No, not another raid, but this afternoon the Chief Constable made his way to Parliament Buildings to brief the 3 DUP Privy Counsellors on the Quinn murder. Afterwards Jeffrey Donaldson told us that the police aren't yet ready to endorse the Quinn family's view that the brutal killing was the work of the IRA. It's too early in their investigation, apparently, to be definitive. The Lagan Valley MP says his party won't fudge the matter, so let's watch this space.
Also this afternoon Gregory Campbell summoned Margaret Ritchie to the Social Development Committee to answer questions about axing funding to a UDA linked project. But if it sounded like a Kangaroo court in advance, the Committee turned into a "kiss and make up" session, with both politicians sounding like they wanted to move on when they spoke to us after the meeting. Perhaps the SDLP minister's critics are beginning to realise there are diminishing returns for them in prolonging this row.
I've arrived at Stormont today intent on covering statements on water charges, debates on abortion, and further twists and turns in the Margaret Ritchie affair. But given the news about the brutal murder of Paul Quinn it feels a bit like a parallel universe. In the old set up, I have a feeling we would already be camped outside Hillsborough Castle by now waiting to hear if the Secretary of State was about to sign a suspension order.
So far, although Mr Quinn's family has blamed the IRA, the DUP has sounded cautious about bringing the Stormont house down. I have heard of the offence of corporate manslaughter before, but it was a bit novel to listen to Jeffrey Donaldson talking about the ramifications if the IRA is found to have been "corporately" involved in Mr Quinn's death. His former colleague Jim Allister insists there must be no "phoney distinctions" made between acts by individual IRA members and the IRA as an organisation.
Conor Murphy says he's convinced republicans weren't involved. But his former colleague Jim McAllister says Conor should have talked to Mr Quinn's family before sounding so certain.
On the one hand the DUP will argue that they must await the evidence before jumping to conclusions. On the other, those of us who covered the murders perpetrated by IRA fronts like "Direct Action Against Drugs" know how reluctant the authorities can be in declaring clearly that the IRA sanctioned a particular crime when it is not politically expedient to make such a statement.
The Margaret Ritchie affair had looked as if it would tip us into a new politics with the DUP and Sinn Fein pitted against their executive partners. But now we have a horrible reminder of the old realities, and the biggest test of this kind for the Executive since devolution was restored.
I'm 