In the office, and David had a heavy A4 packet for me from Armani. I opened it, scanned the first few pages, and then met with him and the new barrister in the new barrister’s office, next door to David.

  The new man was called Monty Drew, an odd name but one I might remember, and he was old school posh, a Cambridge graduate, tall and thin with a pointy nose and red rosy cheeks.

  I began, ‘This document details the abuse in Ireland, as well as the cover up. I want to make claims on behalf of the abused, and against the government there, and to use this as evidence – with your advice.

  ‘And then, maybe, look at the International Criminal Tribunal-’

  ‘What the hell for?’ Monty loudly asked.

  ‘I want the entire Irish Government on trial.’

  They exchanged shocked looks.

  ‘Any other way to do it?’ I asked. ‘They knew for fifty years, all of them.’

  Monty answered, ‘Well … individual prosecutions may be deflected by the good old argument that their bosses knew, not just me.’

  ‘So get an expert on this and look for parallels, plan a case, and hire some staff, then some Irish barristers, the best. But I want the Europeans to have oversight, Interpol EU maybe.’

  I tapped the document. ‘And keep that safe. Make a copy, and keep that copy safe someplace else, with our London people. No one here reads it, just you, let’s not leave it on the train, eh.’

  David noted, ‘You have the authority to question priests over there…’

  ‘I do, and they can’t say no to me, and I can have them sacked from the church, which is rare.’

  David began, ‘Then … we use this as a road map, you question the people involved, you look for evidence, and we hope that someone talks.’

  ‘They’ll talk when I mention the evidence we have, dates and names. But will the Irish Government try and block my access to these people?’

  David replied, ‘If they do then they’ll get condemnation from around the world and from the EU, and if the Vatican want these people prosecuted then the Irish Government can’t object – they did it to help the church.’

  ‘Very true,’ Monty agreed. ‘The people they helped want the truth out there, no more reason for a cover up – apart from them looking bad for orchestrating the damn cover up.’

  I asked, ‘And the punishment, for their Prime Minister covering it up?’

  ‘He’s the boss, he can cover it up if he wants, national interest, just that he’d not be popular, maybe voted out of office. If it’s a case of nuclear secrets he can’t be prosecuted for covering it up. Sex with small boys … yes he can.’

  David suggested, ‘Why not let the voters deal with him?’

  I began, ‘Previous administrations had reports made up, they had the names and dates and the victims and the priests, but they did nothing. That’s a crime, for the police officers and the prosecutors.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ Monty agreed. ‘If I know of a crime and I have the evidence and I bury it … I’m in trouble. But his prosecutors will say that they were ordered to do it, and that may work in court.’

  ‘Which is why I want the EU involved, an independent view and an independent review. So, gentlemen, get started, and hire the very best international lawyers who’ve dealt with something like this before. David, delegate, shout, and spend some money, but get this moving fast, very fast.’

  I left two shocked legal experts to figure us a way forwards.

  Bill had spoken to Interpol, who had debated it, the Hague Tribunal could be invoked, and the EU had the right to investigate under the EU charter - the wrongdoing of a signatory government. The EU Presidency would now also debate it, and contact me.

  But I was under pressure to say something, and do something quickly, so I headed down to London to the BBC studios, hopefully one with the lights working properly, and after a short wait I was led on and sat, mic tested.

  ‘With us now is Ricky Roskov. Ricky, the Irish Government is in turmoil this morning. What can you tell us about your investigation?’

  ‘What I can tell you … is that it should never have been necessary. Half the people in Ireland seem to have known what was happening, the other half seem to have turned a blind eye to it, and every Irish citizen I talk to knows something or suspects something, yet they never took to the streets in protest.

  ‘The very backwards Irish population used to shun a woman that fell pregnant outside of marriage, and those women were sent away to “mother and baby” homes run by nuns – a type of soft prison.

  ‘And such women are still shunned, which is a disgrace, because sometimes young women make mistakes, sometimes they trust their male partners and fall pregnant or are raped, and sending them away is a disgusting thing to do. Imprisoning them is even more disgusting.

  ‘Those women need understanding and help, not to be forced into prostitution, to have their babies taken off them, their kids then abused by priests.

  ‘It’s a dark stain in the history of Ireland, and what kind of people take babies away from mothers? Let’s hope that the modern-day Irish are more compassionate and understanding, more Christian in their outlook and practices, because there’s nothing Christian about taking a baby away from its mother.’

  ‘You have the evidence of what went on?’ she asked.

  ‘Since I started investigating Catholic priests we’ve uncovered a great deal of evidence, and we now have video-taped confessions of elderly Irish priests and bishops, written statements, dates and places, enough to convict a great many people at trial.

  ‘I’ve also received a number of tip-offs, and documents have been sent to me, very thick volumes of Irish documents.

  ‘What the people of Ireland need to understand … is that in their Prime Minister’s office is a safe, and in that safe is the Matlock Report and the Driscoll Report, both locked away and never seen by anyone but a select few individuals in the government.

  ‘Those reports detail all of the abuses by the clergy going back to the turn of the century, thousands of incidents, including child abuse, rape of the mothers, and the murders of children and their mothers. I even know where many of the bodies are buried.

  ‘The current Irish Government, and the previous, and all Irish Governments going back forty years, had the detail and did nothing with it, the cabinet ministers knowing about it, the Justice Minister, the Chief of Police, the prosecutors. And they all just ignored it.

  ‘Now it’s too late, because what happens next will be difficult for the people of Ireland, but especially difficult for the government of Ireland, because I have copies of the Matlock Report and the Driscoll Report, and a cabinet full of other documents.

  ‘Copies of those documents are on their way to the European Union, and I’m requesting that the Irish Government stand trial in the International Criminal Court, a full and proper investigation of what they turned a blind eye to.’

  She sat looking stunned.

  I added, ‘And within a few days, every media outlet in the world will have copies of those documents, the Irish nation on trial, its reputation on trial, its place in Europe … on trial.

  ‘What’s needed … is for the government there to admit their mistakes and their crimes, and to draw a line under this so that it never happens again, and I think I can send a few hundred Irish Government officials to prison.’

  ‘Dear god.’

  ‘We have confessions from old priests that were there at the time, helping themselves to innocent young Irish women that society had shunned and sent away, and helping themselves to the kids before those kids were fostered out.

  ‘We then have the more recent abuse, priests running schools and school activities and abusing boys in their care. The number of boys abused is in the thousands, that abuse carried out by a small group of priests it seems, perhaps fifty in all.

  ‘A few of those priests have stood trial thanks to a few brave Irish policemen that risked their careers by taking action, so thank you to those brave men, no “thank you” to the Irish government – who tried to force the police to ignore such claims.

  ‘And to all the victims of abuse in Ireland I say this: contact me, and my people will represent you in court and help you. And let me make myself clear when I say that the Vatican, the new Vatican, is in no mood to protect any priest or bishop in Ireland.

  ‘I … will get to decide what happens to them, and that means jail time and being sacked from the church; there will not be a Vatican cover up. It’s in my hands now so it’ll be loud and painful.’

  She sat looking shocked. ‘And the abuse allegations here in Britain?’

  ‘I’ll be taking a very personal interest, and I have the authority to sack any Catholic priest or bishop that I think is involved in abuse, or covering it up.

  ‘I think that the Irish Government will try and cover things up – as usual, and that the Irish people will sit on their hands as always, so I want to see the EU lead the investigations and prosecutions.

  ‘But if the people and the police of Ireland take action … then I’ll have less to do, and instead of dragging this out for years - the reputation of the Irish nation in tatters, it could be dealt with quickly, once and for all.

  ‘What the people of Ireland need to do … is to collectively say: no more, never again. They then need to get up of their lazy backsides and protest, and make sure that their voices are heard. The alternative is that the EU prosecutes the Irish Government and then finds them guilty – because we already have the evidence.

  ‘What the Irish Government does not want, and should not risk, is ten years’ worth of court action and newspaper stories, which is what I’ll organise and fund if we don’t see a positive reaction from Ireland.

  ‘And as for the young women who fall pregnant over there, you can send them to me for some compassion and understanding, a place to stay and some money, away from the judgemental Irish grandmas.

  ‘I’m an atheist, but I’m a damn sight more Christian than they are, the people who show no love and understanding to a young woman that makes a mistake.

  ‘And they even shun a woman that’s been raped, and that’s disgusting. A victim of a crime needs help, not condemnation!’

  ‘Ricky Roskov, thanks for coming on.’

  I was led out, the floor manager looking a bit shocked. Back in the minibus I made a call, and the Prime Minister would receive me. We drove to the same street as before, near Horseguards, Pat and Dingle knowing the way to the rear entrance.

  Inside, I waited in a side room with a cup of tea, Bonza left in the minibus in case he spoke French, and I was finally led in to a room which held the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and our Ambassador to Ireland.

  I shook their hands, no tingling felt.

  The PM began, ‘We got a warning about your appearance on the BBC news and watched it, and it will reach Dublin very quickly.’

  Sat, we grabbed cups of tea.

  I began, ‘I gave them a way out, to do it themselves, and if they do that … then I can back off some.’

  ‘A good move, yes, and a pragmatic move. You’re becoming a politician.’

  I gave him a look of mock surprise. ‘No need to swear at me.’ They smiled.

  ‘It will be a ruddy mess over there, there’s no quick fix, and this has dragged on for decades. And you gave them a very firm kick up the backside, but I dare say that the female rights groups here will love you for what you said.’

  ‘Did you disagree with anything I said?’ I asked.

  ‘No, and we don’t shun teenage pregnancies here, we try and deal with them and help.’

  The ambassador put in, ‘It’s a very different culture over there, but they are modernising rapidly, not so much the stigma now of sex outside marriage.’

  ‘Did you know what had gone on?’ I asked him.

  ‘We heard rumours all the time, yes, limited on what we could do with no solid evidence. And then we’d be at the mercy of the local prosecutors.’

  The PM asked me, ‘So how do you know what’s in the Irish Prime Minister’s safe?’

  ‘People trust me, I get tip-offs.’

  They exchanged looks.

  ‘And in that report?’ the PM asked.

  ‘Is enough to convict people, it lays bare what went on – in detail.’

  ‘And here in Britain?’ he asked.

  ‘It will be messy, so be on the right side of history and condemn the priests loudly.’

  He nodded. ‘I would have done anyhow, we’re supposed to be able to trust them. So you’re now an honouree cardinal…’

  ‘For the purpose of kicking in doors and dealing with the issue quickly, the Vatican hoping to move on.’

  He nodded. ‘That Traffic Jam system is excellent, proving very useful – our drivers all have them.’

  ‘I want the government to fund the raw cost, a million a year.’

  ‘One million a year?’ the Home Secretary puzzled. ‘That’s damn cheap!’

  ‘That’s the raw cost of the project, I’m not out to make money from you. But be a love and pay us for the soft prison experiments soon.’

  ‘Send us the bill,’ the PM suggested. ‘We got the cost breakdowns, and the cost per man is very reasonable.’

  ‘So … out of office in June?’ I teased.

  They exchanged looks.

  I offered, ‘Free stay at my best villa in Corsica, Prime Minister.’

  ‘Good of you, wife likes it there.’

  ‘TV debate soon, I have it planned out, no tripping you up, questions in advance.’

  ‘I can do that, yes.’

  ‘So … any advice on my strategy for Ireland, which is to throw a match and then to wait and see.’

  ‘Wait and see is best, yes, because after your news segment the government there will be in freefall.’

  ‘My hope is that they use the Matlock Report as a road map to some prosecutions.’

  ‘I never heard of it,’ the ambassador put in.

  I stood. ‘Exactly the problem.’

  Back in the minibus we headed north, and hour and a half to the offices, no Traffic Jam device in the car. In the offices, I met with a frustrated looking David and frustrated Monty.

  ‘Yes, I shook the tree some,’ I told them.

  David began, ‘The Irish news is murdering the government over there, protestors are already on the streets.’

  ‘My hope is that they fix it themselves, not wait for me to go over there and start quizzing priests – which could take a year.’

  Lucas came and found me, also appearing harassed. ‘We order half a million devices today, or we see riots here as well as in Ireland.’

  ‘Fine by me, get them ordered.’

  He withdrew.

  Monty began, ‘Those devices are fucking gold dust, everybody wants one – we all waste hours in jams.’

  ‘Do you guys have a clever legal plan for me?’

  ‘Your interview changed things greatly,’ Monty began. ‘You told the opposition just what they had done, what we knew they had done - and could prove, and then you told them to go prosecute themselves. So we wait and see what they do.’

  ‘And what’s likely?’ I pressed.

  ‘In an ideal world … the government there will fall, and the next government will use that Matlock Report.’

  ‘The existing government may surprise us,’ I told them.

  In the boardroom, I sat with Bonza, Dick Klein and Doc Lepus, huge drawings laid out on the table, ideas kicked around. We looked at the Manchester plans, Battersea and the Leicester expansion plans, and in detail.

  For Battersea I wanted the warehouse to be the shortest distance from the main gate, less noise and traffic for the residents, and I insisted on a few high walkways between buildings, even if the residents might be afraid of heights. The builders could use less glass on the walkways, and residents would not suffer from vertigo.

  David Hutton stepped in. ‘They’ll sell that small nursing home to us, price is reasonable, last resident gets moved today.’

  ‘Grab it quick, I want it gutted and fumigated and cleaned with bleach, windows left open for a while – no nursing home smell, then I want drawings. Upstairs will be luxury apartments, a suite with adjoining doors, a few small rooms, some nice apartments.

  ‘Downstairs will be offices, a large boardroom or two, café. I want cameras, the fence improved, bulletproof glass everywhere, security doors.’

  ‘I’ll chat to the architect today, send him there.’

  ‘Oh, I’ll buy it personally, the consortium pays rent to me, all legal and no tax perks – this is not the charity.’

  After a chat to Martin about the new device order, I headed home and turned on Sky News. Rioting was now being seen in Dublin as well as in other Irish cities and towns, the police attacked, as well as government offices. And I glimpsed someone with a placard: no more, never again.

  Armani called. ‘Can you talk?’

  ‘Yes, just sat watching the news in Ireland.’

  ‘Was your plan to see if they would clean their own house?’

  ‘Yes, to save me a year of doing it, and … to see a national response, the people there getting upset and wanting a change.’

  ‘A priest there committed suicide an hour ago.’

  ‘The first of many maybe, better than a job as a civilian after a lengthy stay in prison.’

  ‘You still plan to travel there?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, but after the dust settles.’

  Pat took a call, and the new Harry Stanulou Task Force wanted to meet in London. I agreed to meet them tomorrow morning.

  Sat with Pat and Dingle, Bill and Ted off to their hotel and Bonza with his family, we watched the news, and they were covering nothing other than the Irish situation, which they reported as a scandal.

  Then the Irish Prime Minister appeared at a Press conference, a large audience of reporters seen. He looked harassed.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I address you at a time of crisis, the blame for which firmly lies with Roskov. The documents he has are Irish Government property and we will take legal action regarding their illegal use -’