Autographs In The Rain Part 14

'Mmm. I asked her too. She said all she knew was that he had to see someone through in Strathclyde. That's funny. I'm not saying it's unique, but it's unusual for Ruth not to know exactly what he's doing.

'Unless she does, and for some reason she's not telling.'

He smiled, almost to himself. 'If she does .. . Well, sometimes it's best not to know what that b.u.g.g.e.r's up to.'62.16.'If G.o.d had meant people to play golf in this valley, he wouldn't have put the prevailing wind in this direction. It can be as cold as charity here, in the middle of summer.'

'Have you played Dullatur, sir?' Mackenzie asked.

'No, but I have played the course across the road, Westerwood. Middle of June it was, and f.u.c.king freezing. This one won't be any different. The west of Scotland new towns, East Kilbride and c.u.mbernauld, were established on land within easy reach of Glasgow but where no major community had grown up before. The planner should have realised that that was no accident. EK's always snowed up in the winter, and c.u.mbernauld's swept by this b.l.o.o.d.y Arctic wind.'

'You sound as if you're from the west, sir.'

'Motherwell. I dug an escape tunnel twenty-five years ago.'

'Would you ever come back?'

Bob Skinner shook his head. 'Not to live,' he said, vehemently. T like Gullane, and my family are happy there. But crime tends to move around; I'll go wherever it takes me. I'm a specialist policeman, Bandit, just like you. My Chief Constable and I have long philosophical discussions about that. His strengths complement mine; he couldn't run today's force without me, or another specialist like me, and I couldn't run one without someone like him.'

'Aye but how does that help the punters, sir?' the younger man interposed, showing a renewed trace of his customary brashness. 'Red tape's always f.u.c.king up our job.'

Skinner looked sideways at him. 'See? There is a brain hiding behind that designer raincoat of yours. That's a b.l.o.o.d.y good question. Should we have separate bodies, one responsible for public protection and the maintenance of order, and the other charged with criminal investigation?

'If I was a politician, which thank G.o.d I am not, because I distrust the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds totally, I would answer "yes", and do something about it. However,they do tell me that I can move and shake things, so you never know.'

Mackenzie picked up a bacon roll from the table before them. Til watch developments, sir.' He took a bite. 'Why did you want me to bring you here?' he asked.

'Several reasons. I missed my breakfast to come through and sort you out, so you owe me one. Old John McConnell was a member here, so I wanted to get a feel for the place. As it turns out you're a member too, so that was handy. On top of all that I wanted to get you out of that office, to see if I could kick-start your thinking on this investigation.

lAfter all, I've just blown your easy a.s.sumption right out the window.

So maybe I owe you one.'

He looked around the members' lounge. 'Impressive place this is, David, for an ordinary urban golf club ... if you don't mind me saying so.'

Mackenzie nodded agreement. 'Too right.' He pointed to his right out across the first tee, where two golfers stood in weather-suits, ready to set off into the wind and rain. 'The original clubhouse was away down there.

The New Town Development Corporation, before it was wound up, did a complicated land deal with us which involved them building this place for us, plus laying out some new holes as well.'

'Good deal.'

'Aye, sir. Everybody won, I'd say.'

As he spoke a door behind him opened. An elderly man in casual clothing walked into the room, holding a cup of coffee. 'Morning,' he said, nodding towards the players outside. 'Rather them than us the day, eh gents?'

'Too right,' Skinner agreed. 'You wouldn't get me out on a morning like this.'

'Ye don't look as if ye're here to play anyway, though,' the old man observed.

'No, we're not, although my colleague here's a member. Actually we're police officers; we were just talking about poor old John McConnell.'

The veteran grimaced. 'Aye, d.a.m.n shame that. Poor old John; he'll be missed. Him such a fit man, too, tae go downhill so fast.'

'How d'you mean?' Mackenzie asked.

'Well he jist did. He used tae play every day. Ye'd have found him out the day, even. Then about four months ago, he started missing days, until he wisnae here at all. Ah heard fae somebody that went tae see him that he was jist sitting there in his hoose, fair wandered.

'That Alzheimer's, eh. It's jist as well he's awa' quick.'64.AUTOGRAPHS IN THE RAIN.'Yes, I suppose it is,' Skinner murmured, waving a brief farewell to the senior member as he wandered across to a table on the far side of the big lounge.

'Interesting,' he said, his voice still low. 'I envy you this one, Bandit.

It's a real challenge.'

'Too right. But where do I start?'

'Come on, man; you start at the beginning. Who knows so far, apart from us, that this is a murder investigation? No b.u.g.g.e.r does. Well, it's time they did. Call in the press; tell them that you're starting a full-scale investigation.

'Re-canva.s.s the neighbours while their memories are still reasonably fresh. The dark-haired woman; you know who she isn't, so get a better description of her to help you find out who she is. Try to establish what make and model of car she was driving.

'Then there are the missing possessions: grandfather clock; big silver trophy. They'll be somewhere: find them. After you've apologised profusely to Ruth,' he leaned on the adverb, 'ask her to go through the house to see what else might be missing. If that doesn't help look at the whole scene in a mirror.

'Look into his bank accounts to see what was happening there.'

Mackenzie frowned. 'I know that already, sir.'

'Fine, in that case, go back to everyone who spoke to old John before his death. Turn up people you haven't even looked for yet. Did he have any interests other than golf? Find out what was happening to him.

'I will bet you one thing, Detective Inspector Mackenzie. Even suppose that was a district nurse who went into his house that Sat.u.r.day, that old boy didn't have Alzheimer's. He's been a victim of something all right, but it was man- or woman-made.'UTOGRAPHS IN THE RAIN.17.'Sir Adrian Watson. Sure, I'll remember that name, Dan, and yes, I'll pa.s.s itpn to the Chief, and the DCC too, just in case.'

Thanks, Andy. Not that anything happened that I couldn't justify to myself, but threatening to nail him to the f.u.c.king wall might look bad if he wrote to the Scotsman, or got his tame Lib Dem MSP to raise a question in the Scottish Parliament.'

'I'd be surprised if he did. But what about this chap Gates? How would he swing if Watson did get stroppy?'

'Gates told me the first time I met him that he recommended that Watson should follow John McGrigor's advice and install an automatic security system, but he was advised, bluntly, to wind his neck in. I could tell that inside the boy was cheering when I gave Sir Adrian the benefit of my own advice.

'Nonetheless, he's an employee. And he did hear me threaten Watson.'

'Presumably he also heard Watson threaten you.'

'Aye, but he might forget, though. Look, I'm no' that worried about it, Andy. I'm just telling you in case there was any comeback that might cause embarra.s.sment.'

'I appreciate that, Dan. Leave it with me; I'll deal with it. Cheers.'

Andy Martin ended the call, then buzzed his junior a.s.sistant, Detective Constable Rhind. 'Lorna,' he said. 'I want you to trace a number for Sir Adrian Watson. He's a landowner down in the Borders. Get him on the line for me, please.'

He turned to Detective Sergeant Pye, who was seated across the desk, waiting. 'Sorry about all that, Sam. You probably gathered; Dan Pringle's had his first run-in with the local Establishment down on his patch.'

Pye grunted. 'And he's been there for a week, already; I'm surprised it took him so long, sir.'

The Head of CID laughed. The too. But it proves us right in sending him

Adown there. Nothing against big John, but the division needed shaking up a bit, needed his successor to be a different sort. We could have sent Brian Mackie down there, and the place would have fitted him like a glove, but the DCC and I reckoned that Dan's occasional lack of diplomacy made him best suited for it.'

'Oh, I get it, sir. He does the plain speaking, with you in the background to smooth over any incidents.'