By All Means (Fiske and MacNee Mysteries Book 2)

by Alan Alexander

  Colin returned to the whiteboard. ‘I’ve been thinking about the exchange of coded emails that Dongle found on MacIver’s laptop. We know that damascus@easymail.com is MacIver. But we don’t know who mike@exflt.com is.’

  ‘I know that look! You’ve got a theory, haven’t you?’

  ‘Yep! I had a look at a biography of Roskill. He’s James Michael Roskill, and although he was always know as “James” in public life, to his family and close friends he’s “Mike”…’

  ‘Bit of a stretch…’

  ‘Bear with me. The other part of his email address is ‘exflt’. It took me some time to come up with this – actually it was when a camera on the news last night zoomed in on the door of 10 Downing Street that I twigged – but the formal title of the PM is “First Lord of the Treasury”. “FLT”. So I think mike@exflt is Roskill. And the content of the later email exchanges is very close to the stuff in the interview you emailed to me and the DCS.’

  ‘Makes sense to me! We’ll have to convince Esslemont. And the Chief’s looking at quite a difficult day.'

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The First Minister had gone to ground. She hadn't been seen in public since she had answered questions in Parliament on the day of Paul MacIver's arrest. For a politician so determined to be in the papers and on the news as often as feasible, and daily if possible, her invisibility was already causing comment. The press had suggested that she was avoiding questions on the arrest of her closest adviser. She had cancelled a scheduled constituency surgery in Montrose on Saturday, and the Justice Department had said that the announcement of the head of the new unified police force for the whole of Scotland, and the introduction of the appointee to the press, on Friday at noon, would be handled by the Justice Secretary. This was the delivery of one of her government's flagship policies. Her absence was eloquent.

  At noon, in a briefing room in St Andrews House on Edinburgh's Calton Hill, the Justice Secretary announced to a press conference that the Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police would be the first Commissioner of the new Scotland-wide force. For a few minutes, after speeches from the minister and the new appointee, the reporters observed the proprieties and addressed their questions to the Commissioner. They were predictable and unchallenging, about crime rates and the possible loss of local responsiveness, the effect of cost-cutting on crime detection and the visibility of the 'bobby on the beat.'

  'Kevin Bennett, Glasgow Banner.' A shadow of apprehensiveness passed across the face of the Justice Secretary. The new Commissioner looked unconcerned. 'Hedelco, Ebright, Mercury, Last. Major American companies with big investments in Scotland. All targets of major crimes in less than a fortnight. All the good coppers I know don't believe in coincidence. What's your view, Commissioner? And yours, if it comes to it, Minister?'

  The two men on the platform looked at each other. The Justice Secretary nodded. The Commissioner rose.

  'I can't comment on ongoing enquiries. However, I will say that the creation of a Scotland-wide organisation will improve co-ordination, especially when links emerge between apparently separate crimes.'

  Bennett was on his feet before the minister could call anyone else.

  'Perhaps the Justice Secretary, who already has a nationwide remit, would care to comment. And while he's at it, he could tell us why the First Minister's not here. Is she afraid she might be asked about Paul MacIver?'

  The Justice Secretary looked very uncomfortable and a little shifty.

  'It would be inappropriate for me to say anything that might be interpreted as interference in operational policing...'

  Sotto voce, a reporter said, to some laughter, 'Christ! He's dipping into the cliché bank!'

  '...and we should concentrate here on the delivery of the government's commitment to a Scotland-wide police service.'

  'Oh, come off it!' This was Jason Sime of the Aberdeen Gazette & Times. He identified himself and went on. 'I've been covering this story since the start and it's turning into the biggest news story Scotland's seen since the children were murdered in Dunblane. And it's as much politics as crime. How can you stand there and refuse to say anything about it? And what kind of leadership is it that goes into hiding in the face of a developing national scandal?'

  The Justice Secretary was gathering up his papers.

  'Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Further information will be provided by police HQ and, as appropriate, by my office.'

  The reporters were already on their phones and laptops, inputting copy for websites and early editions. The broadcast journalists were facing cameras and microphones on the steps of St Andrews House. From the Government's perspective, it wouldn't be pretty.

  *

  DCS Esslemont listened carefully to Fiske and MacNee as they described what they called "the Roskill connection".

  'We certainly can't ignore it, but you don't have enough to approach him, much less confront him. It may be that somewhere in what you've got there's a motive for these murders, and maybe a connection to Last and Mercury, but you've still got some work to do to stand them up. We'll need to talk to the Chief. There are obvious political ramifications, on top of the fall-out from the MacIver arrest. And there are resource implications, if you're going to have to go to London and, possibly, further afield. If there is a connection to Last and Mercury, this is going to become even bigger than we already expected.'

  'Should we see him this morning?' Fiske asked. 'The new Scottish police chief is being announced at noon. If the Chief's here, I assume that it's not going to be him. But it may not be the best time.'

  Esslemont smiled sardonically. 'On the contrary! He'll be keen to show that it's business as usual. And an even higher profile for this case might be just what he wants, especially if he can be persuaded that we've got a better than even chance of cracking it, and getting convictions for both murders. Helping to nail the Last and Mercury cases would be a bonus. And there will be big jobs on offer in the new force.'

  'Sir, so far only you, me and DCI Fiske know about the Roskill connection.' Colin MacNee was thinking about the "good old-fashioned police work" that would be needed before they could approach Roskill. 'If, as you put it, we're going to be able to stand this up, we'll need to put some people on it – DC’s and DS’s - so they'll have to be told why they're being asked to investigate Roskill, even if it's only from their desks.'

  Vanessa Fiske thought she should underline the point. 'I've sent Williamson and Todd to Edinburgh to talk to a woman who's a co-signatory on the account that's been sending money to Mathieson and MacIlwraith. I'd like them on this because they've been feeling a bit out of it. Sara and Aisha can help, too. But we'll need to backfill to be sure all the local loose ends are tied up.'

  Esslemont sighed. 'All right. If the Chief agrees that you should follow this up, I'll make sure you've got the bodies.'

  *

  'We're moving next week to a shop front location on Princes Street. We'll be a lot more visible when the campaign gets into high gear.'

  Morven Trask was showing DCs Williamson and Todd into her office on the second floor of a nondescript building on Jeffrey Street with nothing to commend it except a wonderful view of the Art Deco detail of the back elevation of St Andrews House, where, just as they arrived, the Justice Secretary was announcing their new boss.

  'Thank you for seeing us, Miss Trask.' Duncan Williamson said.

  'No problem, and please call me Morven. I'm not sure how I can help you.'

  Stewart Todd reached into his backpack and took out a clear plastic folder containing a couple of sheets of paper. 'This is a print-out of a bank statement in the name of the "SF Club". We found the account in the course of the investigation that led to the arrest of Paul MacIver. What can you tell us about it?'

  'I was a member of the SF Club when I was at uni. It was, maybe still is, the student wing of the Scottish Freedom Party. I've had nothing to do with it for years. Not since I joined the SNP and got elected to the Scottish Parliament in
2003.'

  Either she doesn't know what we've got, Duncan Williamson thought, or she's very good.

  'How was the SFP different from the SNP?'

  'It was a splinter group. Split away after the failed referendum in 1979. Much more radical than the SNP. More left wing. Sometimes talked about "direct action". But they were all talk. That's why I left. At least the SNP had a plan, especially after the parliament was set up.'

  'No contact at all?'

  'I suppose I may have met some SFP members over the years.'

  'Nothing more?'

  'No.' She was beginning to look uneasy. 'What's this about?'

  'Morven, according to the bank, you are a co-signatory on this account. The other signatory is Paul MacIver.'

  She blanched. She looked genuinely surprised and shocked.

  'I had completely forgotten about that. I agreed to be co-signatory when we...when I was a student. But Paul ran the account. He told me the bank needed two signatories.'

  'Why you?' Duncan Williamson had picked up the folder and was making a show of examining the statement very closely. 'Why did MacIver ask you?'

  She closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, looking at the ceiling, as though she was considering how to respond. She seemed to come to a decision. She leaned forward, elbows on the desk.

  'I had a relationship with him when we were students. It ended when I decided that the SFP weren't into serious politics. Paul stayed, at least for a time. We've hardly spoken since.'

  'Hard to credit,' Stewart Todd said, 'What with you taking a high profile role in the campaign for independence and MacIver advising the First Minister.'

  'There are Chinese walls between the government and the campaign. I'm on one side, he's on the other.'

  If Stewart had known what an old-fashioned look was, he'd have shot her one. Instead he said, 'So, when did you last speak to him?'

  'At last year's party conference in Aviemore. I bumped into him at the Leader's Reception. We exchanged pleasantries, no more. He keeps himself out of the limelight.'

  'So, you're telling us that you've had nothing to do with this account, of which you acknowledge being a signatory, for more than ten years?'

  'Yes.'

  'When did MacIver leave the SFP?'

  'I'm not entirely sure. He went abroad after uni - Canada, I think, Montreal. He was away for a couple of years, so I suppose he decided to join the SNP when he came back. He got a job on the Glasgow Banner writing editorials and political analysis. That's what brought him to the attention of the FM. She took him on when she was Finance Secretary.'

  'Are you sure he left the SFP?'

  Morven Trask was incredulous. 'He couldn't be in both parties. Could he?'

  *

  As they left Morven Trask's office just after one o'clock, Stewart checked the train times and found that they could be back in Aberdeen at 1546 hrs. He phoned Fiske's admin support and asked if the team meeting could be delayed until four. Confirmation came back as they descended the stairs to the concourse of Waverley Station.

  For Fiske and MacNee, the extra time was welcome. They had arranged for Mathieson and MacIlwraith to be brought from the remand wing of Aberdeen Prison at one o'clock. Now they could arrange for them to be followed by MacIver at three. Fiske and Hamilton would interview Mathieson while MacNee and Gajani tackled MacIlwraith. Once they had discussed the product of these interviews, Fiske and MacNee would talk to MacIver.

  'The weakest link in this, boss, is MacIlwraith. He's not very bright, as Dongle says. It's easier to understand how he dropped out of university than how he got in. I intend to put quite a lot of pressure on him.'

  'That's fine. Just make sure you check the audio and video equipment before you start. And be prepared for his brief to shut him up if he begins to incriminate himself.'

  'I always do. Doesn't do anybody's career any good to lose a conviction because of technicalities. I want him to incriminate the others. I don't care if he does it deliberately or accidentally.'

  *

  MacNee and Gajani entered the interview room just after one o’clock. MacIlwraith and his lawyer were already there, accompanied by a uniformed constable who got up and sat outside the door as soon as the two detectives arrived.

  As Colin MacNee sat down, Aisha Gajani switched on the recording equipment. Colin recorded the time and the names of those present and then turned to MacIlwraith.

  'Mr MacIlwraith, how do you keep body and soul together?'

  MacIlwraith looked at his solicitor, who nodded. 'I'm not sure what you mean, Inspector.'

  'Well, as far as we can discover, and we're quite good at what we do, you don't have a paying job' - he put a slightly sarcastic tone on "paying" - 'and you don't get any social security benefits. No Job Seeker's Allowance, no sickness or disability payments. We've checked with the DWP and they have no record of any dealings with you. So how do you pay your way in the world? You know, food, bus fares, council tax, Internet connection, Sky tv, mobile phone. That kind of thing. We know you worked as a porter at GRH for a while, but that doesn't pay very much and what with rent and living expenses in Aberdeen, you wouldn't have saved much out of your wages.'

  'I own the house and I have some savings, money my parents left me. And my needs are pretty modest.'

  'Oh. I forgot to mention the laptop, state-of-the-art hi fi system, forty-four inch 3D ready smart tv. Must have been quite an inheritance. And, since you left the hospital in July, you've had no other regular source of income?'

  MacIlwraith shook his head and Colin told him to answer "for the tape".

  'Do you have a bank account?'

  'I've got a current account with Santander and a savings account in a building society - Nationwide in Kilmarnock. You can check, if you like.'

  'Oh, we have. There's about ten quid in Santander and a few hundred in the Nationwide. But you've got another account, haven't you? With the Co-op. That's the one I'm really interested in.'

  The lawyer touched MacIlwraith's sleeve and shook his head.

  'No comment.'

  'The account I'm talking about is in your name, the correspondence address is your house in Saltcoats, and there's about five thousand pounds in it. Bit of advice, just in case you ever get out of prison. That's an awful lot of money to keep in a current account.'

  The reference to a long prison sentence caused MacIlwraith to turn pale. But again, his lawyer shook his head.

  'No comment.'

  'Here's the thing. Every month £750 is deposited to that account. Did you know that? And you make regular ATM withdrawals from it. Sorry, to be accurate, regular withdrawals have been made using an ATM card in your name. And that card was among your effects when we searched your house.'

  Before his lawyer could stop him, Maclwraith protested. 'Its only been 750 for a few months. It was only 200 before...'

  His lawyer grabbed his arm and said, 'That's enough, Andy. Wait for the inspector to ask questions.'

  'So it was! But that sounds like an admission that the account is yours and that you know about the deposits.'

  'No comment.'

  'Do you know who was making the deposits?'

  'No comment.'

  'Let's give you the benefit of the doubt. Let's assume that you don't know. Would you like to know? Because I'm in a position to enlighten you, but it would be in your interests for you to tell me rather than for me to tell you and hope that you'll confirm that we've got it right.'

  'Can we have a few minutes, Inspector?' The lawyer was looking at Colin, his hand gripping his client's arm.

  *

  'I think you've got him on the run, boss.' DC Aisha Gajani had just come back from the canteen with two coffees. 'I think he's about to give up MacIver.'

  'Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Even if he does, we'll still have to get him to tell us what he was supposed to do for the money. And we'll still have to implicate Mathieson.'

  Vanessa Fiske stuck her head round the door. 'Are you do
ne with MacIlwraith?'

  'Not quite. He's consulting his brief. But he may be about to tell us who was sending him money. Mathieson?'

  'Nothing so far. We're having a comfort break. He's pretty cool, though. Very sure of himself and determined to give us nothing. I'm thinking of letting Sara have a go at him, but if MacIlwraith gives us MacIver as the source of the money, we'll be able to apply more pressure.'