CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Grant Donaldson had not taken long to swing into action once the briefing meeting was over. Bill suspected the man knew they had tried to gag him and, although he had played along, he was now asserting his authority.
‘We’ll set up the largest conference room as an incident room,’ Grant said.
‘But the Chief Constable,’ Andy spluttered. ‘It’s booked for him.’
Grant waved his arms. ‘That’s all taken care of,’ he said in a mild tone of voice.
‘We could use one of the incident rooms downstairs,’ Andy protested.
‘I prefer to set up my own.’ Grant brushed Andy’s objections away as if they were of no importance. Andy eventually gave up and, muttering under his breath, retired to his office to brood.
The incident room did not take long to set up. The previously prepared white board and display boards were the first things to be moved to their new abode. The technicians installed computers, a phone system was established, staff requisitioned, and desks moved in. The resultant noisy chaos gave Bill a headache.
He sat behind his desk, morosely considering the cardboard box with his bits and pieces in it. It was not that he had objected to his desk being moved in here, and he had got a good position in front of one of the windows, it was just that he hated the upheaval of the move.
‘Are you trying to hypnotize that box into unpacking itself?’ Sue enquired, perching herself on the end of his desk.
‘I could think of better things to do,’ Bill muttered through gritted teeth. ‘Why couldn’t we have continued working from our own offices? It would’ve saved wasting time on this removal.’
‘It’s what’s called modern policing, Bill. Get everything together in one place and the investigation’s more coordinated. It saves missing anything.’ Sue poked a finger into the box. ‘What a load of rubbish you’ve collected. Throw it out and you won’t have to unpack.’
Bill made a rude noise and, leaning over, pushed the box out of her reach.
‘You know, Bill. For a guy who’s only thirty-nine you’re a right old fart. You want to move with the times.’
Blair Armstrong and Sid Low barged into the room, shrugging off their coats and hanging them on the coat rack. Where Grant had acquired a coat rack was beyond Bill who usually threw his jacket on the floor or the back of his chair. The two men headed in the direction of Bill’s desk, the aroma of Blair’s aftershave reaching it before he did.
‘Present for you,’ Blair grinned, throwing an address book and photograph album on Bill’s desk. ‘The big white chief said for you to look over them. See if there’s anyone you recognize from your previous investigation.’
‘Where’d you get them?’ Bill turned the pages of the album. The photographs were of men, some of them with Nicole and some not. Some of the poses verged on the pornographic.
‘House search,’ Blair grinned.
Sue looked over Bill’s shoulder and whistled. ‘But Bill and I looked over the house yesterday and we didn’t see these.’
Bill scowled at her. He would have preferred Blair not to know that.
‘Didn’t look hard enough then, did you.’ Blair smirked. ‘Actually we found these in a little secret compartment at the back of her wardrobe.’
Bill remembered the wardrobe, a large walk in affair the size of a small room. ‘Good work,’ he said, although it made him sick to his stomach to admit it.
‘Leave you to it then.’ The two men sauntered away.
Sue pulled a chair over to Bill’s desk. ‘Let’s go through it then,’ she said.
‘Panting does not become you Sue, so take that salacious look out of your eyes and study this professionally.’ Bill ducked as Sue swung her arm at him in a mock slap.
‘This chap here,’ Sue tapped a finger on the photograph. ‘I saw a portrait of him in that conference room at Patrick Drake’s department store, although mind you, he looks a bit different without clothes. D’you think it might be Patrick Drake himself?’
‘Could be.’ Bill slipped the photograph out of its plastic pocket and laid it on the desk. ‘We’ll stick the ones we recognize on the display board.’
They leafed through several pages. ‘Nobody here I recognize,’ Sue said. ‘The poses are interesting though.’ She turned a page. ‘Wait a minute. I think I saw this guy in the gents section when I was having a nosey around the store after the interviews.’ She slipped his photograph out of the book. ‘And isn’t that the other assistant director, what’s his name, Ken somebody or other.’
‘Ken Moody,’ Bill murmured, but he was not looking at that photograph. He was looking at another one, the photograph of a man that he had last seen on Julie Forbes’s mantelpiece. His finger hovered, but did not withdraw it to join the others. The man was dead after all. He snapped the album shut. ‘Let’s look at the address book now,’ he said, his eyes already searching for the F’s.
***
Julie stood to the side, trying to hide behind Patrick, but could not help noticing the curious glances of the other staff as they left the room. Ken was the last one to leave and the look he darted at her was positively poisonous.
‘Close the door behind you,’ Patrick instructed him. The sharp click of the wood as it closed reflected Ken’s displeasure to those in the room. ‘Not a very subtle man,’ Patrick said, as he turned with a smile to Julie.
Julie kept her face impassive as she looked back at him. It helped mask the anxiety she was feeling.
‘Sit down, my dear,’ Patrick murmured. ‘You’ll be wondering what this is about.’ He leaned towards her. ‘Quite simple, my dear. Nicole’s death has left me with a problem. I need two assistant directors to manage the store in my absence and now I’m left with only one. You can no doubt see, Ken has been very upset by what has happened and, quite frankly, I think he’s going to be of limited use to me for a time so I need to fill the gap right away.’ He paused, ‘I would like to offer you the opportunity of filling one of the assistant director posts with immediate effect. What do you say?’
Julie stared at him. Whatever she had expected it certainly was not this. ‘But, I have no experience,’ she blurted.
Patrick patted her hand. ‘You’re bright. You’ll learn,’ he said.
‘No, I can’t. I have other plans.’ She thought of Edinburgh and the gallery. It seemed to be getting further away.
‘I insist,’ Patrick said. He frowned. ‘I am accustomed to getting my own way, you know.’
She would have to tell him. ‘My plans involve moving back to Edinburgh and I had intended to hand in my notice.’
‘Nonsense,’ he said.
‘You can’t prevent me leaving,’ Julie blurted.
‘Maybe not, but you’ll have to stay until the investigation into Nicole’s death is completed in any case. So you can move your personal belongings up to this floor immediately and I’ll arrange for temporary office space for you until the police give me the go ahead to use Nicole’s office again. You never know, you might like the job and change your mind about returning to Edinburgh. Anyway, run along for now, and remember, you start work tomorrow on this floor in your new role. Evelyn will make sure you get everything you need.’ He opened the door and ushered her out.
Julie stood for a moment in the corridor trying to order her thoughts. Everything had happened so quickly. She was sure she had not agreed to the proposition, and yet, he just expected her to do it.
Ken was standing at the door to his office. ‘Well,’ he sneered, ‘I take it you’re going to climb the ladder the same way Nicole did. Doesn’t give us poor blokes a chance, does it?’
‘That doesn’t even warrant an answer,’ Julie snapped, and marched to the lift.
When she reached her office, Harry was already packing her belongings into cardboard boxes. ‘I believe congratulations are in order,’ he said.
Julie stared at him. ‘How did you know to start packing my stuff?’ she whispered.
‘Evelyn instructe
d me to do it as soon as we came out of the meeting.’ Harry rammed some stationery into the box. ‘What d’you want me to do with the files, Julie?’
‘Oh, put them in as well. I have some work to finish off, and no doubt I’ll have to do both jobs anyway.’ She slumped down in her chair. ‘He must have been damned sure I’d agree to do the job.’
‘Of course, he was.’ Betty poked her head round the door. ‘Nobody refuses Patrick. Wasn’t that what I was telling you earlier. You just watch out for the next move, and be ready to run.’
‘There’s a wee parcel here, Julie. Somebody must have left it on your desk. D’you want me to pack it or are you going to open it now?’
‘Give it here,’ Julie said. ‘If you pack it I’ll probably never find it again.’
‘Maybe it’s a good luck token,’ Betty said.
‘Have you been up to something behind my back?’ Julie shook the package. ‘It doesn’t rattle.’
‘Oh, go on. Open it. Don’t keep us in suspense.’ Betty moved closer.
Julie stuck her fingernail under the sellotape sealing the package and ripped the paper off to reveal a small box. She prised the lid off and looked inside.
‘Oh, shit,’ she said.
The other two sets of eyes reflected the horror she was feeling.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Bill was the only investigating officer in the room when the call came in. Blair and Sid were swanning around the countryside in search of anyone who knew Nicole or who might have seen her on her way home. Kath and Jim had gone to visit Marika again; Jim was a dab hand at languages, although Bill did not think that included Polish. Sue had taken Jill Marshall and gone back to the store to speak to everyone in an attempt to find out what Nicole was like as a person. Everyone thought they knew the answer to that one already, but still, you never knew what they might dig up.
‘You said your name was Betty Cooper,’ he scribbled on the pad of paper in front of him. ‘And you’re the manageress of the restaurant. Okay Betty, just tell me in words of two syllables what exactly was in the box.’ Bill could feel his excitement mount as Betty spoke, ‘I see, Betty. Can you stay with Julie for the time being? You’ve got her in the restaurant. That’s fine, keep her there. I’ve got two police officers in the store just now. I’ll get one of them to you immediately. Try not to handle the box too much, it could be evidence.’ He listened to the crackle of the phone. ‘Yes, I can understand why you don’t want to handle it, but I just thought I should tell you.’
He stuck his finger on the disconnect button and immediately redialled. ‘Detective Sergeant Murphy,’ he said. ‘Can you ask Detective Sergeant Rogers to come to the phone please?’ He listened for a moment. ‘I don’t give a damn. Get her to the phone.’ There was the sound of the phone changing hands and Evelyn’s voice came on. ‘Thank goodness for someone sensible,’ he said to her. ‘Fine, I’ll wait.’
‘What’s up?’ Sue said a few moments later.
Bill explained. ‘You’re on the spot Sue, so can you check it out? Get hold of the package and have it sent over to forensics. You know the drill. And, you never know, if things work out this might be our lucky break.’
It was only seconds after he replaced the phone in its cradle before his excitement turned into dread. The stalker had a new target and it was Julie.
***
‘I’ll leave you to continue here,’ Sue told Jill Marshall, ‘while I go down to the food hall to interview Miss Forbes.’ She gathered up her notebook and pencil and slipped them into her shoulder bag.
Sue found Julie sipping coffee in the restaurant. A heavily built woman wearing an attractive uniform-style overall with Patrick Drake monogrammed on the pocket, sat at the table with her. Sue guessed this must be Betty.
‘I’m Sue Rogers, if you recall I interviewed you yesterday.’ She stuck out her hand for Julie to shake. ‘Can I call you Julie? It makes it less formal. And you’ll be Betty.’ She shook hands with the older woman.
‘I’ll get you a coffee,’ Betty said, standing up.
Sue nodded and turned back to Julie. ‘I understand you’ve received some sort of package.’
Julie shivered, although to Sue’s eyes she was not as upset as she had expected her to be. ‘Yes,’ she said and went on to explain what had happened.
‘I see. And you don’t know how the package got into your office and on your desk.’
‘That’s right.’
‘Harry was in your office when you got back.’ Sue inspected her notes. ‘That’s right isn’t it?’
‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Julie said, looking directly at Sue. ‘But it wasn’t Harry. I trust him. And anyway it would be difficult to find a more honest and straightforward person than Harry. So I won’t have anyone accusing him.’
‘Any other ideas about who it could be?’
Julie shook her head.
‘Anybody you’ve upset recently? Any enemies?’ Sue probed, still thinking Harry was the most likely prospect.
‘Not really,’ Julie said. ‘Although I don’t think Mr Moody is too pleased that Patrick Drake is promoting me.’
‘Mr Moody? You mean Ken Moody the assistant director?’
Julie nodded.
‘What about the package? What have you done with it?’
Betty plonked a cup of coffee in front of Sue. ‘I’ve got it in one of my cupboards behind the servery,’ she said. ‘Julie didn’t want to look at it, so I took it away. Nasty thing it is.’
Sue stood up. ‘I’ll need it, of course. We’ll get forensics to check it out, but that means I’ll need fingerprints from everyone who’s handled it.’ She looked at her notebook. ‘That’ll be you, Julie and Harry.’
‘I’ll go get the package now,’ Betty said.
‘It would be better if I collected it. Save getting more fingerprints on it.’ Sue rummaged in her handbag, removed a pair of latex gloves and put them on. ‘I don’t suppose you’ve got a plastic or polythene bag,’ she said, ‘I didn’t bring any evidence bags with me.’
‘I’ll pop over to groceries and get one,’ Betty said.
While she was gone Sue turned back to Julie. ‘I take it this is the first package you’ve received?’ She was sure it was, but thought she had better check. ‘Nothing else?’
Julie shook her head and seemed to hesitate before saying. ‘I’ve had this feeling someone’s watching me. It’s crazy, because there’s never anyone there. It’s just one of those feelings, you know, when the hair at the back of your neck prickles.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s probably just nerves because of what’s happened.’
Betty came back with the bag and took Sue behind the servery. Carefully Sue lifted the lid of the box and looked at the body of the rat inside. ‘I’m not surprised Julie got a shock,’ she said. ‘I don’t think I would like to have received this when I wasn’t expecting it.’ She popped the box with its wrappings inside the polythene bag and returned to the table.
‘Be careful, Julie,’ she said. ‘Try not to go anywhere on your own and keep your doors locked at home.’
***
‘She didn’t even drink her coffee,’ Betty said, after Sue left.
‘I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend you.’ Julie smiled at Betty, although the smile was simply bravado because the dead rat had upset her more than she wanted to admit. After the box was opened she had put a brave face on it, but she could not bring herself to keep the box anywhere near her, so she had asked Betty to look after it until the police came. Now Sue had taken possession of it she did not have to worry anymore, but still she could not get the image out of her mind.
‘What about you, Julie?’ Betty sat down on the seat beside her. ‘Are you going to be okay?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ Julie sounded more confident than she felt.
‘You live alone, don’t you?’ Betty’s brow had creased with a worried frown. ‘I’d ask you home with me, but there’s my old man. He wouldn’t like it.’
Julie leane
d over and patted Betty’s hand. ‘I’ll be all right, honest. You don’t need to worry about me. And anyway I live in an upstairs flat so nobody’s going to peer through my windows. And I’ll make sure I lock my door.’
Julie could see Betty was not convinced. ‘What about when you’re going home?’
‘There are always plenty of folks around, Betty. You know that. Dundee’s a busy place. Anyway I’m a damned good runner.’
‘I don’t like it just the same. Betty’s hand closed round the pepper shaker she had been fiddling with. ‘You stick that in your pocket, it’s better than nothing.’
***
‘Well?’ Bill snapped the address book closed as Sue and Jill entered the room.
‘We’ve already popped the package into forensics and they’ve promised to do a rush job. Should get the results tomorrow sometime.’ Sue perched on the end of Bill’s desk and updated him on her interview with Julie and Betty, while Jill crossed to her own desk to write up her notes into report form.
‘Does Julie have any ideas who might have sent it?’
‘She says not. I did suggest the security guy, Harry, because he was in her office when she found it, or rather he found it and gave it to her. But she flew up in a blue light at the suggestion.’
‘It’s probably to be expected. She seems to be friendly with him.’ Bill wondered, not for the first time, what their relationship was.
‘Bit old for her I would have thought,’ Sue said. ‘Anyway isn’t she the one you had your eye on?’ She leered at him.
‘Don’t know what you mean,’ Bill blustered.
‘Oh, come on, I wasn’t born yesterday.’
Bill shifted position in his chair. ‘D’you think it’s the same person who was sending wee dead animals to Nicole Ralston? I mean, this one was wrapped up, the others weren’t.’
Sue considered. ‘I would guess so,’ she said. ‘I can’t see the possibility of anyone else doing it. I’ve advised her to be careful, but she doesn’t seem to be so spooked as Nicole was, so maybe she won’t be such an easy target.’
Night Watcher Page 28
