“This information may well have nothing to do with the murder,” Ravi said despondently. “I have encountered so many dead-ends with this case over the years, it’s difficult to still maintain hope.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Dani announced. “We are fresh to this investigation and I’ve got a hunch about this new development. I think it’s important.”
Fergus re-entered with the open bottle and a tray of glasses. “There’s juice for you, darling,” he added.
“Great,” Alice commented dryly.
Dani chuckled.
Fergus dropped onto the sofa. “So, Alice tells me you’re interested in the World Cup of 1998?”
“Are you a football fan?” Ravi enquired politely.
Fergus shrugged. “I follow it a little, Alice’s dad would know more, but I happen to have been examining the big European matches of the last few years for a case I’m currently defending. My focus has been on violence between visiting fans.”
Dani edged forward in her seat. “We know that the Pioneer Associate Bank took a corporate group to Marseille in June 1998 to see a match. The bank employs a mixture of nationalities, including a number hailing from south of the border. Can you tell me which of the fixtures it might have been?”
Fergus powered up his tablet. “I did a bit of research online last evening. France was the host nation of that particular tournament, and it was embroiled in controversy right from the start.”
“Aren’t they all?” Alice added.
“Several officials admitted to having taken bribes during the bidding stage. The inducements allegedly originated from the Moroccan delegation, but the tournament still went ahead as planned. I suspect, that your group went to see England versus Tunisia, which was played at the Stade Vélodrome on the 15th June, a Monday.”
“That fits with what Pete Watts told me. Was there anything notable about the match?”
Fergus crinkled his brow. “England won the game by two goals to nil, so the fans should have been in good spirits. But the atmosphere on the whole was nasty during that tournament.”
“Watts said much the same. What do you mean by it?”
“There were clashes between England fans and other visiting supporters at a number of the venues. Scotland were knocked out fairly early, so I can’t tell you as much about their followers.”
“Was there trouble in Marseille that particular night?” Dani was suddenly alert.
Fergus shrugged. “The Tunisian team had suffered a crushing defeat, it was a hot day and I imagine much alcohol was consumed by English fans. I wouldn’t have fancied being in the middle of it all.”
“Pete Watts said he went back to the hotel to carry on drinking in the bar, but some of their group had wandered into the town. They became split up after leaving the stadium.”
“Sounds like he was the sensible one.”
Alice frowned. “Mark Vogel was reasonably sensible too, according to what Eleanor told you, that’s why he and Richard fell out that weekend. Vogel couldn’t keep up with the partying. Maybe Vogel returned to the hotel too?”
Ravi considered this. “But he was also Richard’s mate. Perhaps he stuck with him when they set off to spend a night on the tiles. He may have felt it was his role to rein his friend in.”
Dani sighed. “Then what happened to cause the rift between them?”
Fergus tapped some instructions into his tablet. “I can’t find out much else online, but I’ve got a contact on the Interpol team who investigate international football hooliganism. He may have access to their files on the match. Having a look may at least give us a better picture of what it would have been like in the city on that day.”
“Thank you,” Ravi said with feeling. “It’s good of you to make so much of an effort on a line of inquiry which is nothing more than a longshot.”
“I know how much effort you’ve already put into the case. I’m as keen as you are to find out who killed McGill. Hell, I’ve ruined a perfectly decent pair of chinos getting us to this stage.”
Alice laughed. “I can vouch for that.”
Dani sipped her wine in contemplation. She wondered if Mark had got together with Anna by ’98 and if he confided in her about what happened during that work visit to Marseille. Unfortunately, they had no authority to question Mrs Vogel. It seemed impossible that they might be able to find out now. Then, she had an idea.
“I’m going to give Eleanor Tasker-Smith another call. I think there’s more she can tell us about the Vogels. She doesn’t like Mark very much and I believe she now wants Richard’s killer found. I sense she’ll cooperate.”
Ravi nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
“That sounds like a sensible plan,” Alice announced brightly. “As long as you promise to keep me informed of everything you discover.”
Dani lifted her glass. “Of course. I’ll drink to that.”
*
When Eleanor Tasker-Smith answered the phone, her tone was brusque.
Dani elbowed shut the door of her office. “Mrs Tasker-Smith, It’s DCI Dani Bevan. I wondered if I could ask you a few more questions?”
“If you must, but Douglas and I are headed out for lunch soon, so it will have to be quick.”
“It shouldn’t take long.” Dani glanced at her notepad. “We now believe that your ex-husband visited the city of Marseille for a long weekend from the 12th to the 15th June 1998. They had tickets for a football match at the stadium. Was this the trip where he and Mark Vogel had a falling out?”
“Ah, yes. It was during the World Cup, wasn’t it? I’d tried not to pay too much attention to their plans, those work jollies made me fume. But it would have been that trip, yes. They were both as pink as salmons when they returned and the atmosphere between them was poisonous. I pictured too much sun and beer.”
“You said that Mark met Anna in the late nineties. Were the couple together in the June of ’98?”
There was a brief pause, then Eleanor stated, “no, Mark began dating her the following year, it was quite a whirlwind affair, they were married at the millennium. But then Mark was always a dark horse that way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he’d barely had a girlfriend in a decade and suddenly he and Anna were acting like an old married couple. Then, there was the adoption.”
“Of Layla?”
“That’s right. The shock of Richard’s murder had shaken everyone up. But I thought my children and Holly had probably taken it the worst. Then Mark and Anna suddenly adopt an eight-year-old orphan girl. It was most unexpected and out of character.”
“Mark Vogel told my colleagues that he and Anna had been trying unsuccessfully to have a child for years. I suppose the premature passing of your ex-husband encouraged them to plump for adoption.”
“It’s possible, but I knew Anna fairly well back then, and I was not aware she was trying for a baby. If anything, I’d say she was more of a career woman.”
“And now they’ve got the twins.”
“I expect they still wanted children who were their own flesh and blood. I know that isn’t a very politically correct thing to say, but it does make a difference.”
“What kind of relationship do Mark and Anna have with Layla?”
“Oh, it’s very loving. Don’t get me wrong, Layla is a delightful girl and they are proper parents to her.” A voice could be heard in the background. “Sorry, DCI Bevan, but I must go. I hope I’ve been of help.”
“Thank you, Mrs Tasker-Smith, you have.”
Chapter 32
Holly Kilpatrick had made a decent effort with her appearance. She had twisted her auburn hair into a loose bun which sat at the nape of her neck. A tight-fitting floral dress under a short cotton jacket completed the look.
The tearoom on Queen Street had high ceilings which made the chatter of the customers echo around the grand building. Holly weaved through the tables to join Ravi, who was reading one of the menus at the far end of t
he room.
He glanced up. “Wow, you look great!”
“Thanks,” she replied bashfully. “I thought I’d get spruced up if I was coming into town.”
“Just to meet me?” Ravi’s tone was apprehensive.
“Actually, I’m having dinner with a couple of girlfriends I used to know from work. We’d lost touch in recent years, but I decided it was time to reach out to them again.”
Ravi smiled. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
A waitress in an old-fashioned white apron and cap took their order.
Holly leant forward. “You said on the phone there’d been a development?”
Ravi shrugged. “It’s too early to say if it’s important. But it could be and perhaps you would help shed some light on it?”
Holly nodded, “If I possibly can, I’d like to.”
“Then may I ask when you and Richard first began your affair?”
She shook out a crisp linen napkin. “It was the January of 1999. Richard chatted me up in the bar down the road from our offices. He said he’d noticed me in there a few times. We started meeting regularly after that.”
“So, you didn’t know Richard in the June of 1998?”
“No, we hadn’t met by then.”
“It’s just that he and Mark Vogel went away with a party from work in that month. We believe there may have been an incident during the trip which caused a rift between them.”
Holly furrowed her brow. “Was it to do with a football match?”
“Yes! Do you remember something?”
“Only that Rick referred to it once, in the company of the Vogels. He mentioned an occasion when they’d seen a World Cup match, in the South of France. It seemed an innocent comment, but the atmosphere became quite odd afterwards. I recall the Vogels left the gathering early.”
“But your husband never confided in you about what happened?”
“No, sorry. We didn’t tend to talk much about his life before me, because it largely involved Eleanor and the children. But I didn’t sense that Rick felt there was anything particularly controversial about the trip, it was Mark who reacted strangely.”
Ravi considered this.
The waitress returned with a pot of tea and cakes.
Ravi poured them a cup, deciding to change the subject. “Did Diane Trelawny get in contact with you?”
“Yes, she did. Thank you for having the idea to hook us up. We’ve spoken several times, as it happens. I facetimed her this morning, in fact. She’s been encouraging me to get out a little more.”
Ravi beamed. “That’s wonderful, I so hoped you’d be able to help one another in some way.”
“Diane’s son has just been offered a job in Sydney. His wife is expecting a baby and they’re going to move there as a family.”
Ravi’s expression clouded. “Is Diane okay with that? She said her daughter was overseas too, in the United States. I hope she won’t be lonely.”
Holly marvelled at what an empathetic person this strange policeman was. “She seemed over the moon. Diane claims she’d rather her children get as far away from the place where their father was killed as possible. All she has wanted since his death is to make sure her children could still live a full life.” Holly sipped the fragrant tea. “She says it feels like her job is now done.”
“I suppose she can spend all her time visiting them, spend a few months on each continent.” Ravi wasn’t wholly convinced by the set-up, his experience of supportive families revolved around keeping your relatives close-by.
“What is the next step in your life, DI Stevens?”
Ravi was taken aback by the question. “Well, I’ve been transferred to the Edinburgh headquarters of Police Scotland. Rupali wants us to buy a house in the city, close to where things are happening. She felt isolated in Cleland.”
Holly nodded. “I can sympathise. When I imagine what would have happened if Richard had never been murdered, I sense that living in such an isolated location wouldn’t have suited either of us. We’d been happy in Glasgow, in fact, I’m thinking of getting a flat and moving back here now.” She looked her companion in the eye. “When my husband chose that cottage, in the middle of nowhere, it felt like Richard was trying to escape something. It may even have been subconsciously, as he always appeared so in control of every situation. At the time, I thought it was his previous marriage to Eleanor and his sulky, difficult kids, but now I wonder if it was something else.”
“Well if it was, it found him there.”
“Yes, I suppose there was no escaping the past.”
Ravi cut a slice of Victoria sponge and lifted it onto Holly’s plate. “Come on, try some of this. It’s absolutely delicious.”
Chapter 33
The sun was beaming shards of light onto the modern glass frontage of Her Majesty’s Prison Edinburgh as Billy Edmonds walked out of the doors with a soft bag thrown over his shoulder.
Fergus stepped towards him.
Edmonds put out his hand. Fergus reluctantly shook it, feeling his skin crawl at the touch of the man’s clammy skin.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Mr Kelso. I couldnae’ have spent another minute in that place.”
“The information you supplied the Crown was very valuable.” The lawyer took a deep breath, suppressing the hot bile he felt rising into his throat. “You’ll need to adhere to your supervision order and turn up promptly to the community service tasks. The Fiscal’s office will be in touch with you presently to discuss how best to provide evidence in the forthcoming prosecution of the organised crime network you informed upon. I wish you good luck.” He turned on his heels, ready to walk away.
“Hold on, there. Aren’t you going to be taking those statements, Mr Kelso? I was banking on you being in court with me when I have to testify, I don’t know how I’ll manage it alone. I need you to get me some personal protection sorted. I’ll be a marked man after this. It’s your responsibility. You are my lawyer!”
Fergus turned briefly. “Not any longer, Mr Edmonds. And if you don’t manage to fulfil your side of the bargain, I’m afraid you’ll be straight back inside.”
Billy Edmonds was left gawping at Fergus’s retreating form, the heavy traffic on the A71 screeching past him.
*
Back at his chambers, Fergus scanned through the e-mail he’d received from his contact at Interpol. The officer had cut and pasted a section from the intelligence report relating to the football match played between England and Tunisia at the Stade Vélodrome during the World Cup of 1998.
The temperature on that June day had soared above 35 degrees in Marseille. The intelligence services knew the names of ten men who had travelled to the southern French city to attend the match and had a history of inciting violence. They’d been picked up by CCTV cameras at various stadia across Europe, throwing punches and projectiles at opposing fans. The problem for the authorities, was that they travelled around with other, legitimate English fans, blending into the throngs of ordinary supporters.
By the time this game came around, there had already been clashes following matches in Paris and Lyon, so the local police were prepared for trouble.
On the day of the 15th June, there were extensive reports of damage to bars, restaurants and shop-fronts as a wave of supporters of both national teams swept through the city.
Fergus noted the local police reports of several physical attacks. Skirmishes had broken out at various points during the long, hot night, outside bars and on the seafront. A couple of men had been arrested for assault, their names corresponding with some of those on Interpol’s watchlist. These individuals were immediately returned to the UK and banned from attending future fixtures.
The lawyer was wondering what real value this information provided them with. It got them no closer to working out what occurred between Richard McGill and Mark Vogel during that trip.
It certainly indicated that Marseille had been a volatile place to be. Heat and violence were all pervasive. The rep
ort made him wonder what it would have been like for the poor residents, who most likely shut themselves up in their houses or left the city altogether for the duration. It must have felt akin to an invasion.
Fergus was about to give up, when he decided to do one more thing. If the violence that had broken out that day was reported to the Marseille police, there should have been reports in the local papers. These might provide him with further details.
He powered up his laptop and commenced a search, just hoping that his schoolboy French was up to the task.
Chapter 34
The taxi cab drew up to the kerb at the north end of Brewer’s Street. The driver got out and stalked around the car. He opened the rear door and helped Alice climb out onto the pavement. She thanked him roundly for the gesture, adding an extra couple of coins to the tip.
She rested her weight on the wall of a vintage shop and watched patiently as Andy Calder approached.
He grinned as he got closer. “I’m buzzing from a caffeine overdose. I must have visited every eatery along this street, and there are quite a few, I promise you.”
“I really appreciate this, Andy.”
“I needed to pick up the CCTV disc from the building site anyway. I’m hopeful we’ll get a shot of our car park thief climbing out through the wire fence enclosing the block of renovated flats. He must have taken that route once he’d disposed of his unwanted items in the skip.”
“I hope you get a result from it.”
“If I do it’ll be thanks to you and Fergus. I couldn’t have identified his getaway route otherwise, so I owe you one.”
Alice felt suddenly apprehensive. “Well, did you have any luck?” The previous day, she had recalled Mark Vogel informing them that his daughter had a job in one of the cafés on Brewer’s Street. She just didn’t know which one.
“From the description DCI Bevan gave me of the Vogels’ adopted daughter, I’d say you’re best heading for The Roaster Bar, about half way down. She’s serving the tables.” Andy narrowed his eyes in concern. “Do you want me to go with you?”
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