Autographs In The Rain Part 27

'Two, in addition to Art. Then we have a vet who looks in regularly to check on the stock.'

iWe'll want to speak to all of them.'

Glenn Lander reached into a pocket. 'I guessed as much,' he said, pulling out a single sheet of paper. 'There are their names and addresses.' He made to hand it to Pringle, but Jack McGurk took it from him.

'Do you have doubts about any of them?' asked the sergeant.

'No. I've known the two workers since I was a kid, and Mr Gibb, the vet, has looked after the estate since G.o.d was a boy.'

'We'll talk to them, nonetheless,' said Pringle. 'Who are your insurers?

I a.s.sume you are covered.'

'Royal Sun Alliance.'

'Mmm. Mellerkirk's with CGU.'

Lander laughed. 'Just as well. One company might not have fancied two claims in a week.'

The bluff superintendent snorted. 'I think you'll find that the big commercial insurers all compare notes. You'd better budget for double the premium next year. Unless...' he barked, suddenly, 'you finally take police advice and install decent security.'

'It'd still have to be cost-effective, Mr Pringle.'

'We can arrange that, by advising the companies to adjust their premiums accordingly. They take police advice as well, you know, and I'll make d.a.m.n sure they get it. I don't like being hauled out on a Sat.u.r.day because you boys are too tight to pay for proper alarms and surveillance equipment.'

The landowner shrugged his wide shoulders. 'Do that if you must. Now can Art and I go? We've got a game up at Raebura Place this afternoon; Edinburgh Accies Seconds.'

'Don't let us keep you, then,' the superintendent muttered. 'But don't let the opposition sell the Big Yin here any dummies. He's bought one already this weekend.'

118.

AUTOGRAPHS IN THE RAIN.Lander laughed, and the two turned to leave, Symonds wearing a wounded look on his lofty face.

The detectives watched them as they drove off, then walked across to one of the men who were left on the site. He was wearing a white tunic with black Wellingtons, and he had red hair. 'Morning Arthur,' Pringle called out. 'Solved the crime yet?'

Detective Inspector Dorward, head of the forensics unit, turned and scowled at him as he stepped out of a taped-off area. 'You wish, sir,' he said, sourly. 'I got no fingerprints off any dead fish last week, and I don't suppose these'11 be any different.'

'Can you tell us anything?'

'Oh, yes. I can always tell you something. Last week I told you that there were four people involved in the raid, going by the footprints that were left around. They were all wearing wellies; we established from the casts we took that three sets were cheap own-brand jobs, bought almost certainly from Milletts, but the fourth was a more expensive brand whose stockists include d.i.c.kson and Tiso, both of Edinburgh, and various other country-wear specialists.

'Judging by what I've seen so far, I'd say that the same people did this, and going by the tyre tracks, I'd say that they used the same two vehicles.'

'Two?'

'Oh yes, sir. That volume offish, and water, takes some s.h.i.+fting.'

'Is there any chance of you being able to follow the vehicles to their destination by following the mud on their tracks?' asked Jack McGurk.

Dorward eyed the tall sergeant up and down, then looked at Pringle, as if over the top of imaginary spectacles.

'Who is this, Dan?' he murmured. 'Your faithful Redskin companion?'

He turned back to McGurk. 'If you look up,' he said, 'you will see dark clouds; you should see them okay, since you're a lot closer to them than I am. It's going to rain, any minute now, and the forecast is that it will spread to all parts by mid-afternoon. On top of that, the track through those woods leads to a minor road which leads very shortly thereafter to a trunk road, which in turn has had traffic pounding up and down it all night.

'I can take a sample of mud here, and if you find these vehicles I'll probably be able to prove for you that they were here. That's b.l.o.o.d.y clever as it is, lad; I draw the line at the impossible.'

The red-haired inspector turned, and went back to his white-coated team.

Pringle grinned up at his aide. 'Nice one, Tonto,' he chuckled. 'Now here'swhat you will do. Everyone's come up kosher at Mellerkirk so far, but the possibility remains that it was an inside job. If this was an inside job as well, then with the same thieves involved there is a chance that it's a conspiracy.

'So I want you to have our people check into all the staff at the two farms, to see if there's any connection between any of them. But if it's anyone, I fancy the managers. Gates just happened to be off watch last weekend and Symonds says he had what turned out to be a hoax phone call.'

i.But we can verify that he had a call, sir.'

'Can you verify that he wasn't expecting it? I tell you, Jack, the team that's doing it either has inside info, or it's done its homework b.l.o.o.d.y well, to know about Symonds' father being a p.i.s.s artist. The lad Gates and big Lurch, there; I want them watched.'

'I'll get people on to it, sir.'

The superintendent scowled again, and tugged at his moustache. 'One thing does seem b.l.o.o.d.y clear, though, Sergeant. These people must have an outlet, somewhere. They stole three tons last weekend; now another four. There's no way they're going to stockpile seven tons of frozen trout.

'They've found a buyer for the first lot already; it's the only explanation.

And if they can s.h.i.+ft this lot quickly as well. . .'

'They'll be on the lookout for more.'

'Exactly, son. So it's up to us to be waiting for them if they do. And if there is someone on the inside, that could be b.l.o.o.d.y difficult.'4.120.34.'Can you really do all that for me?' Louise Bankier asked. The remnants of lunch lay scattered around her; Seonaid was gnawing happily on a rattle in her high chair, abandoned by her brothers who were watching cartoons in their playroom.

'Not just for you,' Bob Skinner a.s.sured her. 'I'd do it for anyone in your situation. Not that I've ever had anyone in your situation before . . . it's a bit unusual, in Scotland . . . but my colleagues down south have. As a matter of fact, protection from stalkers was on the agenda at my London conference. It's been decided to treat it as a form of terrorism; which is exactly what it is.'

'What about your secretary?' Sarah interposed. 'Can you bring her up here?'

Louise nodded. 'Yes. I'd have done that anyway, for the duration of the Edinburgh filming. Glenys always goes on the payroll when I'm working on a movie; name on the end t.i.tles and everything, after the dress designer but before the hairdresser.'

'She's single then?'

'She has a boyfriend, but I'll fly him up at weekends, so they don't miss each other.'

'Only after he's been thoroughly vetted,' said Bob.

'But I know him! He's been to my house.'

'Fine, but he doesn't get in again without being quietly checked out.

Sorry to lapse into police-speak, but in nine crimes against the person out often, the victim knows the attacker.' He read her expression. 'Don't worry, Lou. I say vetted, but he won't feel a thing, I promise . . . unless he's our man, in which case he'll feel plenty.'

'The man in the car in London,' she said. 'I know you didn't see his face, but did you notice anything about him? Skin tone, for example.'

'Yes, he was white, I saw his hand.'

'It wasn't Clarence, then. He's black, and very dark-skinned.'Then that's a relief, but I'm still not making any exceptions to security procedures. Please, Lou, forget about that side of it; that's our business, and my people are good at it.'