“At least,” I agreed.
I didn’t want to call Alec while I was driving since I needed to focus solely on the conversation, so as soon as I found a small park with a couple of empty benches studding the grass, I pulled over, and Fletcher and I got out of the car once again.
We made our way over to one of the benches and sat down just as a jogger ran past on the dirt path just behind us. I took the paper with Alec’s number on it from my pocket and unfolded it so I could see Ainslee’s large, looping handwriting.
“Here goes nothing,” I said as I keyed the number into my phone.
I hit the call button and put it on speaker as well so Fletcher would be able to hear, and she shifted a couple of inches closer to me, bracing her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand as she leaned over the phone to listen.
The device rang for a long time, so long that I grew worried it was going to go straight to voicemail, but then the call clicked as someone answered it, and Alec MacGowan’s voice came through the line.
“Hello?” he said, and his voice was so full of hope and anxiety that I felt bad I was about to dash his hopes of hearing from Ainslee.
“Mr MacGowan. It’s DCI MacBain,” I said.
There was silence on the other line for so long that I thought Alec had hung up or had maybe just dropped the phone to run away. I didn’t say anything else, though. I just waited for him to speak so I wouldn’t spook him any further than he no doubt already was.
“DCI MacBain,” Alec said finally, my name stuffed full of no small amount of suspicion and anxiety. “Is Ainslee okay? How did you get this number?”
“Ainslee is fine,” I assured him. Of course, he’d assume that I was calling because something bad had happened to his ex-wife, just like she’d assumed the same about him when I contacted her. “We were just with her. She gave me this number.”
“You were just with her?” Alec interrupted before I had the chance to get down to business. “How is she doing? How’s Finn?”
“They’re both fine,” I said. “We didn’t stay long. She did ask me to relay a message to you if you want to hear it.”
“Of course, I want to hear it!” Alec replied though he didn’t totally sound like that was actually the case. “Sorry. Sorry. That was a bit intense. I’ve just been waiting so long to hear from her, and I’m doing my best to give her space, but it’s… it’s hard.”
I wondered how many nights Alec had spent outside the Wair home, trying to peer in through the windows to get any kind of glimpse of his family, to make sure they were okay. I wondered if he was driving himself crazy just like I was over Loch Ness and its secret tunnels.
“She says she’s still trying to work up to it, but she’ll understand if you decide that she’s taking too long and want to move on.”
“She’s working up to it?” Alex repeated, hope lighting up inside his words. “That means she’ll call eventually, right?”
I glanced over at Fletcher, who met my eyes and shrugged. She also seemed worried that Alec was getting his hopes up for nothing.
“I don’t know,” I told him. “But I didn’t call to talk about your relationship status. I need to cash in that I.O.U.”
“Oh.” Alec cleared his throat and wiped the emotion from his voice, settling into a far more professional tone when he spoke again. “What do you need?”
“We’re looking for a set of bank robbers,” I said, crossing my finger atop my thigh in the hope that this would work out. “Would you come down to the station and help us find them?”
Alec let out a bit of a bitter laugh. “Come down to the station? Are you crazy? Last I remember, I escaped from your holding cells and probably still have a warrant out for my arrest.”
“Right,” I said slowly as he had a good point. “Is there somewhere else you’d be willing to meet us? We don’t have many leads and could really use your expertise.”
“You know Bellfield Park?” he asked.
I nodded, though I knew he couldn’t see me through the phone. “I do.”
“I’ll meet you there in an hour. Bring lunch.”
“I’m not bringing you lunch,” I began, but he’d already hung up. I shot an incredulous look Fletcher’s way and shook my head. “‘Bring lunch,’ really? The audacity.”
“I mean, I am getting hungry,” Fletcher said, a sheepish grin on her face.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Fine. We’ll pick up some sandwiches on the way.”
Eight
Fletcher and I made our way across Bellfield Park an hour later, a paper sack of sandwiches in my hand. The park sat right by the River Ness, which glittered grey-blue in the dim, cloudy light as it flowed along its sombre, steady course right through the centre of the city. Bellfield was a great place, replete with tree-lined paths, bike rentals, ornamental flower beds, and excellent grassy spots perfect for a picnic. I squinted as I searched the few faces around us for Alec MacGowan’s.
“Is that him?” Fletcher asked, pointing to a figure seated on a bench.
I stared at him hard as we made our way over there. His back was to us, and most of his hair was covered up by a wool cap, though as we drew closer, I could see a flash of red curls. He sat stock still, his slim shoulders perfectly straight like he was a hunting dog waiting at attention, listening for any shred of action.
“Alec?” I called when we were still about twenty feet away.
His head perked up slightly, and he turned to look at us, resting an arm along the back of the bench, revealing his familiar profile. Alec didn’t stand as Fletcher and I carried on toward the bench, both of us stepping around it on the same side so it wouldn’t seem like we were boxing him in.
“Mind if we sit?” I asked.
“I suppose not,” Alec said as he scooted over to the far side of the bench to make room.
I sat down closest to him and put the sandwich bag between my feet, and Fletcher perched right on the edge of the bench, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees as she angled her body the right way to make sure she was still part of the conversation.
Alec and I studied each other for a few seconds before either of us spoke. He looked about the same as I remembered him. He was a small, compact man, and he had angular features offset by his soft, red curls, which matched his son’s. He was maybe a little bit thinner, not that he had much meat to lose in the first place, and though he was doing his best to keep his gaze cool and level, I could still see the anxiety swirling through his green irises.
I wondered what he saw when he looked at me. Could he see that I hadn’t been sleeping? That my paranoia was slowly creeping into every crack of my life? I certainly hoped that I didn’t wear my thoughts on my face like that, but I hadn’t looked in a mirror in a while, not liking what I saw.
“Did you bring lunch?” Alec asked, breaking the silence first, though he didn’t also break eye contact with me.
I rolled my eyes. “We had to guess on your sandwich,” I said as I opened up the top of the paper bag. I handed Fletcher her ham and cheese toastie and set my own steak melt in my lap before tossing the final wrapped sandwich Alec’s way. He caught it easily. “We got you cheese and tomato.”
“I suppose it will do,” he said, and though the expression didn’t reach his face, I would still hear the grin colouring his words. He clearly thought it was very funny that we’d actually brought him lunch. He unwrapped the sandwich and took a large bite. “So what’s this about?”
“The Royal Bank of Scotland was robbed the night before last,” I began. I left my sandwich wrapped, but Fletcher opened hers up and began to eat. “And the bank manager was killed. We think he might have surprised the robbers because he was working late and wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Alec nodded slowly as he chewed on the information. “And you want me to what, help you find them?”
“Something like that. We don’t have a lot to go on.” I hated admitting that, especially to a thief like Alec MacGowan, but it was the
whole reason we’d called him up. “We know that they bribed the security guard, but he fled the hospital and is in the wind right now. We also know that they cut a very specific pattern in the camera feeds, probably with the help of the security guard, and they sliced a wire in the keypad at the delivery door to get in.”
“What did they take?” Alec asked around a mouthful of bread and cheese.
“All the cash,” I replied simply.
Alec whistled, his expression impressed, and I really hoped we weren’t giving him any ideas.
“Can I see the crime scene?” he wondered.
I glanced at Fletcher, surprised by the request. Her eyes were sceptical, and she subtly shook her head, telling me she didn’t think it was a good idea. I was inclined to agree with her.
“Why?” I demanded, returning my gaze to Alec’s. “I told you everything we know. You’re not going to get anything more by going to the crime scene.”
“Not true,” Alec contradicted as he leaned back and spread an arm across the top of the bench and drummed his fingers against the wood. “I need to walk the place, get a feel for what really happened. Put myself in your robber’s shoes, so to speak.” He winked at me. “What can I say? I’m a visual learner.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I said.
Alec snorted. “What? Do you think I’m going to try to steal the remaining cash? You said the robbers took it all.”
“Now I do,” I said as I crossed my arms. “We could get into a lot of trouble bringing you onto an active crime scene.”
Alec shrugged like he couldn't care less either way. “If you want my help, this is how you get it.”
I scowled at him, hating the position he was putting me in. “I need to have a quick chat with my partner.”
I grabbed Fletcher’s arm and pulled her off the bench with me, leading her away until I thought we were out of earshot, taking our sandwiches with us. Fletcher looked worried, and she shot a glance at Alec over her shoulder. I followed suit, but he was just sitting there with one leg crossed over the other, staring out over the water once more.
“What do you think?” I asked Fletcher as my stomach rumbled, and I finally started in on my lunch.
She didn’t answer right away, and I could see the gears working behind her eyes. Finally, she sighed and pulled her ponytail out so she could run a hand through her hair.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted as she began to tie her hair up again. “On paper, it sounds like an absolutely terrible idea. But a part of me also wants to see what would happen if we gave it a shot.”
“We do need his help,” I mused. “And if this is the way he wants to do it, I’m not sure we have much of a choice. He’s our best lead.”
“Unless you want to threaten to turn him in or leverage Ainslee over his head,” Fletcher pointed out.
“I’m not going to threaten to turn him in,” I said. “That would just make me a dick, and he’d be more likely to turn tail than actually help us. Ainslee, though…” I trailed off. It didn’t feel quite right manipulating Alec like that, not when we were just starting out, at least. I could only play the Ainslee card so many times, and there was a possibility I’d need it further along the line.
I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose. This was probably going to end very badly.
“Fine,” I said loudly as I turned around to face Alec again. “We’ll take you to the crime scene. But,” I held up a finger to forestall him as he began to climb to his feet, “you have to do whatever we say, as soon as we say it. And if I even think that you’re about to do anything untoward, we’re done, got it?”
Alec rose slowly and brushed off the front of his coat. “I gave you an I.O.U., and I intend to uphold that. You can trust me, I promise.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, especially since only untrustworthy people said stuff like that, but for the moment, I was willing to take him at his word, so long as I kept a very, very close eye on him.
“Let’s go then,” I decided. “You’ll ride with us.”
I glanced at Fletcher, wanting to make sure she was on board with this plan, and she gave me a quick nod. So the three of us walked out of Bellfield Park, headed away from the River Ness until we found my car parked along the street, throwing our empty sandwich wrappers into a litter bin along the way. I unlocked it and opened the back door for Alec, watching silently as he climbed inside, then I shut the door behind him.
I dropped into the driver’s seat and twisted the key in the ignition. Alec sat behind me, and I wasn’t sure I liked having him back there. I couldn’t help but feel like I’d put my back to the lion or something, his eyes like hot weights against the back of my neck. I glanced at him in the rearview mirror, and he met my gaze with one eyebrow raised.
I dropped my attention back to the road as I pushed the handbrake down, swiftly shifting into first as I pulled out into the street as soon as there was an opening. We weren’t far from the bank, and I was glad it wouldn’t be a long drive because the air in the car was thick and tense.
“Did you mean what you said on the phone?” Alec asked after a minute or two, his voice barely finding enough weight to break through the heavy silence. “That Ainslee has been thinking about calling me?”
I looked at him in the mirror again. “That’s what she said. I guess she’s just been too anxious to take that first step.”
Alec nodded as he stared down at his hands where they lay in his lap. For all his apparent suaveness, there was a man who was actually riddled with his own sort of anxiety. “If I help you catch these robbers, will you give her a message from me, as well?”
“Sure,” I said. “What is it?”
“Will you tell her that I’ll wait for however long she needs? And that I did my best to help you?”
“So long as you actually do your best to help us,” I told him, and Fletcher smirked slightly in the passenger’s seat.
Alec rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth lifted in the approximation of a smile. “I suppose that’s fair.”
He settled back in his seat, seemingly content with my answer, and I focused fully on my driving once more as the traffic in the narrow streets crawled along. A couple of minutes later, we were on Harbour Road again. The police tape was still up, though the curious mob had long since vanished. There was one uniformed constable keeping watch outside, and I could see two more people moving about within the building, though I couldn’t make out their identities as I cruised past.
As I parked, I engaged the handbrake and turned off the engine, then twisted around in my seat to face Alec.
“Wait here until we come to get you, got it?” I ordered.
“Maybe I should wait with him?” Fletcher suggested, giving me a heavy look.
“Oh, come on,” Alec protested. “I agreed to help you. I’m not going to renege on that.”
“Well, excuse us if we’re not quite ready to trust you yet,” Fletcher quipped, a brilliant but rather sharp smile on her face.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, cutting off the budding argument I sensed between Fletcher and Alec. They could harp at each other after I was gone. Not before. “Give me a couple of minutes to clear everyone out.”
“Let’s try not to get fired for this, yeah?” Fletcher said, and I snorted softly in agreement.
Then I climbed from the car and strode back down the pavement toward the bank. I recognised Owens leaning against the brick wall, inspecting his fingernails. That would make my job slightly easier. I was pretty sure Owens idolised me just a little bit. Sure enough, he perked up when he spotted me, raising a hand in greeting as I approached.
“Hey, Owens,” I said as I stopped behind him. “Who’s still inside still?”
“Dr Adams and one of her techs,” Owens answered promptly. “They’re just cataloguing a few final things. I’m supposed to keep watch over the scene for a while, just to make sure no one decides to try to take a peek inside.”
“I’ve go
t a few things to do inside,” I said as I jerked a thumb toward the closed doors. “So why don’t I take over here for a little bit while you go grab some lunch? You must be starving.”
Owens put a hand over his stomach. “I am, actually.”
“I’ll send the others out to join you,” I continued. “You know lab techs. They’ll forget to eat unless you remind them.”
Owens nodded and laughed. “I’ll wait here, then.”
“Alright. Be right back.”
I stepped to the side and pulled open the bank door, glancing around for Adams and the other tech. Adams’ assistant was doing something behind the tellers’ desks, and though I didn’t spot Adams right away, I soon saw that the door to the security room was open, light spilling out across the floor.
The tech glanced up at the sound of my entrance, recognised me, and went back to her work as I crossed the lobby floor to the security cubby. Adams was inside, hunched over the computer array. The technology side of things was usually Martin’s purview, while Adams focused on the crime scene itself, but she was obviously curious about something if her intense expression was anything to go by. I rapped lightly on the doorframe to get her attention, and she spooked slightly at the sudden intrusion.
“Oh, Callum, it’s just you,” she said as she glanced over to see who had disturbed her. “What are you doing here? Where’s Fletcher?”
“Parking the car,” I replied. “Listen, we’ve got a few things we want to go over in here, and you look like you could use a break, so why don’t you grab your assistant and go join Owens for lunch? Get some food in you before you continue.”
Adams checked her watch. “I guess it is about that time.” She rose from the chair and stretched so that most of her spine cracked audibly, and I shook my head as I stepped back to give her space. For some reason, I always hated it when people cracked their backs like that. It wasn’t just her knees that sounded like Rice Krispies.
Adams followed me out of the security room, her bag of equipment slung across her shoulder. “Aoife!” she called to her assistant, who immediately looked up from her own task. “Let’s go find some food.”
Fatal Transaction: A DCI MacBain Scottish Crime Thriller Page 11
