The wild coast, p.14
The Wild Coast, page 14
‘Where is the cottage?’ Orly said.
‘Not far, about an hour away. Beside a big loch, so you can paddle or swim if you like.’
The two children observed each other in that intimate way they had, as though having a silent conversation, before Lucy smiled. ‘Okay, Mum.’
So the escape was okay, but . . . what about what they must do before it?
She mustered herself, before continuing, ‘On our way out of Glasgow we have to drop in at the police station.’
‘Why?’ said Orly, with another swift glance at Lucy.
‘We promised we would when we left the campsite,’ Francine reminded them. ‘The police in Glasgow need to have a wee chat to you about—’
She was cut off there by Lucy. ‘Will the nice lady be there?’ she said. ‘The one who wanted to go swimming with me?’
Francine had no idea if Dr MacLeod would be there, but realized she could ask for that to be the case for Lucy’s sake.
When she said, ‘I’ll ask for her to be there,’ Lucy looked to Orly with a satisfied smile.
After the children went upstairs to pack their choice of toys, Francine called the number she’d been given by DS Clark. It rang out briefly before she heard the woman’s voice from yesterday, giving her name and rank.
Gathering herself, she said, ‘It’s Francine Henderson here.’
The voice, polite before, now moved to a softer, more welcoming tone. ‘Everything all right for this morning, Mrs Henderson?’
‘Yes. I’ve spoken to the children and they seem happy about it. Although there is one request, which seemed important, especially to Lucy . . .’ She hesitated there.
‘And that is?’ DS Clark prompted.
Francine cleared her throat. ‘She asked that the forensic lady Dr MacLeod be there. Lucy says she’ll speak to her.’ She rushed on. ‘Lucy stopped speaking after they found the body until she met Dr MacLeod,’ she finished.
There was a moment’s silence before DS Clark said, ‘I’ll see if that can be arranged, although Dr MacLeod may already have other commitments this morning.’
Francine thanked her and rang off, aware that that was all she could hope for at such late notice, and, she realized, she could always explain to Lucy that Dr MacLeod was on an important case this morning, and they might have to arrange to see her another day.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, she registered that this was the first time in months she’d had the faintest of feelings that things might work out for her and the kids after all.
32
Day six
McNab listened as Janice explained the reason for Francine Henderson’s call.
‘So the kid that located the body wants to have Rhona in on the interview? Do we know why?’ he said.
‘Lucy, that’s her name, stopped talking when they found the body. It seemed she was worried it might be the missing girl Callie from the campsite, who she’d taken a shine to. When Rhona explained it wasn’t her, she started talking again. She and Rhona became friendly. They were planning a swim together until the father put a stop to that.’
‘And what’s the dad saying about all of this?’ McNab said.
‘I’m not certain she’s even told him they’re coming in today,’ Janice said. ‘In fact, I’m pretty sure she hasn’t. Apparently he was Mr Angry back at the campsite at police involvement with his family. I can’t imagine he’s changed his mind now he’s back in Glasgow.’
‘So basically the guy’s a prick?’ McNab said.
‘I suspect so.’
‘Or,’ McNab thought for a moment, before saying, ‘he maybe has something to hide? Did he meet the missing girl?’
‘You did read DS MacDonald’s report on Callie’s disappearance?’
McNab hadn’t, but didn’t want to admit that his mind had been on other things of late. ‘I took a quick look,’ he fibbed.
Janice threw him a glance that spoke volumes. ‘He apparently gave Rhona a hard time when she came to collect Lucy for the swim. Also he maintains he only saw Callie briefly the night she arrived when he and his wife spoke to her.’
‘And we believe him?’
‘So far we have no reason not to.’
‘Well, if the mother thinks it’s a good idea to have Rhona at the interview, we should try and arrange it,’ McNab said.
‘Do you want to run it past the boss first?’ Janice suggested.
McNab knew she was checking how he felt about re-entering the boss’s domain after his previous poor performance. Determined to put an end to her silent speculations, he stood up.
‘I’ll go check with him.’
His bravado, of course, was for show only. In actual fact, he was keen to keep clear of the boss until he’d sorted out the problem of the CCTV footage of him and Holly, especially since last night he’d failed to even broach the subject with her, ending up pursuing more pleasurable pastimes.
Also, first thing this morning he’d received a cryptic message from Ollie which, when deciphered, asked him if he had dealt with it.
He could, of course, just use this opportunity to tell the boss about what he now liked to think of as his faux pas. After all, he hadn’t exactly broken any laws and he hadn’t been seen or recognized, except by a super recognizer.
Be sure your sins will find you out, the voice of his late mother reminded him as his knock was answered and he was commanded to enter.
DI Wilson was seated facing the window, in the old swivel chair they’d tried to replace when his office was refurbished. McNab recognized its legendary squeak as the boss swung round to face him.
‘Well, DS McNab. How did your trawl for stick men go?’
‘We’re just finishing up our report, sir. It’ll be with you shortly.’
DI Wilson was eyeing him in that way he had, which made you feel guilty even if you were innocent. Although McNab had rarely been in the non-guilty category.
‘So why are you here, Detective Sergeant?’ DI Wilson raised a quizzical eyebrow.
McNab attempted to explain about Lucy’s request that Rhona be there at today’s interview.
When he’d finished, DI Wilson nodded. ‘Good idea. Give Dr MacLeod a call, ask if she’s willing to oblige. It’s scheduled for early afternoon, I understand. In view of the circumstances, I’ve already made contact with Professor Pirie and he’s agreed to be an onlooker, although not in the room.’
The positive nature of this response and the boss’s general demeanour caused McNab briefly to reconsider revealing his own sorry tale, before DI Wilson said, ‘Get on with it, Detective Sergeant.’
Ordered into action, McNab decided this wasn’t the time to bare his soul, so excused himself and exited.
‘Well?’ Janice demanded on his return.
‘I’m to phone Rhona. The Prof’s already been recruited as an observer.’
‘That’s good news,’ Janice said, obviously pleased.
‘And the boss wants our stick man report as soon as possible,’ he added.
‘On it now,’ she promised.
When he rang Rhona’s mobile there was no response, so he tried the lab phone, which rang out a few times before Chrissy eventually answered.
‘What’s up?’ she demanded when he asked to speak to Rhona.
‘It’s about the two kids from the campsite,’ he told her. ‘They’re being interviewed today.’
‘And?’
‘The wee girl, Lucy, wants Rhona to be there.’
Silence met his explanation, followed by a clunk as the phone went down, then footsteps accompanied by Chrissy’s voice shouting for Rhona.
Chrissy came back on. ‘She’ll be here in a minute. We were in the lab working through the evidence from Achmelvich.’
He didn’t get any more than that before Rhona came on the line. He explained this time in a little more detail, including Janice’s thoughts on the angry father.
‘I remember Mr Henderson,’ Rhona said. ‘He deliberately stopped Lucy from speaking to me. What time is this happening?’
‘One o’clock,’ he told her.
‘The PM on the Achmelvich body is scheduled for four. I need to be back for that. Tell Mrs Henderson and Lucy I’ll be there.’
‘I will, thanks,’ McNab said, aware there was quite a lot he’d like to talk through with Rhona himself, should he ever get the chance.
Janice was watching as he rang off. ‘All set up?’
‘Rhona says to call Mrs Henderson and reassure her she’ll be at the interview.’
‘Right. Now take a look at your messages. Seems we might have a lead on Caillean Munro’s boyfriend. The caller wouldn’t give her name. Said she’d seen the licence photo on the news. Also said Callie and she were mates until Callie moved in with a Gus Logan. She gave us an address, although she’s not sure if he and Callie are still living there.’
McNab rose. ‘Okay, let’s go see Mr Logan.’
‘I should finish the stick man report first and catch you up. Remember, he might not be there,’ Janice added.
‘I’m feeling lucky,’ McNab declared, although in truth he was only relieved he hadn’t blurted out his story to the boss, minutes earlier.
‘If he is there, we need to bring him in for questioning,’ she told him firmly.
‘Understood,’ McNab said with a nod.
Exiting the station, McNab found himself more than relieved to be a free agent again. Much as he appreciated having a partner, and one as good as DS Clark, there were times when going it alone was more productive. Just as it had been yesterday morning when he’d talked to Sam Wheeler.
Then he’d felt he’d got a better measure of the man than had been on show when Janice was about.
His partner was inclined to niceness, which could put some suspects at their ease, making them give away more than they intended. He acknowledged that, but as far as McNab was concerned, only men truly knew what their sex was capable of, whatever front they put on.
Janice had read Sam as an okay guy. McNab hadn’t been so sure of that back then, and was even less certain now.
The address they’d been given for Gus Logan was in Woodlands, within easy walking distance of the so-called student strip and the School of Art. Could it really be a coincidence that two out of three probable victims lived in the same area? McNab didn’t believe in coincidence and definitely not in murder enquiries.
Janice, in her usual efficient way, had also checked for anything they might already have on this Logan guy and apparently he was clean, which didn’t mean he was, of course. Plenty of folk succeeded in keeping their heads below the police radar, despite nefarious activities.
McNab had had a quick listen to the recording of the anonymous female caller and there was no doubt regarding the worry in her voice. She didn’t like Gus Logan and was fearful for her pal.
Of course, it could all be a hoax. Maybe Gus was an old boyfriend who’d thrown her over, and this was her way of getting back at him. Such things had happened before, but this time, McNab’s instinct told him that the pal’s concern had been genuine.
Wending his way through the West End, his thoughts moved back to Rhona. What would she say if he asked her advice about the CCTV footage? Even as he posed the question, he already knew her answer. Although, he thought, if he rehearsed his confession with Rhona, she might advise him on how to do it better.
But first you have to tell Holly of the clip’s existence.
And that was what he was finding the most difficult. He had told her he was a police officer, right from the start. She hadn’t minded that. In fact, she’d seemed excited by it.
Which is probably why she persuaded you outside on that night.
For the briefest of seconds McNab wondered if he’d been set up. Had she wanted the thrill of perhaps being seen out there? Or even caught on camera?
You were easily persuaded, remember?
And he had been. That first night he’d dropped her home he’d made the right choice, but his willpower hadn’t lasted very long. If only Ellie hadn’t deserted him, was his next thought, before it was swiftly followed by, That’s right, blame your former girlfriend for something that was all down to you.
Ellie had been special. He’d forgotten that far too quickly. More fool him.
McNab was glad when he reached his destination, if only to escape his ruminations on his personal life and where it had, and still did, collide with the job.
Focus, he reminded himself as he locked his vehicle. Let’s see if Gus Logan was the prick he suspected he might be.
33
Day six
It takes one to know one was the replay in his head as he pushed the appropriate button on the buzzer. The silence following this made him press again, as though that would miraculously result in someone actually being home.
When it didn’t, McNab tried one more time, keeping his finger on for considerably longer this time.
A crackle eventually came, swiftly followed by a male voice shouting, ‘What the fuck?’
‘DS Michael McNab here, wishing to speak with Gus Logan.’
In the silence that followed, McNab could almost hear the brain on the other end trying to decide a response to that. Eventually it did, because the door buzzed open.
The flat was on the second floor of the tenement building, where the right-hand door stood ajar. Just inside was a man of McNab’s height, but definitely younger, and possibly fitter. He wore a white T-shirt that did nothing to hide the upper arm muscles or the pecs.
McNab found himself silently promising to hit the gym again as soon as possible.
‘Sorry about the language. I was lifting weights in the back room and couldn’t get here fast enough to answer.’ The guy smiled and ran his hand over his smoothly shorn head.
At least I have more hair, McNab told himself.
‘What can I help you with, Detective Sergeant?’
‘May I come in?’ McNab said, moving forward as though this was a foregone conclusion.
Logan stepped aside with a wave of his arm. ‘Of course.’
Now in a spacious multi-doored hallway, McNab waited to be directed onwards, but wasn’t.
Logan closed the front door. ‘We can talk here,’ he said, as though he should be the one to decide.
‘The living room would be better,’ McNab suggested.
Logan gave an acquiescent nod. ‘Okay.’
He led the way into a large bay-windowed sitting room. A quick glance round told McNab that it in no way resembled his own front room. Much classier and undoubtedly cleaner. Although there was nothing about it that suggested a woman’s presence currently or in the immediate past.
Logan gestured to a leather seat and took the one opposite.
‘So,’ he said. ‘How can I help you, Detective Sergeant?’
‘Caillean Munro,’ McNab said. ‘Your girlfriend, I believe?’
Something flickered across Logan’s face, but McNab couldn’t find the word to describe it. Momentary distaste or maybe rejection?
‘Callie?’ He now adopted an aura of surprise. ‘I haven’t seen Callie since we broke up.’
‘When was that exactly?’ McNab said.
He pulled a face. ‘A week ago, I guess. Anyway, that’s when she stopped taking my calls from Hong Kong where I was on a work trip. She’d cleared out when I got back, but I have no idea when exactly.’ He sounded peeved by that.
‘Caillean is reported as officially missing.’
He assumed a look of surprise. ‘Who reported her as missing? I know nothing about this,’ he said.
‘Her photograph’s been on the news. Her blue Transit campervan was found at a campsite near Arisaig on the west coast . . .’
Logan interrupted him at that. ‘You mean to tell me she went off in that damn campervan again? I assume she had the kayak with her?’
‘She did,’ McNab confirmed.
‘Bloody fool. She went out in all weathers in that thing. It was madness. I told her so.’
Seeing his clenched jaw and tightened fists, McNab wondered if perhaps Logan did more than just tell her so.
‘Her disappearance was on the news. You never got in touch with us about it?’ McNab said.
‘I had no idea about any of this. As you see, I don’t have a TV. I don’t listen to the news. When I’m working a contract, I don’t have the time or the inclination.’
‘What about social media? A picture of the van was circulated.’
‘Don’t do much on social media. As I said, I work a lot. Plus I keep myself fit and I’m often away.’
‘What kind of work do you do, Mr Logan?’ McNab asked.
‘I work in software engineering. I was out in Hong Kong setting up software that I’d designed.’ He sounded pleased with himself about that.
‘When exactly did you return from Hong Kong?’
‘A couple of days ago. Slept on and off since then. Flying long distance does that to me.’
‘And Callie wasn’t here?’
‘I didn’t expect her to be, seeing as we’d stopped communicating.’ He looked a little pained by that. ‘I didn’t want to break up with Callie. My work was the problem. Always away on the job. You probably know what it’s like, Detective Sergeant, being a police officer?’
McNab did, but he wasn’t going to admit it.
‘Do you have contacts for any of Callie’s friends who we might talk to?’ McNab said.
Logan shook his head. ‘Callie said she’d left her old world behind when she moved in with me. We just did things together.’ He looked crestfallen.
‘But not camping or kayaking?’ McNab said.
‘No,’ he replied with obvious distaste. ‘Definitely not that.’
‘Was Caillean working?’
‘She was between jobs when we met. Not long finished her degree in interior design. Textiles were her thing. She was planning on setting up a business. Did a lot of planning, but as far as I know it never got off the ground.’ He didn’t sound surprised by that.
‘May I ask where you met exactly?’
He shrugged. ‘In the Blue Arrow on Sauchiehall Street. I like jazz.’ He waited in silence for a moment, then said, ‘Is that all you need from me, Detective Sergeant?’
