"The old white Anglia, a small station wagon from the 1960s, creaked at every bend, more and more. The man behind the wheel wore an American military jacket over his khaki sweater, but despite his best efforts, it was not enough to keep him warm. The car heater had stopped working months ago. The cold of the Irish countryside was on Tarloch O'Carolan's mind at the time... What worried him immediately was whether the old car could cover the distance in time to reach Dublin and catch Pierce before he boarded his flight."