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Mullins pursed his lips but didn’t reply, and Kate offered,
‘If he was a random psychopath then the chances are he has a history of mental illness.  I’d start looking there, as he’s also likely to have a history of assaults against psychologists.  Or psychiatrists.  Most people don’t know the difference.’

‘And what
is
the difference?’

‘Psychiatrists open funny doors, psychologists open doors funny,’ said Kate with a wan smile.

Neither policeman smiled back and Kate lowered her eyes, ‘Sorry; kind of an in-joke.  A psychiatrist has a medical degree and can prescribe drugs to patients.  Psychologists aren’t medical doctors and can’t.  I specialize in trauma counseling but most psychologists don’t work with the mentally or emotionally disturbed.  They generally study human behaviour
patterns
rather than individuals, and generally work for firms like Coca-Cola, telling them what shape the new bottle should be. To say nothing of our ground-breaking work in telling supermarkets the best places to situate certain items to maximize sales.’

Mullins gave her a look of surprise, followed by a slight smile that made him
look almost human, ‘Thank you, Miss Bennett, you’ve been most helpful.  We’ll certainly be looking into with grudges on both types of practitioner.  What about this file you were preparing for Morrison, could that have been the reason for the assault?’

Kate sighed, ‘I don’t see how.’

‘What did it contain?’

Kate took another deep breath and launched into anoth
er long explanation, this time regarding Jimmy Shiels and her burglary.  When she finally finished Mullins shook his head almost in admiration and said, ‘I can’t believe a pretty young woman like you has so many enemies.  Especially as your job entails trying to
help
people.’

‘Well, I never said I was good at it,’ Kate deadpanned, and the two policeman smiled
naturally for the first time.  The smiles were fleeting, however, and vanished as Mullins said, ‘I can’t believe you left this till last.  Someone
pays
to have you burgled, and then murders the burglar, and you’re talking about random nutters and people already in jail being your only enemies?  Surely it’s obvious that whoever was behind Shiels’ murder
has
to be behind last night’s attack?  Which means this mysterious file is the reason for last night’s carry-on as well as the burglary on your flat.’

Kate shook her head wearily, ‘Maybe.  I don’t know what to think anymore.  But I’ve been through that file three times and I can’t find anything that incriminates anyone.  For
anything
.  There’s nothing there.’

‘Nonetheless, we’ll need a copy of everything that was in that case,’ said Mullins firmly, ‘Not just the file you prepared for Sean.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ said Kate instantly, ‘Like I told Sean; much of Grainne’s file is protected by doctor-patient confidentiality.  I was only giving him an edited version; if you want the complete file I’ll have to check with Trevor Jordan first, and probably a lawyer too. 
And
the DPP.’

The two Gardai exchanged a glance but offered no pro
test; no cop wanted to blow a potential future case with tainted evidence.  And Mullins said reluctantly, ‘Very well, but do it quickly.  I’m sure I don’t need to stress how important it is to find this guy
quickly
.  If he
is
a maniac God knows who he’ll go after next.’  He pursed his lips again, ‘Except I don’t believe he was a random nut, and I don’t think he intended to attack you at all.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘You’ve been assuming that
you
were the focus of last night’s attack,’ said Mullins heavily, ‘possibly because of your unfortunate personal history.  But look at the facts.  According to your statement his guy walked into your office without stealth, rattling the doorknob on the way and alerting you to his presence.  In fact, he was so noisy you thought he was Sean, or one of the college cleaners.  Then he opened your door and just stood there staring at you without saying a word.  Not did he offer any violence until Sean surprised him.  Doesn’t that strike you as odd?’

‘I haven’t had the
time or inclination to think about it,’ said Kate tiredly, ‘What are you getting at?’

‘I think the
assailant last night was as surprised to see you as you were to see him,’ said Mullins, ‘It was late, wasn’t it?’

Kate nodded, ‘After eleven.’

‘And you wouldn’t normally be there at such an hour?’ Kate nodded again and the detective continued, ‘I think he was trying a spot of burglary, and the knife was simply to force open any locked doors or desk drawers.  I think he was after this mysterious file of yours and was as shocked to see you as you were to see him.’

Kate scrubbed at her face with both hands, trying to take this in.  At last she said, ‘You’re right.  If he’d been after me he’d have
sneaked
in and attacked me straight away, wouldn’t he?  And not just stood staring at me?’

Mullins nodded, ‘Which brings us back to your
briefcase, which has already been the cause of a burglary and the murder of Jimmy Shiels.  Which is why you’re going to go through it again, looking for a motive to kill.  And why you’re going to hand us over a copy of everything not prohibited by law, so we can track down this guy and put him away.’

‘First thing in the morning
you can have the abridged version I prepared for Sean,’ agreed Kate, who needed no more persuasion, ‘I’m not going in to my office to get it now.  I’ll leave it at the porter’s desk in Trinity for you to collect.’

Mullins got to his feet
and started towards the door, ‘And if you think of anything else, or if anything else happens, however trivial, please ring either myself or Detective Rafferty on these numbers.’

He handed her a card
as he walked, which Kate put beside the hall phone as she passed, replacing the handset on the hook at the same time.  ‘Is there nothing else you can tell me about Sean?’

Mullins paus
ed at her front door and suddenly became a full member of the human race as he replied, with a smile, ‘Like I said, he’s off the critical list and is officially stable.  In a comfortable condition, which I think is Doctor-talk for starting to get better.  He’s still in Intensive Care, though.’

Kate sm
iled back in relief, ‘Thank God.  They said he was out of danger this morning but...’ Her voice tailed off and she shrugged, ‘You never know, do you?’

Mullins
recognised her genuine concern and allowed a little more warmth into his eyes and voice, ‘Sean’s a pretty tough nut.  Don’t worry about him.’

Kate was about to speak when the phone rang.  She moved to answer it and Mullins said, ‘We’ll see ourselves out.  And we’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.’

Kate nodded distractedly and gave them a half-wave as they left the flat.  Then she picked up the phone and said, ‘Hello?’

‘Kate!’ 
Michael Riordan’s voice exploded out of the phone, causing her to wince and hold the receiver away from her ear, ‘I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day!  Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ said Kate
resignedly,
Apart from the burst eardrum,
‘It’s the unfortunate policeman who saved me who is far from okay.  How did you hear about it?’

The concern in Michael’s voice was replaced by a tr
ace of amusement, ‘I have spies everywhere, and very little happens anywhere without me knowing about it.  Particularly where people I care about are concerned.  Besides, it was on the news.’

‘What? Are you kidding me?’
Kate almost shrieked, her eyes snapping wide open in alarm.

‘Not your name,’ he hastened to assure her, ‘But when I heard that a female lecturer had been attacked in the Psychology Department at Trinity I made a few enquiries.  Actually, I nearly went out of my mind until I heard you weren’t injured.  I’ve been trying to ring you all day.  I even called round but there were reporters and cops outside your place so I just kept going.’

Kate groaned softly, ‘I can’t believe it!  I’ll have to ring my Aunt and my cousins again and assure them all that I’m okay.  They’ve probably been ringing all day, too.  My phone was off the hook and my mobile is in my bag.’ 
Which I think is in my office, or lost.

‘But you
weren’t
hurt, were you?’

‘N
o, no, honestly, I’m fine.  And it looks as though Sean Morrison will be okay too, thank God.  As it stands I owe him a debt I can never repay, but I don’t think I could have taken it if he had died.’

Michael was silent for a moment and then said,
‘You
can’t repay it but I can.  I’ll make sure the right people get the word.  Don’t worry, your friend will get a decoration for his actions, and a promotion too.’

Kate felt a flash of irritation but bit it back.  I
t was
her
debt; she didn’t want him handing out rewards like sleazy pay-offs or a tip to a waiter.  But she said nothing; she wasn’t about to open her big mouth and hurt his career.  Besides, it wasn’t as if he didn’t deserve anything that was going, and it might even salve her guilty conscience about almost killing him.  After a brief struggle she managed to say, though without any real warmth, ‘Thank you, Michael, if you can arrange that I’ll be very grateful.’

‘Grateful enough to give me another chance?’ he immediately asked, ‘I know I messed things up and I’d very much like to straighten things out between us.’

Is that why you’re so concerned about Sean’s future?
she wondered.
Is your generosity just part of your strategy for getting me back into your bed? 
She said nothing but she was seeing a whole new side to Michael’s character that she did not like one bit, and filed the information away for future reference.  Foolish, really; why would she expect anything more from a politician, of all people?

The silence began to stretch and Michael filled the void by saying, ‘Well?  Will you agree to see me again?’

She sighed, ‘Michael, last night I thought an intruder was trying to
murder
me.  Another man almost
died
stopping him, and I spent a sleepless night in the hospital worrying about him and trying not to see his wife’s grief.  I’ve just finished reliving the whole horrible mess for the benefit of the two policemen who just interviewed me.   Do you really think this is a good time to be hounding me for a date?  Or sex, or whatever the hell it is you want from me?’

‘Sorry,’ he said contritely, at least having the grace to sound truly ashamed of himself, ‘In business, and in politics, when you se
e an opening you go for it.  Please don’t think that it makes me any less sympathetic about your ordeal.  I want to help you, but I want to see you too.  Okay, so I’m a selfish pig!’

Kate offered no argument and after a pause he said, ‘I never exactly cover myself with glory where you’re concerned, do I?  One of the problems of being rich, and, let’s face it,
powerful,
is that people kowtow to you so much that you start to think that everyone else is less important than you, that they’re all secondary characters in
your
play.  That they’re not as
real
as you, perhaps.  You do a good job of bringing me back to earth, Kate. I think that’s why I like you so much; you make me see things in their proper perspective.’

Kate couldn’t keep the
edge out of her voice as she replied, ‘Well, of course I’m always glad to be of service but I’m afraid I have to go now.  I have to talk to my family, let them know I’m okay.’

‘Of course.  Just one other thing.  Will you be taking a holiday or anything, to help you recover from your ordeal?’

‘Jesus, I don’t know!  I hadn’t thought about it.  Why?’

‘Will you continue
to treat Grainne?’

There was a
tension in his voice as he asked this question, an air of apprehension that Kate could not miss.  She supposed it was natural enough; he
was
a selfish person, and she could understand him not wanting his daughter’s treatment interrupted for anything.  It was a point of view any parent would appreciate but it didn’t increase her liking for him.

‘Do you think the attack on me was anything to do with Grainne?’

‘What?  No, of course not!  How could it be?’  The surprise in his voice was totally genuine and Kate replied, ‘Then I have no reason to
stop
working with her, do I’?’

There was no emotion in his voice, and certainly no relief, as he said, ‘Good.
Listen, do you want to spend the night at my place?  Or have me stay there with you?  You might feel safer.  And you might
be
safer.  Er, no strings attached.’

‘My hero!’ she laughed, though not without a touch of warmth, ‘Thanks, but no, I’ll be fine.  I have a police guard outside my front door, remember?’

‘I’m glad to hear it.  Can I call you tomorrow?’