Dunbar drained his pint and stood up. ‘We’re away.’
‘Aye, well, nice seein’ ye all – an’ specially you, Bri-Honey.’
Dunbar made sure he got between Falk and Doc as his team filed out of the bar but the eyes of two tough-guys remained locked on each other.
‘Ever considered anger management therapy, Falk?’ Doc asked.
‘Ever considered, you-and-me, a quiet place, nae tools, nae hired muscle, just mon-te-mon, shit-heid?’ Falk hissed.
Doc chuckled and made a pretence at being frightened, much to the amusement of his two friends. As Dunbar brushed past Doc, the gangster locked eyes with him.
‘Give my regards te Elspeth. She’s a canny big miss at Rennie an’ Co. The wee body that replaced her’s a dead ringer for Jimmy Crankie.’
As the cops exited and strolled off up the street, laughter erupted from inside the pub.
***
Dunbar had been enjoying the crack until Monaghan gate crashed the party. Light duties had robbed him of that sense of camaraderie that working with a dedicated team brought. Falk was still fuming and Dunbar feared he might go back to sort Monaghan out. That man-to-man threat Falk had issued was not a hollow one. The tough ex-marine would beat Doc in a straight fight, no question, however, he would pay for it with his life. Not there and then, and never in front of witnesses, but it would happen when there was no one around, when Falk was least expecting it. That was the reason Doc reigned supreme over his Edinburgh rivals. The price of taking his crown carried the risk of a life or a death sentence.
It was still early, so Dunbar suggested they adjourn to his place. It was the nearest any of them lived to the pub and unlike them, with the exception of Tyler; he would be going home to an empty house. No spouse to disturb or upset. No potential for an embarrassing domestic dispute in front of colleagues.
As it was, the party never really happened: DC Reece cried off, Conroy stayed for one drink only. Fifteen minutes later DC Donald and Falk, at Dunbar’s insistence, got a cab and he charged the burly DC with the responsibility of ensuring that Falk did not go looking for Doc; which only left Briony Tyler.
No sooner had she said, ‘I’d better be off too,’ and reached for her coat, than the front door opened and a pair of high heels clip-clopped down the hallway. Elspeth came to an abrupt halt as Tyler hesitated, one sleeve on, the other off. They looked at each other for a moment as Elspeth put her travel bag down.
‘Wasn’t expecting you tonight,’ Dunbar said.
‘Apparently.’
Tyler slipped the other arm into her coat and extended her hand. ‘Briony Tyler, nice to meet you, Elspeth.’ She was all too aware of how crimson her face must have gone. It was an awkward moment on so many levels. She had been fantasising about sleeping with the woman’s husband, only to be caught, in what appeared to be, the act of doing a runner. Could she – could they look any more guilty? Tyler doubted it.
‘Even prettier in the flesh,’ Elspeth replied, shaking her hand but with her gaze fixed on her husband. She had adopted her Ice Queen alter ego. Urbane Elspeth was a character she had developed to go with her job where she was often forced to mingle with people she despised but had to be civil to for her boss’s sake. She thought it made her appear sophisticated and he, that it created the impression she was a condescending bitch. She wasn’t, well, not habitually.
‘I had the team back after work.’
‘Team?’ Elspeth repeated, scanning the room.
‘The others aren’t long gone,’ he explained, pouring her a glass and offering it.
‘And I was just about to leave.’
‘Yes – the haste, the coat, I got that.’ Elspeth took the glass from him and raised it to both of them in turn.
‘Good night, sir – Elspeth, nice to meet you.’
‘And you too, do call again – perhaps when I’m home next time, so that we can become better acquainted,’ she called after her. Dunbar saw her to the door in silence. Tyler dare not look back even after she heard it close. When he rejoined his wife she had reclined on the two-seater sofa, shoes off, feet up.
‘Why didn’t you call me?’ he asked, reaching for the wine.
‘Wanted to surprise you – and what a surprise. She’s – well, what can I say? Drop-dead-gorgeous.’
‘A looker,’ he agreed, topping up his glass.
‘Are you sleeping with her?’
He fixed her angrily. ‘For God’s sake, Ellie – I thought we didn’t do this?’ It was both irritating yet comforting in a strange way. She did care or she wouldn’t have asked. He just wished she’d not act so blasé and show a little passion.
‘Me too, but I’ve never caught you in flagrante delicto before.’
He eyed her over his wine glass with no intention of qualifying her accusation with a response.
‘So are you?’ And please don’t tell me you don’t fancy her. A blind man couldn’t help but fall for those charms.’
‘Her looks are irrelevant – it takes two and even if I had it in mind, it doesn’t follow that she’s interested.’
Elspeth smirked and sipped her wine. ‘Poor, Alec – you never notice the way women look at you, do you? Every woman in that wine bar looked that night. It’s why I had to have you.’
He shrugged, it was old ground and, if he was being honest, he did occasionally notice – but had not where Briony was concerned.
‘I could have warmed my hands on her face.’
‘She was embarrassed because of your – too-cool-to-rant routine.’
‘Would you rather I caused a scene?’
He shook his head, recalling the endless rows he had endured with Maggie but never once had Maggie given him cause to doubt how much she had loved him.
‘Just wondered is all, darling – I doubt many men could resist.’
‘Those vows we took, Ellie – I live by them.’
‘You’re an atheist, that’s like having your fingers crossed behind your back as you say them.’
‘It was a civil wedding – there wasn’t a minister but it doesn’t mean the oath I took held any less meaning for me.’
‘It’s all right – I wouldn’t blame you, darling, I just –’
‘I won’t cheat on you, Ellie. If I ever get it into my head to have sex with anyone else, I’ll tell you first,’ he snapped.
‘Fine! But it would be the last conversation we ever had.’
Dunbar drained his glass and headed for the kitchen. She was home; there would be no leaving the mess until morning.
‘Gordon Monaghan sends his regards,’ he said, as he exited the room.
‘Don’t tell me he dodged the noose again?’ she called after him. When no answer came she followed. Dunbar was filling the recycling bins with empty cans.
‘How is he?’
‘Same as ever – still breathing unfortunately.’
‘He’s not all bad, Alec. A strutting game-cock macho act, he’s a Godsend at any charity fundraiser.’
‘You only ever dealt with him – I deal with his victims. Just tonight we were discussing a guy who is missing three digits ‘cos he owes money to a loan shark, Doc puts the squeeze on. Called it an outbreak of leprosy. Thinks he’s funny.’
Elspeth giggled and he fumed. ‘Oh come on, Alec, it is funny. Sick! – but funny.’
***
He drained his coffee, scooped his coat off the breakfast bar and met Elspeth as she entered swiping her iPad feverishly and wearing only a silk nightshirt.
She looked up and smiled seductively. ‘See you later.’
‘No desperately urgent meetings to dash off to?’
‘Conference call at five to nine but – so far so good.’
He wrapped his arms around her. ‘Lunch at Henderson’s?’
She frowned and felt his brow. ‘In the middle of a big case? Are you unwell?’
‘I don’t get to see you that often,’ he complained.
‘Lunch, yes! But not with you, I’m meeting Kitty Ca
mpbell.’ He gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘Don’t be horrid, poor love’s practically bipolar. I blame Fergus; he’s the most selfish pig on the planet.’
‘Now he is horrible. Dinner?’ he asked. She nodded. ‘Yes dinner? Or yes, Fergus is horrible?’
‘Both! Seven? – I’ll get into domestic-goddess mode and cook.’ He gave her a wide-eyed look and she dug him in the ribs, as he kissed her on the forehead. She did that annoying, “mwa-mwa” thing as he edged past her, but after last night, he could forgive her.
‘You can even invite your pretty inspector. I’ll try and make amends for last night.’
He stopped in the hallway and looked back at her. ‘She’s nae my inspector – she’s, an inspector. I’ll be home by seven.’
‘The earlier the better – and let me know how many I’m catering for,’ she replied, already fixated by her gadget again. He closed the door behind him and hopped down the steps. Perhaps he should let her catch him in the company of Briony more often. They had enjoyed their most passionate night in an age, and it had begun before they had even reached the bedroom. Elspeth only ever had sex in bed, at least since they got married, but she had pounced on him halfway up the stairs. The bed never featured at all. It even carried on in the shower. Fear of competition, or just to demonstrate what he would be missing were he so foolish as to stray? He could not sure, but it had certainly spiced up the evening.
***
To his surprise, everyone but Falk was at their stations when Dunbar breezed in. He checked his watch and nodded approvingly.
‘Anything in those logs from the roadblocks, Neil?’
‘Nahh’, school run mums an’ commuters mostly,’ DS Conroy responded, without looking up.
‘Falk not in?’
‘Early doors, boss. Passed me in the pool car as I arrived,’ DC Donald replied.
Dunbar looked around; Tyler was studiously fixed on her monitor and purposely avoided acknowledging him. He smiled and went over to her desk. ‘Anything?’
She looked up, met his warm gaze and squeezed her eyes tight shut, then looked at him and chewed her lip before asking, ‘What must she have thought?’
Elspeth was right, she is beautiful. ‘She thought you very beautiful, Briony.’
She felt her cheeks flush again. ‘Sir, I –’
‘It’s fine. She likes to play the unflappable, corporate fixer. She’s a lot sweeter than she at first appears. In fact she wondered if you would like to join us for dinner tonight?’
Tyler was stunned, ‘Err’, not sure if I –’
‘No big deal, if you have other plans that’s fine.’
‘Raincheck?’ she suggested with a cringe.
‘Some other time then,’ he replied, quietly relieved he turned to go.
‘My Big Issue contact finally got back to me full of apologies for taking so long.’
He stopped. ‘Oh yeah?’
‘Kenneth Edward Murray, sixty-three, a former psychiatric nurse at Heathlands Secure Unit, near Wishaw. It closed in 2004. Some of its former patients were dispersed to other facilities, some into the community. Joined the Dumfries and Galloway Care in the Community Team. Worked at various community placements in the area but lost his job after a tribunal, and appeal, for gross misconduct. That in turn led to divorce and eventually homelessness it seems. Dropped off the radar fifteen months ago and hasn’t been seen since, but had been frequenting a Big Issue sponsored hostel in Penicuik.’
‘Gross misconduct?’
‘Inappropriate relations with female patients on the scheme. Reading between the lines he was having sex with vulnerable female clients – very vulnerable clients, that’s what they call them now that they’re not confined to padded cells.’
‘And Wilson Farish was a paedophile according to Archie. Tentative link?’
‘Crossed my mind.’
‘Medical records – DNA?’
‘Working on it,’ she replied. He nodded his approval. ‘You will tell Elspeth I –’
‘Don’t worry about it – she’s cool.’ He went through to his office.
‘Tell me about it – definitely caught a chill,’ she said, under her breath.
***
Falk tapped on his door. Dunbar looked up from his screen and waved him in. He appeared both pleased with himself and tense at the same time and was carrying an evidence bag. Falk placed it on Dunbar’s desk.
‘I’ve got Doc in the traps,’ he announced.
Dunbar froze and fixed him. ‘For what?’
Falk eyed the evidence bag. Dunbar picked it up and held it at eye level. It contained a bloodied finger, cut from somebody’s hand, just below the knuckle.
‘Found it under my wiper blade this mornin’. Literally givin’ me the finger, the cocky bastard!’ he snarled.
‘And you’ve locked him up?’
‘Too fuckin’ right I have! My kids could have found that.’
Dunbar sent his chair spinning away on its casters as he leapt to his feet. ‘We’re in the middle of a multiple murder enquiry and you let yourself get sucked into one of his sick little games?’ he snapped.
‘He’s the one playin’ games, boss, not me.’
‘And your grounds for arrest?’
‘You heard him!’ Falk waggled the bag. ‘Lenders cuts – a wee bit o’ pruning, he –’
‘That’s it!? He makes a wisecrack about leprosy in Gowrie, you find that and – what!?’
‘What’s that if it’s no’ hard evidence?’ Falk protested.
‘Takin’ the piss, that’s what I call it.’ Dunbar dumped the bag back down. ‘Have you got proof that Doc put it there?’ He never gave Falk chance to answer. ‘No you haven’t – and you won’t ever come up with any. Jesus, Falk, I thought you were smarter than this.’
Falk bristled and looked around self-consciously. The whole office had fallen silent. Everyone got suddenly busy, as the tough Glaswegian sergeant scanned the room.
He turned back to argue his case with his boss. ‘He put it there!’
‘No way! He’ll have done the cutting for sure but one o’ his numpties will have put it there. But! Knowing that and proving it are two very different things.’
‘It’ll be one of Chick Pea’s.’
Dunbar silenced him with a weary groan. ‘Christ Almighty, Falk! Doc Monaghan’s many things, but stupid isn’t one of them. I’d bet my pension that’s not one o’ Chick Pea Little’s missing fingers.’
‘I’ll find out whose it is then.’
‘Ach! Good luck with that. Have ye ever known anybody dare grass him up? In twenty years on the job, I haven’t.’
‘I’ll check the hospitals and –’
‘The Braur Glen enquiry takes precedence over this, Sergeant. So you’ll ask someone from Division to do that.’ Dunbar dragged his seat back to his desk and sat. ‘You pissed him off last night, Falk. He knows, just like we all know, that you could take him, whether he was tooled up or not.’ Dunbar snatched up the bag and waved it at his sergeant. ‘Pissin’ him off cost some poor bugger a digit.’
‘Worth it though, just te see that twat in the cells again.’
Dunbar glared at him. ‘Tell that to the owner o’ this.’ Dunbar was more disappointed than angry. ‘Annnd, he’ll no’ be in there long. He never is. I take it his brief’s on the way?’
‘Rennie himself.’
Dunbar reeled away and stood up again. ‘Perfect! Can’t shake off that bootneck habit of takin’ the shot the minute the enemy gets in your crosshairs, can you? You’re not a soldier anymore, mon an’ Gordon Monaghan’s nae a quick skirmish. He’s a whole bloody campaign on his own.’ He picked up the evidence bag and tossed it back to Falk. ‘Get this away for fingerprints, then, have them send it over to Donnie at the path lab, while I go an’ sort your mess out.’
‘But –’
‘Nae buts, Falk. He walks – just like you knew he would the moment you snapped the cuffs on him this morning. Who did you take with ye?’
‘A
couple of uniforms.’
‘Who wouldnae dare argue with ye! Well done, Falk. Those poor bastards’ll be on the receivin’ end of the inevitable complaint as well now.’
‘What!? He cannae complain, he as good as –’
‘He baited the hook and you bit!’ Dunbar cut in again. ‘Unlawful arrest – and coming off the back of a brief spell on remand, and a very recent not guilty result – police harassment no doubt. That’s what that snake Rennie will hit us with, and with that smug bastard’s clout, policing standards will have nae option but to follow it up.’
The two detectives faced off, neither willing to give an inch. ‘Get Carswell’s car sorted an’ away. I’ll deal with Doc and Rennie.’
‘Oh, aye, we’re gonna go after a wee poacher but no’ Edinburgh’s top predator.’
Dunbar seethed as he matched Falk’s angry glare. ‘That’s ‘cos we have evidence te put before the procurator in Carswell’s case, Detective Sergeant Faulkner. Something you’re sadly lacking. Now get your finger oot, and get busy.’
Falk cocked his head. ‘Yes, sir!’ He gave a sharp but pointedly insubordinate salute, wheeled about and marched out.
‘Old habits, Falk – old habits!’
Falk slammed the door. It was a good job it was made of shatter-proof glass.
***
Gavin Rennie QC greeted Dunbar with an oily half-smile, as he entered the interview room.
‘Ah, Chief Inspector.’
‘Mr Rennie.’ Neither man offered their hand in greeting.
‘How’s Elspeth? Still enjoying the fruits of my labours?’
‘Pressed, corked and maturing nicely thank you. And reaping an annual bumper harvest of her own these days as well,’ Dunbar replied.
‘So I hear. Dear Elspeth, a rare vintage indeed. Speaking of the undeserving, my client is –’
‘Is being released without charge,’ Dunbar interrupted. He had no sooner said it, when the door opened and an unshaven and unkempt looking Doc Monaghan was shown in, wearing a T-shirt, sweat-pants and flip-flops. He locked eyes with Dunbar as he shook hands with Rennie.
‘The Chief Inspector has authorised your immediate release, Gordon,’ Rennie announced, as if having just conjured some sort of legal miracle.
A Deviant Breed (DCI Alec Dunbar series) Page 20
