I saw movement in the dim light of the passageway; at least I thought there was movement.”
O’Brien set his tea down and retrieved a small notebook from his pocket. He made a notation about the possible visitor. “What time would this have been, Mrs. Hallion?”
“Oh…about eight o’clock, I’d say. My program was coming on the telly, and I glanced out the window and thought I saw a figure pass by.”
“Can you describe this figure, Mrs. Hallion?”
“Oh my. I’m afraid not, Chief Superintendent. My vision is not what it used to be.”
“How much of the window did this figure take up, Mrs. Hallion?”
“Oh…if I were to guess, I’d say about two-thirds of the way up.”
“And did the figure appear to be fat or thin?”
“It’s hard to say, but if I were to guess, I would say thin.”
“Did the figure move by the window quickly or slowly?”
“If I saw what I think I saw, it was more of a sneak…like the figure did not want anyone to notice him or her.”
“Anything else, Mrs. Hallion?”
“Yes…about five minutes later, I heard what I thought was a shout. It only lasted a short time, but was a mournful cry.”
“And did this come from outside?”
“No…it sounded more like it came from back that way,” she pointed to the back corner of her flat. Her bathroom was at the right rear of the flat. According to the crime scene notes, that would place it opposite Rafferty’s bathroom.
O’Brien scribbled in his little notebook. “Anything else, Mrs. Hallion?”
“One more thing, Chief Superintendent. I thought I saw a figure dash by my window shortly after that noise. Again, I couldn’t be sure. It was night, and so was the figure. But movement caught my eye.”
O’Brien noted everything and placed the notebook and pencil in his overcoat pocket. He picked up his tea, drained it, and set it down.
“Mrs. Hallion, thank you for the tea and for spending a few minutes talking with me this afternoon.”
“My pleasure, Chief Superintendent. I don’t get many visitors, so I quite enjoyed our little chat.”
O’Brien rose to leave, and Mrs. Hallion showed him to the door.
“May I come back and visit with you again if needed?” He asked as she opened the door.
“Certainly, Chief Superintendent. You are welcome any time.”
O’Brien stepped outside, put on his hat, and touched the brim as a goodbye gesture.
* * *
“That was messy, Declan,” Ailbe raised his voice. “What kind of assholes are doing your dirty work? Come on, a hair dryer in the bathtub?” Ailbe was clearly agitated. They had both come directly home from work, and Ailbe attacked as soon as Declan entered. This kind of thing jeopardized his plan, and he was not happy.
“How did you find out about the hair dryer?” Declan raised his voice.
