Martin hunched his shoulders. ‘You don’t suppose, do you, that Hamburger executed them because they killed by-standers?’
‘What, the noble criminal? Come on, Andy, you don’t really believe that. Hamburger wiped them out to protect himself, that’s the way of it.’
‘Why didn’t he take their money, then?’
Skinner snorted. ‘Because he didn’t have a squad of coppers to help him look for it. He’s got at least half the proceeds stashed away himself, remember, and probably all of Raglan’s diamonds.
‘Any trace of any of our fugitives so far?’
The DCS nodded. ‘One, this morning. Arlene Regan’s father called Stevie Steele to say that they had a card from her in today’s mail. It was posted in Paris six days ago. The message was “All well, don’t worry, love Arlene”. I’ve alerted the French police.’
‘Don’t hold your breath. There are more illegals in Paris than you’ve had chocolate biscuits.’
Skinner picked up his cup once more, cradling it in both hands.
‘How’s my daughter, Andy?’
The sudden question took his friend by surprise. He looked up sharply. ‘Why d’you ask?’
‘Why shouldn’t I? I’m her dad.’ Bob smiled, a shade sheepishly. ‘It was something Sarah said last night. She thought she was worried about something. Eh. . she isn’t. .’
‘No, she bloody isn’t!’ Martin snapped back.
‘Okay, okay. I’m sorry to be so indelicate.’
‘No, my apologies: I shouldn’t have bitten your head off. Sarah’s right, as usual. ’The younger man’s shoulders hunched once more. ‘Alex and I have run into a problem, that’s all.’
‘Nothing you can’t sort out, though?’
‘I hope not, but. .’ He paused. ‘Bob, since she and I have been together, we’ve made nothing of the age difference between us. But we can’t kid ourselves, it’s there, and it can make us look at things. . important things. . from different angles. If I stick to my guns, I feel like I’m being a bully, but if I capitulate, I feel like I’ve got a ring through my nose.’
‘Hey, since this body-piercing craze started I’ve seen guys all over town with rings through their noses.’ Skinner grinned. ‘Listen, there’s a big age difference between Sarah and me, but we’re okay. . now,’ he added.
‘Yes, but Sarah’s. . Well she’s a few years older than Alex. She’s done more in her life.’
All at once, the big DCC nodded. ‘I think I can see where this is leading; straight into a bloody minefield.
‘Son, the only advice I’ll give the two of you is to ask yourselves whether right now, you’re happy. . and I know you are. Let tomorrow take care of itself, for now at least. Don’t take up rigid positions about something in the future that you could regret for the rest of your days. You can tell Alex that as well. But sort it out for yourself; don’t get Sarah or me involved.’
He smiled and replaced the cup in its saucer.
‘I’d better go. I’ve got the Director of Social Work coming in to see me this afternoon, and I haven’t got the heart to pass her over to Elder.’
The two rose from the table and left the dining room together, Martin heading off, still frowning, towards the CID suite, Skinner stepping back into his temporary office through the side door.
He had been working his way through his in-tray for ten minutes when the scrambled telephone rang. He picked it up, grunted an answer, and heard a reassuring voice on the line. ‘Afternoon, mate, is it winter up there yet?’
‘Not quite, Adam, not quite. How’s it going?’
‘I’ve been doing that digging you asked me about. Don’t worry, I’aven’t told anyone what it’s about.’ Arrow laughed. ‘What am I saying? I don’t fookin’ know either.
‘Your mystery six, the self-styled Paras: I’ve tracked them down, Bob, but I can’t find anything to link them all together. Two of them, Collins and Saunders, were real Paras for about ten years, all through the eighties. They saw active service in the Falklands, distinguished service too, apart from an affair after Goose Green that we don’t talk about.
‘McDonnell was in the South Atlantic as well. For some reason, they let a Scotsman into the Welsh Guards, so ’e was on the Galahad when it was bombed. He sustained burns and blast injuries, but he came through all right.
‘Clark was an infantryman, again all through the eighties. His unit was in Ireland in ’82, so he missed the Falklands.
‘Nathan Bennett was in the RAOC. He never fought anywhere. He lost two fingers in a testing accident in 1986, but stayed in for a while after that. After their injuries he and McDonnell both worked in the Advocate General’s office for a while, but at different times, so they never met there.
‘As for Newton, he was a cook. End of Story.’
Major Arrow took a deep breath. ‘You sure these guys are linked, Bob?’
‘Rock-solid certain, Adam. Someone, or something, brought them together.’
‘Okay,’ said the soldier. ‘I’aven’t given up yet. There’s another avenue I want to explore. I’ll call you again in another day or so. Give my love to Sarah, now. Cheers.’
77
The change in the weather had proved to be only an interlude, and not the end of summer. With the children off to bed, Bob and Sarah sat once more in their new conservatory, watching the sea and the sunset, rather than listening to the rain.
‘You were right about Alex, honey.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Last night, when you said you were worried about her. She and Andy have had some sort of a falling-out. He told me today.’
‘Ahh,’ said Sarah. ‘She’s not pregnant, then. I did wonder.’
‘No, she isn’t. In fact, Andy bit my head right off when I sort of asked him that very thing.’
‘Jesus, Bob, you didn’t! You can be as subtle as an avalanche sometimes.’
‘Thanks very much. The lassie is my daughter, remember.’
‘Too right she is. So it’s just as well you didn’t ask her that question, or after she’d bitten your head off she’d have poured something nasty down the hole in your neck. Did Andy tell you what the problem was?’
‘It’s age-related; that’s all I know.’
‘That figures. Well, if it’s a big deal she’ll talk to me about it. She always does.’
She picked up her wine glass, and savoured her ‘FAT Bastard’ chardonnay. ‘This is nice,’ she yawned. ‘It lives up to its name.’
‘Yes,’ said her husband. ‘It’s the sort of label that flies off the shelf at you.’
Sarah nodded towards the folder on the conservatory table. ‘Is that the rest of the Gates case?’
‘Yes. I ran into a brick wall with Curly Collins. His wife did some checking on dates. She called me back this evening to say that she didn’t know where he was when Orlach was murdered, but at the time of Archergait’s death he was almost certainly at his work, in an electronics factory near Bathgate, and when Barnfather was done, the pair of them were definitely visiting her parents in Arbroath.’
‘Do you believe her?’
‘It was the old folks’ forty-fifth wedding anniversary. The whole family was there. I may check it out, but I’ve no real doubt that she was telling me the truth.’
She laid a hand on his thigh. ‘Never mind, love. I’ll help you go through the rest of the file.’ She leaned over and picked up the heavy folder. ‘Where do we begin tonight?’
‘With the interviews and statements relating to the defence case. I don’t imagine that they’ll tell us much though.’
He picked up the first interview transcript and looked at it. ‘This is a precognition of a sleep specialist, would you believe.’
‘Do you think he could have a word with Jazz?’
‘Aye, maybe.’ Leaning back on the couch, he glanced through the document. ‘I suppose, having missed the MS, they were struggling for theories to throw at the jury. This guy seems to be suggesting that she might have been sleep-walking.’
‘They didn’t introduce that as a defence, did they?’ asked Sarah, incredulously.