Dublin Odyssey Read online

  READERS RAVE ABOUT

  MICHAEL COONEY’S NOVELS

  “It’s hard to believe Trojan Horse 4 is fiction with the way Michael Cooney brings his characters to life. It’s full of twists and turns no one can see coming. The only problem I had with this book was putting it down.”

  Jim Tumolo, Philly PD

  “…couldn’t put it down (Trojan Horse 4). It was really good. I felt like I was watching a movie. Nice job.”

  Kathy and Wayne Koch, New Jersey

  “I couldn’t put it down (Trojan Horse 4). I would recommend it to all readers. It was a great work of fiction with a few truthful innuendoes thrown in. A really good read.”

  Wilbur Craig, Ret PPD & Recording Secretary Retired Police, Fire and Prison Guards Assoc.

  “Just finished Children of the Clan. Thought it was excellent. I loved the way you wrapped it up at the end. I think it’s ready made for a movie?but who in Hollywood would take it on?”

  Tom, Kissimmee, Florida

  “…you out did yourself with this book (Children of the Clan). I loved the way you tied everything together at the end. I can’t wait for your next book.”

  John. Urban,

  U of P Division of Public Safety

  “Children of the Clan is suspenseful, intriguing, and as I read I tried to guess who the killers were, or who tried to assassinate Mickey. Before I knew it, I had finished reading it. The characters are real and the dialogue is lively, which is probably the most important aspect of writing fiction. This was a really superb novel, and probably would make an excellent movie.”

  Captain Tom Biscardi, Ret. PPD

  “Love your books. Read them twice.”

  Jeane Cohen, Phila. PA

  “Really enjoyed it (Children of the Clan). Loaned it to a friend who gave it to her son-in-law. They loved it.”

  Pat McGee, Orlando, FL

  “Couldn’t put it down (Children of the Clan). It was great. I read it on the beach. Can’t wait for the next one.”

  Eileen Barone, New Jersey

  (Children of the Clan). “…better than the first one. It’s fast paced and riveting. It would make a good and believable movie.”

  Bill Craig, Philly PD, Ret.

  OTHER MICKEY DEVLIN NOVELS BY

  MICHAEL PATRICK COONEY:

  TROJAN HORSE 4 (2009)

  CHILDREN OF THE CLAN (2010)

  COMING SOON…

  Imperfect Contrition

  After Captain Mickey Devlin returns from Ireland with Philly’s most notorious cop killer turned global terrorist in cuffs, his narcissistic Commissioner re-assigns him to a patrol district in the middle of a highly publicized corruption probe hoping to tarnish Mickey’s image. Instead, taking “the probe” off the front page was Mickey’s investigation into the suspicious death of a young man from a “cop family” who took a beloved Monsignor hostage demanding he publically “confess” for his sins.

  Attempting to derail Mickey’s efforts, PPD’s Top Cop, Deputy Commissioner Antonio Fannille with “possible Italian mob connections,” and the Philadelphia Archdiocese join forces to concoct an intricate scheme to “covering up” the real truth about Richie Rugnetta’s demise. A truth that will ultimately be told by Captain Devlin despite the predictable consequences.

  Copyright © 2011 by Michael Patrick Cooney

  All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photographic including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  Dublin Odyssey is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN 0-7414-6452-7 Paperback

  ISBN 978-0-7414-9355-2 eBook

  INFINITY PUBLISHING

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  West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713

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  Local Phone (610) 941-9999

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  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Epilogue

  Dedicated to

  Thomas J. and Elizabeth M.

  Dad and Mom

  Ireland is Calling

  There is something drawing me,

  to a place I’ve never been.

  A land that’s a part of me,

  and something within.

  It may be from another time,

  when I was not around.

  But it is drawing me,

  in a way that’s so profound.

  To you it may be a mystery,

  why this should be so strong.

  But in my soul I know this,

  it’s where my heart belongs.

  The legends and myths,

  are always in my mind.

  And there I need to go,

  to see what I shall find.

  If for no other reason,

  than to see what’s calling.

  The time has come for me,

  to stop all this stalling.

  For Ireland is calling me,

  to its emerald shores.

  For my ancestery is calling,

  and sometimes it truly roars…

  Bernard Howe

  PROLOGUE

  “A good retreat is better than a bad stand.”

  Irish Proverb

  Five years ago in the fall of 1991, the City of Brotherly Love went through a rude awakening when the Top Cop, his pick for Internal Integrity Commander, and a prominent Chief Inspector touted to be the next Philly PD Commissioner all had their careers curtailed. What followed was a six-month trial leading to multiple convictions, lengthy prison terms, and national humiliation for the City and the Philly PD.

  According to court testimony, it was the mayor’s race-based agenda that prompted a small group of active officers “overwhelmed by political correctness and weak leadership in their ranks” to conceive a plan for dealing with what they believed to be the ruin of the Philly PD.

  The eventual leader and ultimate architect for “taking back the police department” was Chief Inspector Michael Odysseus, a multi-degreed, highly respected, t
wenty-year veteran of the PPD. Some called him “The Greek,” referencing Homer’s Iliad in which Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes of the Trojan War. His followers called themselves “We the People.” Odysseus used this group of “marginalized cops” to settle his own twenty-year grudge with the Philly PD.

  It was only through the untiring efforts of a street-savvy police sergeant, Mickey Devlin, and his team, that “We the People” and the corrupt leadership of the city were exposed and purged. But during the investigation, veteran police officers lost their lives and the image of the PPD was permanently damaged.

  But the incident didn’t end with the last swing of the gavel. Mysteriously, Chief Odysseus managed to “walk away” from a federal facility. Prison rumors and a lackluster federal investigation maintained that his escape was accomplished through unidentified “Odysseus disciples.” His baffling escape has been a thorn in the side of the PPD, especially for now-Captain Mickey Devlin. Just how Odysseus escaped from a federal prison with an untarnished security record remains a mystery.

  Almost immediately after Odysseus escaped, he began a series of “bizarre correspondence” to Michelle Cunay, a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and now senior editor for the city’s largest daily newspaper. His utterances began with a brief passage from another of Homer’s books, The Odyssey, the tale of the mythological Greek hero Odysseus’ ten-year journey after the Trojan War back to his beloved wife, Penelope.

  A common theme was for ex-Chief Odysseus to predict his return to the city. For example, “In ten, I will make my return.” Over the years, he continued this correspondence, all basically threatening to return to finish what he’d begun on Constitution Day 1991. However, in his most recent correspondence to Michelle Cunay, Odysseus’ threats expanded his “circle of adversaries” to include “that liberal president and his congressional majority.”

  In the last year, there have been several so-called “Odysseus sightings” throughout Europe, most recently in France and Ireland. These “sightings” coupled with the reported departure of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, have stirred the omnipresent investigative juices of Mickey Devlin.

  More recently, an obscure security report and a few black-and-white photos being circulated by the Garda in Dublin, Ireland, have Mickey once again thinking about “The Greek.” The report was brought to Mickey’s attention by Michael O’Leary, a childhood chum from “the old neighborhood,” Kensington and now owner of O’Leary’s Pub in Dublin, Ireland. They share deep family ties stretching back to the Great Famine in Ireland.

  Familiar with the “We the People Trials” and Mickey’s unfinished business with Odysseus, Michael O’Leary, contacted him, “Just for the hell of it, on a hunch.” For the Irish, a hunch is as close to a fact as you can be without a stitch of evidence. It falls somewhere between “I heard it in church” or “My mother, God bless her soul, wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.” It’s another one of those Irish things that has stood the test of time. For Mickey, O’Leary’s hunch is good enough for him to dig a little deeper.

  The black-and-white surveillance photographs were printed from security cameras inside Dublin’s National Museum on Kildare Street and the Bank of Ireland on Dame Street a few days earlier. Both show a man wearing a French beret, carrying a canvas backpack with several police patches attached from around Europe. Prominently displayed in the center of the diverse exhibit is a Philly PD uniform patch.

  The man in the photo had a long ponytail, a close-cropped beard, and appeared to be six foot to six foot two. The man was accompanied by a female with long light hair and a waist-length leather jacket. According to museum and bank security guards, “the couple spoke like Americans” and asked several questions about security at both locations. He supposedly showed one of the guards at the museum the backpack patches and said he used to be in law enforcement and was now in private security.

  Michael O’Leary was visited by the Director of Security at the National Museum, Liam Flanagan, who is a regular at O’Leary’s Pub. It was the director who originally showed O’Leary the photos. He classified the couple as “persons of interest,” then added that when they were approached by his men, the couple made their way to a side exit and “disappeared into the midday street traffic along Schoolhouse Lane.”

  When O’Leary saw the photos and the Philly PD patch on the backpack, he asked the director for copies so he could “ask around” about the couple. Flanagan reluctantly gave in to O’Leary’s request. The following day, O’Leary contacted Mickey Devlin and arranged to fax the images to Mickey’s home along with the private phone number for Superintendent Kevin O’Clooney, Special Detective Bureau, Dublin Garda Headquarters. The super showed interest in talking to Mickey about the possibility that the man in the photos may be an American professor at Trinity College teaching classes in Greek Mythology and American History Through Film using the name Michael Collins.

  The super was alerted to that possibility by his son who saw his father looking at the surveillance photos at his home office. The super’s son, a student at Trinity, told his Da that Collins’ classes all seem to have an anti-government slant. For the Irish and American transfer students, Mr. Collins was “a bit daunting.”

  After viewing the faxed photos and having a short conversation with Director Liam Flanagan, Mickey was “kinda convinced” that his old nemesis, Michael Odysseus “The Greek,” had taken up residence in Dublin, Ireland. How long he’ll remain there is the million-dollar question. From Mickey’s perspective, the only way to find out is to travel to the country of his ancestors. All that’s left for Mickey to decide is if the trip will be on “Official Police Business” or on “holiday leave.” Regardless, the mission will be the same. Bring Michael Odysseus to justice, extracting the thorn.

  CHAPTER 1

  “There is but little between justice and injustice.”

  Irish Proverb

  Tuesday, May 21, 1996

  12:45 AM

  Philadelphia Police Headquarters

  Captain Mickey Devlin drives his recycled 1989 Chrysler unmarked command car onto Headquarters parking lot at 8th and Race streets. Headquarters, “The Roundhouse,” is basically a four-level glorified administration building for “special units” and a citywide prisoner processing center. Its third floor, “The West Wing,” also houses Philly’s Top Cop and his four handpicked Deputy Commissioners. All of whom got to skip one or two of the top civil service ranks in the name of “diversity,” or for some other “special ability” to be determined later.

  After making captain in late 1993, Mickey was assigned a vehicle with take-home privileges. A benefit given to all captains and above through collective bargaining between the FOP and the City. A “benny” given in lieu of more lucrative pay that increases over the years. Giving “stuff” like cars to commanders and a medical benefit package to Philly’s finest rather than raises over the years will come close to breaking the bank in the future.

  The present commissioner is approaching the closing stages of his tenure. Each year he’s held the top job, his performance has been shabbier than the year before. He’s surrounded himself with unproven deputies and an inner circle who know where all the PC’s skeletons are buried. The only way these so-called “untouchables” will leave the commissioner’s side is on a slab or in cuffs.

  Over the years, for a whole host of reasons, Mickey Devlin has butted heads with every one of the men who occupy the “West Wing.” Although he’s managed to win most of the battles, the war definitely is not over yet. The good old boys on the “3rd Floor” hold the power, control the purse strings, and have cops’ Alzheimer’s. They forget everything but the grudges. If they believe they have been “dissed” at any time during their lackluster careers, beware. The “sinner” will be “shanghaied,” transferred, as far as possible from home, when he or she least expects it.

  Mickey has been “shanghaied” countless times and transferred via the department’s computer system, in the middle of t
he night. Civilians think that they are the only ones who get harassed by cops. Sadistic cop-on-cop aggression can be downright life threatening—especially if the source wears one or more stars on his epaulet. Somehow, Mickey always survives and finds his way back into the graces of the West Wing. He’s “come back from the dead” so many times that his peers started calling him Lazarus.

  At 12:45 AM, there is no shortage of open parking spots at the “Roundhouse.” Except for a handful of “pool cars” and a few private vehicles belonging to the “last out” supervisors, Headquarters’ puny blacktop parking lot is barren. Mickey decides to park his unmarked in one of four spots marked “Deputy Commissioner” for no other reason than it’s close to the rear entrance of Headquarters. At least that’s what he tells himself whenever he does it.

  Mickey secures his unmarked and walks up the curved handicapped ramp and through the brass and glass double doors leading to a small guarded entry area.

  PPD Headquarters has the unique distinction of being designed in the mirror image of handcuffs. Other than a couple of utility closets and the eight cellblocks in the basement, there are no ninety-degree corners anywhere in the building. Although the original architect has never publicly admitted to the obvious design, once in an “off the record” moment, he did acknowledge to a reporter how some people “might confuse his design” for that of handcuffs. “To the untrained eye, anything is possible.” Untrained or not, everyone knows handcuffs when they see them.

  Once inside the entry area, Mickey waves to Tony Magellan, the overnight security officer. Tony volunteered for the steady midnight-to-eight shift so he could work his day job as a barber at his dad’s South Philly hair cuttery. In 1996, the salary for a seasoned Philly cop is less than a newly hired trash man. So most cops need to find “something on the side” to keep the bill collectors off their backs and still afford a family vacation.

  “Hey, Tony. How’s it going?”