The Innocent and the Dead
Page 20
Allan said, ‘You’re under arrest, son,’ he said, then walked Bright to the rear of the car and bundled him inside.
Meanwhile, Green picked up the bags and went to the boot and opened it. He lifted the bags inside, checking the supermarket carrier first. As expected, it contained an assortment of high-tech gadgets: iPads, cameras, laptops and mobile phones.
He then turned his attention to the holdall, which was secured by a zipper. He unfastened it, opened the flaps, then had a sharp intake of breath.
‘Jesus Christ!’ he said.
* * *
Knox spent a greater part of the week tracking Blair’s movements. He discovered the kidnapper had leased the house at Joppa four months earlier, paying six months’ rent in advance. He had given a false name and address to the property’s owners, but a check of the Old College records found his actual address had been a boarding house in Leith.
A further check revealed he had been born in Linlithgow, where his parents still lived. Knox and Fulton had driven there and interviewed the couple, who told the officers they hadn’t seen their son in two years.
Knox inputted the last of this information into the police database before lunch, and had just returned to his desk when the telephone rang.
‘Knox,’ he said.
The switchboard operator, Sergeant Dave Knowles, answered: ‘Call for you from DI Bert Fraser at Callander, Jack.’
Knox frowned. ‘Callander?’ he said. ‘Okay, Dave, put him through.’
A moment later, a voice said, ‘Hello, is that DI Jack Knox?’
‘Aye,’ Knox said. ‘Speaking.’
‘It’s about the Tavener kidnap case, Jack,’ Fraser said. ‘We’ve found the ransom money.’
‘The ransom money?’ Knox said. ‘Where?’
‘A couple of my officers were keeping tabs on a man called Bright this morning,’ Fraser said. ‘He’s been nicking stuff from a caravan park at Loch Lomond. They caught him leaving a caravan with a holdall stuffed with used twenties. £97,620 to be exact. I ran a check on the PNC. It flagged up your case.’
‘The holdall was inside the caravan?’ Knox said.
‘Aye. Bright says he found it stuffed under one of the beds.’
‘The occupants,’ Knox said. ‘They’re still there?’
‘Yes,’ Fraser said. ‘I’ve had a word with Noel Clifford, the site manager. The renters are a man and woman. Arrived on Saturday 19 May, booked until tomorrow. He tells me they’re in the habit of leaving around 9am, not usually back till five. Apparently, the guy’s into fishing. Staff have seen him load his car with rods, waders and the like.’
Knox glanced at his watch and saw it was just after two. ‘So, they’re not back yet?’
‘No,’ Fraser said. ‘I’ve posted officers with instructions to let me know if they come back earlier.’
‘Sounds like the pair we’re looking for,’ Knox said. ‘Look, Bert, I’d like to come up. I’m not sure about officers watching the caravan, though. I don’t want to scare them off.’
‘Don’t worry, Jack,’ Fraser said. ‘My men are in civvies. We’re keeping the surveillance discreet.’
‘Good,’ Knox said. ‘What’s the name of the site?’
‘Highland Vacation Parks,’ Fraser said. ‘But don’t concern yourself with the location. Give me a bell when you’re approaching Callander. I’ll give you an escort.’
‘Thanks, Bert,’ Knox said. ‘Be with you within a couple of hours.’
‘Okay,’ Fraser said. ‘See you then.’
Knox replaced the receiver, then tapped Fulton on the shoulder. ‘Come on, Bill,’ he said. ‘We’re taking a wee drive.’
* * *
Traffic on the M9 was light, and Knox covered the fifty-four miles in an hour and twenty minutes. Knox rang Fraser on approach and found the officer’s blue Mondeo waiting for him as he drove into Callander.
Another twenty-five-minute drive brought them to Highland Vacation Parks, situated on the shores of Loch Lomond. Knox followed Fraser into the site, who drove to the spot where Allan and Green had parked earlier.
Knox drove alongside the Mondeo, then Fraser wound down the window and indicated the caravan on the left of the clearing. ‘I’ve a dozen plain-clothes men situated nearby,’ he said. ‘If Blair tries to make a run for it, he won’t get far.’
Knox nodded. ‘What make of car is he driving, do you know?’
‘The staff told us it was a beige Volvo,’ Fraser said.
* * *
Knox checked his watch when Blair’s Volvo drove into the site and stopped alongside the caravan: 4.35pm.
The officers in both cars waited until Blair and his sister got out of the Volvo and went inside, then started their vehicles and drove the short distance to the clearing. The detectives exited their cars and Knox had reached the foot of the steps when the door opened and Blair faced him. The kidnapper looked beyond Knox and saw Fraser and Fulton, then heard his sister say, ‘Alistair, there are four men on the other side of the caravan.’
Blair gave the detectives a sardonic look, then said, ‘Three on this side, too, Sis, and I’m guessing there are others.’
‘Alistair Blair?’ Knox said.
Blair stepped down and said, ‘You gonna read me my rights?’
‘No, not here,’ Knox said. ‘Suffice to say, though, you’re under arrest.’
Claudia Wright appeared at his back, then a woman PC stepped forward and took her into custody.
‘I see the money’s been taken, then,’ Blair said to Knox. ‘Who tipped you off?’
‘A chap called Thomas Bright,’ Knox said.
‘Thomas Bright?’ Blair said. ‘I don’t know anyone by that name.’
‘No?’ Knox said. ‘Funny that. You’ve something in common.’
Blair gave a sarcastic sneer. ‘Really?’ he said. ‘What’s that?’
‘Greed,’ Knox said.
* * *
Blair and Wright were taken back to Gayfield Square, charged, then remanded in custody. After the charges had been processed, Knox realised he’d left his mobile phone in his car and went outside to retrieve it.
As he activated the remote locking, Mason drove into the parking space behind. She got out, walked around to the nearside, and opened the passenger door. ‘I hear you got Blair, then?’ she said.
Knox nodded. ‘And pretty much all of the money.’
Mason grinned. ‘Warburton will be pleased,’ she said.
Knox grinned back. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘He’s been walking around with a smile on his face since Tavener dropped his complaint. This’ll definitely make his week.’
Mason opened the passenger door and a small, clear package fell out.
Knox picked it up and Mason took it.
Knox said, ‘What’s that?’
Mason put the package in the glove box and closed the car door. ‘What does it look like?’ she said, smiling.
‘A track suit,’ Knox said.
‘Then that’s what it is.’
‘A track suit, you? I thought you hated exercise?’
Mason shrugged. ‘Oh, I dunno,’ she said. ‘There’s a fella I know who invited me for a run last weekend. I didn’t get around to accepting. Thought he might ask me again.’
‘This fella,’ Knox said. ‘You’d be spending the night with him?’
Mason nodded. ‘Of course.’
Knox turned to go back inside, then glanced at her over his shoulder. ‘Then you’ve nothing to worry about,’ he said. ‘He’d be daft not to ask you.’
The End
More fiction by Robert McNeill
Coming soon:
MURDER AT FLOOD TIDE
Book 2 of the DI Jack Knox mysteries
Sign up to our mailing list to hear about the release!
Other titles of interest
If you enjoy Scottish crime fiction, check out the best-selling nine-book series by Pete Brassett featuring DI James Munro and DS Charlotte West.
DI Munro is a burly Scottish poli
ceman who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. DS West is an intelligent young woman, new to the force, with a lot to prove. When a missing person case lands on their desks, Munro is sceptical there is much to it but before long, a body is found.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07SNV579K/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078MKVVJ5/
FREE BOOKS IN YOUR INBOX
As a thank-you to our readers, we regularly run free book promotions and discounted deals for a limited time. To hear about these and about new fiction releases, just sign up to our newsletter:
www.thebookfolks.com/newsletter/