by Lesley Kelly
Bill did not clarify the situation with his colleagues.
Cat never got back in touch.
And Mona never, ever, wrote poetry again.
Mona sat on a bench in the Meadows. The trip to CID had been so annoying she didn’t want to go home to her flat and brood on it. She might as well sulk here. A young man on roller skates nearly ran over her feet. She jumped up and shouted after him, but he didn’t stop. Tugging back her sleeve, she checked her watch, debating whether to go home. It wasn’t getting any warmer, and she wasn’t achieving anything here. A small growl from her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t yet eaten. Food. A good idea. She shouldered her bag, and headed off in the direction of sustenance.
8
By the time Bernard had reached the top of Morley’s stairs, the man Maitland had been chasing had disappeared. Bernard found it hard to believe he could have vanished so quickly. Maitland appeared to think the same, as he stepped out into the road to make sure their quarry wasn’t hiding behind a car. Scanning the pavement, Bernard suddenly spotted him coming out of an alleyway.
‘Are you Donny?’
Maitland came bounding over and put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
‘Health Status card, please.’
‘What?’
Without letting go of the man Maitland pulled his ID card and flashed it at him. ‘Under the Health Enforcement Act we have the right to stop and ascertain the Health Status of any individual. Health Status card, please.’
The man shook Maitland’s hand off his arm. Some punters walked past, heading for Morley’s and when Bernard stood to one side to let them by, he bumped into Maitland, who dropped his ID card. Their captive saw his opportunity and took to his heels.
‘Nice one, Bernard.’
Maitland set off in pursuit. Bernard picked up Maitland’s ID and stood watching for a minute, before realising that he should probably be assisting.
Donny was fast but from what Bernard could see Maitland seemed to be keeping up with him. He expected Donny to duck down an alley, or at least dodge through a few back streets, but instead he stayed on a relentlessly straight line.
Bernard picked up his pace as he saw Maitland dis appearing into Leith Links. Alarm bells were going in his head. Donny hadn’t tried to shake them off. Perhaps this was a trap, and they were being lured into the gloom of the Links for a good kicking. Bernard hesitated for a second at the edge of the grass, then went in.
He walked slowly through the trees, keeping an eye out on all sides, and nearly ran straight into Maitland. His teammate silently raised a finger and pointed. Bernard followed his gaze, and was surprised to see their target sitting on a park bench. Donny saw them but didn’t move. It crossed Bernard’s mind that the barman might have a gun or knife on him. As if he had read his mind, Donny raised both his hands in a gesture of surrender.
‘Sorry, guys, I just didn’t want to talk to you at work.’
‘Bullshit.’
‘No, really. I guessed you’d find me sooner or later.’ Donny looked up. ‘I expect you want to see Colette.’
Maitland and Bernard sat down next to him, one on either side. Bernard was happy to note he was considerably less out of breath than his colleague.‘We certainly do. So, care to tell us why Colette missed her Health Check?’ asked Maitland.
‘Not really my place, is it?’ Donny pulled out a packet of fags. He offered Bernard one, was refused, and lit up himself without offering Maitland one.
‘Maybe not,’ Maitland said, ‘but you’ll be helping both of you, seeing as she’s committing a criminal offence by missing her Health Check, and you’re committing a criminal offence by harbouring a Health Defaulter.’
Donny blew out a long puff of smoke, but didn’t answer. Maitland sighed, his impatience barely contained. ‘Is Colette your girlfriend?’
Donny snorted. ‘I wish!’
Bernard had thought Colette was out of Donny’s league, and felt something almost like pleasure that he was right, swiftly followed by guilt. Just because his love life was falling apart didn’t mean he should be taking pleasure in Donny’s unrequited love.
Maitland didn’t appear to share Bernard’s concern for Donny’s feelings. ‘Yeah, she’s way too good-looking for you.’
‘How did you meet her?’ Bernard asked.
Donny stubbed his cigarette out on the side of his shoe. ‘She started coming into the bar when Vic opened up the back room to that prick of a minister a couple of months back.’
‘Pastor Mackenzie.’ Maitland snorted.
Bernard smiled to himself. It appeared that Donny and Maitland were in agreement about something.
‘Yeah, that’s him. So Colette and I got talking and I hung out a bit with her and her pals.’
‘So, she was a regular attender at the services?’
‘Oh, yeah, I don’t think she ever missed one.’
‘Is Colette in some kind of trouble?’
Donny said something so quietly that Bernard couldn’t hear.
‘What did you say?’
‘She’s worried she might be pregnant.’
‘Yours?’ Maitland leaned forward.
Donny snorted but didn’t answer.
‘I thought her and her pals don’t do sex before marriage,’ Maitland said.
‘She doesn’t. She didn’t . . .’ Donny pulled out another fag. He lit up and took a long drag. ‘It wasn’t consensual.’
There was a silence while the two of them took this information in.
‘She was raped?’ asked Bernard, quietly.
‘Yeah.’
‘Who . . .?’
‘Who do you think? That back room’s been full of pretty girls since the Church opened. Good-looking, naïve lassies.’
Bernard and Maitland exchanged a glance.
‘Pastor Mackenzie raped Colette?’
‘Donny?’
He gave the slightest of nods.
‘Right, on your feet.’ Maitland stood up. ‘Time to go see Colette.’
Donny stayed seated, but got to his feet sharpish when Maitland grabbed his arm. The three of them walked back to the side of the Links.
‘So, where is she?’ Maitland stuck his hand out and hailed a passing taxi, which pulled in in front of them.
Donny didn’t reply, but climbed into the cab. ‘Albert Street, pal.’ He tapped on the driver’s window then threw himself into the back seat.
Maitland nabbed the other window seat. ‘Your flat? That’s your secret hideaway?’
Bernard debated whether to squeeze in between them, then opted for the pull-down chair.
‘Was she there when we called round this morning?’ Maitland asked. ‘No wonder your flatmate was so keen to send us off on a wild goose chase.’
The taxi pulled away, and Bernard nearly fell off his perch. He grabbed the hand rail. ‘Does your flatmate know that he committed an offence this morning by lying about Colette?’
Donny turned back to face them. ‘Give me a break. I’m helping now, aren’t I?’
‘Why didn’t you help in the first place?’
He shrugged. ‘Colette needed a bit of time to decide what to do, if she is up the duff.’
‘Colette could still have attended her Health Check even though she was expecting, you know.’
‘No way, man,’ said Donny. ‘Everyone knows what you lot do to pregnant lassies if they get the Virus.’
Bernard was appalled. ‘We give them the best possible hospital care.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Donny looked at him. ‘You’d make her abort it. Fact.’
The taxi turned across Leith Walk and into Albert Street.
‘This do you?’ The taxi driver double-parked, and turned round to face them.
‘Cheers.’ Maitland offered a twenty pound note through the hole in the glass. ‘Want to make the receipt out for ten?’
‘Right you are.’
Donny reached for the door. Instinctively, Bernard grabbed his arm to stop him climbing out, th
en released his grip when the barman glared at him.
‘Easy there, pal.’
Maitland pushed past them both, and they followed Donny into the tenement with the broken door. The smell in the stair made Bernard gag, and he did his best not to draw breath.
Donny bounded up the stairs, and unlocked the door to the flat. They followed him into the half-painted hallway.
‘Colette? Are you awake?’
The question hung in the air, without a response.
‘Colette?’
Donny pushed open the door to reveal his unlit room. He flicked the light switch on and went in, with the HET officers trailing in his wake. Bernard looked around. It was tidier than before, with the books that had been littered across the floor stacked neatly, and the clothes tidied up into a pile. Someone had also taken the time to make the bed, and lying slap on the middle of the duvet was an envelope.
Donny snatched it up, and read the letter while they watched.
‘What does it say?’ asked Maitland.
‘Read it for yourself.’
Bernard scanned the letter.
‘Sorry I’ve been so much trouble, Donny. I’ve taken the test and it is bad news. I know I can’t stay here any longer so I’ve gone somewhere I feel safe. Thank you so much for everything. Love, Colette.’
‘So, she is pregnant.’ Donny sank down onto the mattress. ‘Crap.’
9
Mona stood in the relative shelter of the trees that surrounded the Meadows and stared up at Amanda’s flat. She’d had a decent feed in a vegetarian restaurant in the heart of student land. The meal had warmed her, but the temperature was dropping now, and she wasn’t really dressed for surveillance.
A man walking past caught sight of her, his curiosity aroused by a woman loitering in the woodland. His eyes dropped toward her feet, obviously expecting to see a dog being walked. She moved purposefully along, and the man kept walking. A dog would have been great cover. Maybe she should suggest that to the Guv – the HET should have a part-share in some kind of animal that would give them the opportunity to loiter in parks without drawing attention to themselves. But that would involve some complicated conversations with her boss about why she was on a solo, unauthorised stake-out.Why was she here? What was she expecting to see? Heidi sneaking back into her own home? Kevin coming round to pick up his stuff? Or, was it just a pathetic attempt to fool herself that she wasn’t really here just on the off-chance that she had another reason to go and visit Amanda?
The lights were on in the living room, and every so often Mona caught sight of a figure moving about. Could she go up and see her? Sure, it was late for HET business, but she was convinced Amanda knew something, either consciously or unconsciously, that would help to trace Heidi. But arriving unannounced at this hour would look pretty heavy-handed.
She stamped her feet to keep warm, then decided it was time to go home. She bent down to pick up her rucksack, and stood back up just in time to see the curtains in the flat being pulled shut. She only had a brief glance of the figure doing the drawing, more an impression than a real look, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t Amanda. In fact, she was certain the figure she saw was male.
WEDNESDAY
WELCOME TO THE RAILWAY TAVERN
1
The pink fluffy book sat where he’d left it on Mona’s desk the previous night. Bernard stopped next to her workspace and dropped his bag to the floor. He placed his cup down on a clear patch between two collections of files while he leafed through the journal again. Some of the coffee splashed onto a document; he rubbed at it absent-mindedly with his coat cuff as he worked his way through the entries, looking for evidence to support his theory.
‘Have you been here all night?’
‘Mona, hi.’
She stared back, unsmiling.
‘I just got here.’ He got quickly to his feet. ‘Sorry, thought I’d have another look.’
‘Be my guest.’ Mona shrugged her coat off and hung it over the back of her chair. He took this as a hint to return to his own desk.
‘Anyway, Bernard, last night I drove past Amanda’s, just to see if there was any sign of life, and I’m pretty sure I saw some bloke in her living room.’
‘Kevin?’
‘Don’t know. Maybe, anyway, I need caffeine inside me before I do any thinking.’
Bernard picked up his bag, and stood for a second with it hanging from his fingers.
‘Mona?’
‘Uh-huh?’ She was rifling through her bag and didn’t look up.
‘I’ve got a theory about some of the stuff in the diaries.’Finally locating her purse, she straightened up. ‘Well, save that thought, and tell me when I get back from the canteen.’
‘But . . .’
‘Seriously, Bernard, I can’t take anything in until I’ve got a coffee inside me.’
Bernard settled into his chair, and after a minute’s deliberation, picked up his copy of The Plague and started reading. Most of the first chapter revolved around dying rats, which made Bernard feel slightly nauseous. He was on his third page of dead rodents when Paterson swept into the office.
‘Team meeting, five minutes’ time.’ He stopped in front of him. ‘Bernard, do your reading on your own time. We’ve got a Missing Person Inquiry here.’
He waved the book at his boss’s retreating figure. ‘It’s research.’
Paterson ignored him, and Bernard followed him into his office. ‘And have we, though?’
The Team Leader stopped ladling coffee into his Lothian and Borders mug and looked up in irritation. ‘“Have we though” what?’
‘Have we got a Missing Person Inquiry?’ He could feel himself wilting under Paterson’s gaze, but he kept going. ‘Heidi’s not a Missing Person, is she? She’s a Health Check No Show. If she was a Missing Person the Police . . .’
‘Would be investigating.’
His boss poured boiling water into his mug, grabbing a piece of paper from his desk to mop up the overflow. Bernard caught sight of the words ‘Parliamentary Committee’ and hoped Paterson wasn’t using an important document as a dishrag.
‘It would just be nice, Brains, to have one meeting where we didn’t end up debating, what’s the word . . .?’
‘Semantics?’
‘What am I missing?’ Maitland appeared in the doorway, followed by Mona.
‘Nothing, just Bernard nipping my head as usual.’ He shooed them back into the outer office and pulled up a seat facing their desks.
Bernard went on standing in the doorway. ‘It’s just that I’m not sure that the Police shouldn’t actually be investigating . . .’
‘Bernard, shove that book up your arse and shut up. Now what do we know?’
Bernard opened his mouth to argue but caught Mona’s eye. She gave a tiny shake of her head, so he admitted defeat and resumed his place.
‘Mona, what have we got?’
She consulted the handwritten notes she had balanced on her knees. ‘OK, Guv, interview with the parents didn’t turn up much. Spoke to her flatmate – very nice flat, by the way – who gave us the runaround, said she didn’t know much about Heidi, then changed her story and said they were pals.’
‘Interesting,’ said Paterson.
‘Yeah, and it gets better. Heidi’s got a boyfriend who’s been staying there, parents don’t know about him . . .’
‘Well, there you go,’ Paterson chipped in. ‘She’s off somewhere with the bloke.’
Mona looked unconvinced. ‘Possibly. But Heidi’s been buying Luprophen and Hyrdosol over the Internet.’
‘Why?’ Paterson frowned.
‘A conspiracy theory, Guv. They think these drugs can ward off the Virus.’
‘Idiots. So, where are they selling the stuff?’
‘Her diary identified that she frequented Morley’s . . .’
Paterson snorted. ‘That figures.’
‘Which we’ve checked out, and the Railway Tavern which, bizarrely, doesn’t appear to exist.’
Bernard raised his hand. ‘I’ve been thinking about that.’
Mona and Paterson both looked at him with vexed expressions.
‘What are you thinking?’ said Paterson, with barely disguised impatience.
‘Well, remember that TV programme about the policeman who goes back in time and ends up in the 1970s, and there’s a huge culture clash, which is in no way relevant here . . .’
Maitland snorted with laughter, then shut up quickly when he saw Paterson’s face.
‘Anyway, in the programme there’s a pub called the Railway Arms, which isn’t real but is actually a representation of Heaven . . .’
‘Bernard, I swear to God if you do not stop talking . . .’
He held his hand up again, both in an attempt to placate his boss and also to get to the end of his sentence. ‘Just let me finish – which made me think, what if the Railway Tavern isn’t an actual place but is really a symbol? And then there are references in the diary to Dr Beeching . . .’
