The policeman knew that he should have surrendered the pass on the morning before, but he had kept it out of devilment, as a personal security check.
He stepped into one of the waiting lifts and rode it to the fifth floor. David Hewlett, looking as serious as ever, was in his office, with his assistant and his clerk. He was a thin man, in his middle thirties, with receding fair hair and a domelike forehead.
'Morning, Dave,' said Skinner. 'I thought I'd paid my last visit here. Any idea yet what the panic is?'
Hewlett shook his head. 'I haven't been told. Bob,' he replied, sounding concerned and more than a little offended at having been left in the dark. 'S of S came in this morning from Bute House at eight fifteen, a little later than usual. He instructed me to call you, and two other people, and to ask you in particular to be here at ten sharp.'
'Two others?' Skinner repeated, curious.
'They've been here since nine fifteen, with a fourth person.'
'Who are they?'
Hewlett's natural frown deepened even more. 'I'm not allowed to say, Bob. I'm even disobeying orders by having this conversation. S
of S told me to say nothing to you when you arrived, but to send you down to Committee Room One, on the third floor.'
'Fucking nonsense!' Skinner growled, exasperated. 'Time I sorted this lot out. Thanks, Dave. I think I'l go and paper the walls with your boss. I've half a mind to charge him with wasting police time.'
He left the small office and took the stairs down to the third floor.
He thought about knocking on the door of Committee Room One, but with a muttered 'Bugger it!' under his breath he opened the door and strode inside.
Four people were waiting, seated with their backs to the window, facing the door, and a single empty chair. The detective scanned them, from left to right.
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Council or MarciaTopham: the usual slightly overawed expression worn by the Police Board Chair had been replaced by one of pure fright.
Lord Archibald ofAlva, the Lord Advocate, Scotland's senior law officer: Archie Nelson, QC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates until his ennoblement, and an old friend, now sat staring at him impassively as he entered.
Dr BruceAnderson: the Secretary of State for Scotland sat staring grimly at a folder on the desk before him.
Sir James Proud: the Chief Constable sat ashen-faced, more shocked than his deputy had ever seen him.
As he stared across the table Skinner felt a mixture of apprehension and anger wel ing up within him. As usual, anger won.
'What the bloody hell is this, Dr Anderson?' he said: not quite a shout, but close to it. 'You and I severed our links yesterday, I think.'
The Secretary of State looked up and shook his head. 'Not quite,'
he replied. 'I still have certain powers and responsibilities over police officers of executive rank. Until now, I've never had to use them. I hoped it would never be necessary.'
He stopped. 'Oh sit down, Bob, please. This is difficult enough for us al , without you eyeing us up as if you're deciding who you're going to set about first.'
Skinner took hold of his temper, and sat in the vacant chair.
'Right,' he retorted. 'But I warn you now, if this is about my private life . . .'
The Secretary of State shook his head. Lord Archibald sighed.
Marcia Topham whimpered slightly. Proud Jimmy moaned.
'It isn't, Bob,' replied Anderson. 'I only wish it was.
'At quarter to eight this morning, an envelope was delivered to Bute House, my official residence in Charlotte Square. It contained a serious al egation against you, and documents pertaining to it. As soon as I had read them, I cal ed the Lord Advocate.'
Skinner's eyes narrowed. 'What is this al egation?' he asked quietly.
'It concerns corruption.' The Secretary of State turned to Lord Archibald. 'Archie, would you, please?'
The Law Officer nodded. 'Bob, we've al discussed this prior to your arrival. We're shocked by the al egation which has been made, and every one of us is loath to believe it. But if there is anything in it, we feel that it is only right to give you an opportunity to explain it at this stage.
'Consequently, I have to ask you one question. Do you admit to having a personal account in the Guernsey branch of the JZG Bank?'
The policeman stared at him across the table. 'What the hell is the JZG Bank?'
'It's a smal private bank based in Liechtenstein, with branches in 144
Guernsey and in the Cayman Islands. Now please give me a direct answer to my question.'
Skinner drew a hard, deep, snorting, impatient breath. 'No, Archie, I do not have a personal account there or in any other Channel Island bank.'
'Then we have a problem, Bob, because the Secretary of State has been given evidence that you do, and that you have a significant amount of cash there.'
'That's preposterous,' Skinner protested. 'I'm reasonably well off, but I don't have bank accounts that I've forgotten about. I demand to be told the detail of the al egation made against me and to be shown the evidence that's been presented.'
'In due course, Deputy Chief Constable,' said Bruce Anderson, suddenly formal in tone. 'However, in the light of the information which has been put before me, I must first formal y suspend you from duty. I must advise you also that I shal be requesting senior officers from a force outside Scotland to conduct an independent enquiry into these matters.'
Skinner felt the blood drain from his face.
'Secretary of State,' he interrupted, 'did your information come from an anonymous source?'
The Minister looked across at him. 'No. The donor of the material identified himself
'Would I be right in supposing that your source is Noel Salmon, of the SpotlightT
'Yes, you'd be correct.'
'And you're putting a senior police officer's career and reputation on the line on the word of that disreputable wee man, are you?'
Lord Archibald replied. 'Bob, you know that we wouldn't do that.
I'm sorry, but they have given us material in support of the al egation.'
'Then let me see it, please, Archie.'
'In due course,' said the Lord Advocate. 'Look, I want to help you clear your name here. We all do. But the Secretary of State can play no favourites. Two senior officers, a Deputy Chief Constable and a Chief Superintendent, are already on their way here from Manchester to begin enquiries into the allegations against you.
'I think it would be best for you to go away and arrange legal representation. Once you've done that, the visiting officers and I will meet with you and your solicitor, and we will show you the material which we hold.' He stopped abruptly, looking down at the table for a second or two.
'The Secretary of State has decided,' he continued, 'and I'm afraid that I have to agree with him, that while the investigation is in progress you should not take part in any police activity. That's why you have to be formal y suspended from duty.
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'You shouldn't enter Fettes or any other police office, for any purpose not related to your defence against the accusation. Furthermore, I have to counsel you most strongly against conducting any personal investigation.
'The visiting officers will have the brief of enquiring and reporting to me and to me alone. If you approach anyone to whom they wish to speak, you could make yourself vulnerable to accusations of intimidation. And believe me, Bob, that's the last thing you need.'
'Archie,' said Skinner, evenly. 'I'l do what you say, but if that wee shit Salmon approaches me, then you can be damn sure I'l intimidate him.'
'Salmon wil be advised not to approach you,' said Lord Archibald, reassuringly. 'We can't order him of course: sub judice rules don't
apply at this stage, as you know. But we can warn him of the dangers of interfering with a police inquiry.'
'That's al very well,' said Skinner, 'but why should my hands be tied behind my back? If you can't prevent Salmon from approaching me, how the hell can you justif
y forbidding me from making my own enquiries into accusations against me? If that's what you're saying, then I'd prefer you to charge me with corruption right now. If the al egations are the subject of criminal proceedings, then no-one can publish till the case comes to court, and my team will have the right of access to the prosecution witnesses.'
'Christ, Bob,' spluttered the former Archie Nelson, 'the last thing I want is to charge you with anything.'
He paused as he considered what Skinner had said. 'I take your point, though. Look, let's have an understanding. You stay away from witnesses personally, but your lawyers can approach them. Deal?'
The policeman surprised the Lord Advocate by smiling: an open smile, but with something devious lurking behind it. 'You've got a deal, M'Lud,' he said. 'The first thing I'm going to do, though, is look for an injunction preventing the Spotlight from publishing any of his crap.'
The smile vanished as he turned towards the Secretary of State.
'As for you, DrAnderson, be aware that I'm going to seek advice on the possibility of raising an injunction against you, and having my suspension lifted.'
'You can but try,' said the Secretary of State.
'Before you do, though, Bob,' Lord Archibald interrupted, 'you should be aware that the Court would require you to show good cause why it should injunct.You would be forced to present strong defences against the evidence. In effect, you would be putting yourself on trial without time to prepare, and based on what I've seen this morning, I have to tell you that I believe you would lose.
'Please, my friend, go and consult your lawyers, quickly, then bring 146
them to Crown Office, and I'll meet you with the Manchester people.
Let's make it two thirty. I'l arrange for you to use the back door, to avoid the media. They'l be keeping an eye on the entrance as soon as this goes public.'
Skinner smiled again. 'I appreciate the courtesy, Archie, but bol ocks to it. I've never sneaked in the tradesman's entrance in my life, and I'm damned if I will now. The media have tons of shots of me on file. A few more won't make any difference.'
He nodded across the table. 'Thank you, Secretary of State. The next time we meet, I'l accept your apology.'
The big policeman stood up, with the briefest of nods to his Chief Constable, and walked out of the room. Outside, in the corridor, he stood at the lift doors for a few seconds, then headed for the stairs.
He stood on the first landing and waited. A few seconds later, Sir James Proud, puffing and blowing, crashed through the double doors.
'Bob, I.. .'
Skinner held up a hand. 'Jimmy, before you say anything: whatever it is that Anderson has on me, I swear to you that I know nothing about any Guernsey money, and that I have never in my life accepted as much as a bent penny.'
'You don't have to tell me that, son. Come on, let's walk.' Side by side they descended the wide stairway. 'Archie will show you the papers later,' said Proud, 'but they've got documentary evidence of an account in your name in this JZG Bank, opened a few months back, in the middle of the Jackie Charles investigation.'
'How much?'
'One hundred thousand.'
'Jesus. But, Jimmy, anyone could open an account in the name of Robert Skinner. I'm not unique. Why should they think it's me?'
Proud shook his head. 'It's not in anyone's name. It's a numbered account, but Anderson said that there was potential evidence which shows that you're the knowing beneficiary. It's a high-interest, long-access job.'
'What bloody evidence can he have? It's all nonsense.'
'I don't know what he has - Anderson wouldn't tell me - but I think it's pretty serious. I tried to get him to stop short of immediate suspension, but he told me that in his view the supportive evidence made it essential.'
Skinner looked round at his friend as they emerged once more into the cold, barren entrance hal . 'I tell you one thing, Jimmy. For our Secretary of State's sake, he'd better pray he's on solid ground.
Because if he's playing politics with my reputation again, he'll find it giving way beneath his feet.'
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45
'Andy, it's me. Listen careful y. I want you to find Pam. There's some pretty shocking news you're going to have to break to her.'
'Where are you, Bob? I know you can't be in the building, to have come through on this line.'
'I'm in Mitch Laidlaw's office, with Mitch, and with Alex. Now shut up and listen.'
Speedily, Skinner told Martin of his summons to meet the Secretary of State, and of his encounter in Committee Room One.
'Anderson set it up as a real Star Chamber,' he said as he finished,
'roping in Archie Nelson, with Jimmy and the Topham woman as his official observers.
'The bastard didn't have to play it like that. He could have called me in and shown me his evidence informal y; given me the chance to knock it on the head before setting up this very public inquiry.
This is the second Secretary of State who's crossed me up, Andy. I tell you, if I can, I'll see to it that he goes the same way as the other one.'
'Sure, Bob, but get yourself off the hook before you start to get even. Why's he cal ed in officers from England?'
'He's got to have at least a DCC in charge. I know all the chiefs and deputies in Scotland, so I guess he figured he had to be seen to be setting up an impartial inquiry.'
Martin snorted. 'So he's saying in effect that he has no faith in the honesty of any chief officer in Scotland.'
'That's one way of looking at it. In fact it's a point I should have made to the bugger myself. Tell you what. Have a word with Royston, and ask him, when this thing goes public, to try and work that line into the media coverage tomorrow. I smell another Scotsman leader coming on!'
'When will it go public?'
'Any minute now, I should think. Anderson won't hang about. So please, get hold of Pam, and tell her, before she hears it on the radio.
Then you'd better call Scott Rolland for me. Tell him that Pam'll take the Falkirk job, before he changes his mind and withdraws the offer.'
'Okay. Look Bob, I can't think of anything to say, except good luck.'
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'Thanks, mate, but I don't need luck. I'm innocent, remember.'
He hung up and turned to face Mitchell Laidlaw. The chambers of Curie, Anthony and Jarvis were in one of Edinburgh's newest and grandest office developments, with a fine outlook across the Castle Rock and up to Princes Street. Laidlaw's room enjoyed the best of it.
It was furnished comfortably rather than opulently, but left visitors in no doubt that they were in the nerve centre of one of the country's leading professional firms.
'So, Mitch,' said Skinner. 'I know your firm doesn't get involved in criminal work as a rule, but nonetheless, wil you take me on?'
'Of course we wil . Bob,' nodded the ruddy-faced lawyer, looking more rotund than ever in his high-backed leather chair. 'From what you've told me this isn't really a criminal inquiry anyway. It's a sort of a half-breed, set up by the Secretary of State rather than the Lord Advocate, even if it does report to him.'
'I take it that Anderson has the power to do that?' the policeman asked.
Laidlaw smiled broadly across at Alex, who sat by the side of his twin-pillared partner's desk. 'What do you think, Ms Skinner?' he asked.
Alex flushed slightly, thought for a few moments, then launched into her reply. 'Basically,' she said, 'the Secretary of State can do what he bloody well likes unless statute or the courts tell him differently.
'From what we know of the way this investigation's been set up, I'd say that you could probably chal enge its validity before just about any Scottish judge and win the day. But what would that achieve?
You would be seen as trying to frustrate investigation of the complaint against you, and at the end of the day, Anderson would simply turn the papers over to the Lord Advocate and back off himself.
'So any court victory would be Pyrrhic. It would result in you becoming t
he subject of a ful -scale criminal investigation, and possibly even liable to arrest at a fairly early stage. That's what I think.'
'Couldn't have put it better myself,' said Laidlaw. 'Of course, if you could establish malice against you by Anderson, there might be grounds for another form of action. Is there a chance of that?'
Skinner shook his head. 'I can't say so, honestly. Andersen's just covering his arse, playing to his back-benchers.' He snorted. 'If there's any malice in evidence, it's borne by me towards him.'
Laidlaw spluttered. 'Let's not repeat that outside this room.' He swung round in his chair and leaned across the desk. 'Right, Bob.
I'l handle this matter personal y, with an assistant.'
The policeman nodded, and pointed towards his daughter. 'Yes,'
he said, 'and she's sat there. I promised Archie that I wouldn't go 149
near any potential witnesses myself. But I want them to know who they're dealing with.'
'Pops,' Alex intervened. 'Are you sure about this?'
Mitch Laidlaw raised a hand. 'If he isn't, I am. I don't see anything wrong with a bit of personal involvement in these circumstances.
Also, if this does require detailed investigation by us ... well something of your father must have rubbed off on you!
'One other thing,' he said. 'It may be helpful if we engage counsel at some point. Do you have any preferences, Bob?'
Skinner rocked his head back and stared for a while at the dappled ceiling, as if racking his brains. At last he looked back across the desk. 'You might think her daft, but of all the people currently available, the best criminal silk who ever cross-examined me is dear old Christabel Innes Dawson, QC.
'I often thought that if I was really in the shit, there's no-one at the Bar I'd rather have on my side. Wel I am now, she's stil listed as a practising member, and she stil has all her marbles.'
Laidlaw smiled. 'I've never instructed her,' he said, 'but I remember seeing her in action, when I was a student. A terrifying sight in ful cry, as I recal . If you want her, I'l have a word with her clerk today, to put down a warning marker.
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