In Harm's Way

by Owen Mullen

  The gold nameplate read B GARDINER. He knocked the door and waited. Across the road, grey clouds gathered in the sky above the Mount Florida Bowling Club; they’d be lucky to get a game in today. Apparently, Adele and Mackenzie had been at odds with each other most of their lives, in Geddes’ experience, par for the course. He wondered how that would influence what he was about to hear.

  A minute later he had his answer. Adele Gardiner bristled with hostility, her opening statement summing her feelings up. ‘This is a piece of bloody nonsense. I’m sorry police time is being wasted on it.’

  Geddes introduced PC Lawson and morphed into diplomatic mode. ‘You know your sister better than almost anybody. I’m sure you’re right. Just a few questions if you don’t mind, Mrs Gardiner.’

  It would take more than that to mollify her. ‘Gavin had no right to involve you. It wasn’t his place.’

  ‘He was concerned.’

  Adele folded her arms and glanced anxiously at her watch. ‘Mackenzie specialises in worrying folk. Always has. As for Gavin, he can shove his concern. Where was he while she was breaking our mother’s heart?’ She answered her own question. ‘Messing around in London. Before that, Edinburgh. Never there when she was acting-out. He doesn’t realise this is who Mackenzie is.’

  Geddes let her get it out before he tried to have a conversation – she was going to anyway.

  ‘There was an incident at your birthday party.’

  ‘An incident?’ She scoffed. ‘Fiasco would be a better word.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Nothing we haven’t seen before. She showed up the worse for wear and – thanks to my husband – drank three times faster than anybody else.’

  ‘Is he here?’

  ‘Not yet.’ Adele flushed and the detective realised her antagonism wasn’t about him. At least, not only about him. ‘He should be but he isn’t.’

  ‘We were hoping to interview both of you. Are you expecting him?’

  The tone revealed her contempt. ‘I really haven’t the slightest notion where Blair is. Much as it pains me to say it, I really don’t care.’

  She was wound-up and defensive. Geddes didn’t believe her. Adele flashed a humourless smile, there and gone in a second. ‘You’ll have to make do with me, I’m afraid.’ Her lip quivered; the mask slipped. ‘What must you think of us?’

  Geddes coughed into his hand and brought out his notebook. He hadn’t written much in it.

  ‘Maybe he’ll arrive before we’re finished, failing that we’ll catch up with him.’ He opened the book. ‘As I said just a few details to confirm. You were going to tell me about the party.’

  Adele thought out loud. ‘The party. The bloody party. Wish I’d never bothered. By the time Mackenzie was finished causing a scene, nobody was in the mood to eat. She was looking for a fight the minute she came in the door. Monica said something stupid.’

  ‘What about?’

  ‘Babies, of all things. Mackenzie reacted and it went downhill from there. Gave us a pretty graphic description of her and Derek’s sex life we could’ve done without, then made insinuations about Monica and Gavin. It was ugly and unnecessary. On her way to the toilet she spilled her drink.’

  ‘Did her husband say or do anything to stop her?’

  ‘Derek tried. She ignored him. It was embarrassing. I asked him how he put up with it and he told us about the row they’d had in Buchanan Street. Sounded awful. I felt for him. We all did.’

  She glanced at her watch again and rubbed her hands together, agitated.

  Geddes said, ‘According to Derek she claimed the man he saw was stalking her.’

  ‘Oh, that. It’s a cock-and-bull story.’

  ‘You seem very sure.’

  ‘A hundred percent. Only lasted two minutes before the truth came out he was her lover.’

  ‘Then you didn’t believe it?’

  ‘Not for a second.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Mackenzie’s an attention-seeker.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Absolutely. Not happy unless she’s the centre of everything. Part of the problem. Mum and Dad were great parents but instead of nipping it in the bud, as they should have, they encouraged it. Derek’s paying the price.’

  ‘Was this the first time Mackenzie had claimed she was being followed?’

  ‘No. She told me one night when she was drunk.’

  ‘What was your reaction?’

  ‘Called her the next day. She couldn’t remember even speaking to me, so I let it go.’

  ‘Gavin says the family thinks alcohol is at the root of the problem. Is that your opinion, too?’

  ‘My sister needs help. It hurts me to say this, but she’s unstable.’

  Geddes didn’t respond. ‘Can I ask your opinion of her leaving her clothes behind?’

  ‘Well, she’d got so many bloody clothes we can’t be sure she did. Maybe she just wants to draw a line. I mean, she hasn’t contacted a single one of us. And she’s changed her mobile number so we can’t contact her.’ Adele didn’t hold back. ‘Swanning off with the next fool while we’re left to clean up her mess. I’m furious with her.’

  Geddes glanced across at Lawson, remembering the conversation outside.

  ‘And what about the car Derek Crawford saw her get into? I believe it’s the same make as your husband’s.’

  Adele stiffened. The bristling came back. ‘So I’m told.’

  ‘It occurred to me he might be bringing her to visit you.’

  She dismissed any notion of sisterly togetherness. ‘Don’t know where she was going. I can assure you, it wasn’t here.’

  ‘Can you confirm if it was your husband’s car?’

  ‘You’d have to speak to him about that. I’d be the last to know.’

  Geddes realised he’d touched a nerve. He stood and handed her a card. ‘Tell him to give me a call. I need to speak to him urgently.’

  ‘Urgently? Surely you aren’t taking this seriously? It’s a private matter. Nothing to do with the police. And I’d appreciate if we were allowed to sort this out by ourselves.’

  Geddes ignored the plea; it wasn’t happening. ‘As I say, if you ask your husband to contact me so we can eliminate him from our enquiries.’

  She walked them to the door. ‘Should charge her with wasting police time.’

  It was starting to rain. Geddes turned up his collar. ‘Thanks, Mrs Gardiner. We’ll be in touch.’

  The women they’d spoken to were agreed Mackenzie Crawford was troubled. And it was obvious the missing woman – if indeed she was missing – had caused serious division in her family. In the car, Geddes fastened his seatbelt. ‘What did you think?’

  Lawson said, ‘I’m luckier than I realised.’

  * * *

  Gavin Darroch saw the caller ID on his mobile and guessed what was coming. He wasn't wrong. Anger poured down the line. His sister didn’t hold back. ‘You must be pleased with yourself, you really must.’

  ‘ What’s happened?’

  ‘Your policeman pal came round. Andrew. Nice man.’ The sarcasm was bitter and leaden. ‘Asking about the party and the nonexistent stalker.’

  ‘Told you he was coming. He spoke to Monica, too. What’s the problem?’

  Her brother’s naivete inflamed Adele. ‘Thanks to you this family’s being dragged through the mud on the strength of a drunken fairytale.’

  Gavin dismissed the assessment. ‘You’re overreacting. Nobody’s being dragged through anything.’

  Not clever. He’d lived long enough to have learned that telling a female she was overreacting wasn’t a great idea. He ignored the sharp intake of breath at the other end of the phone and ploughed on, digging the hole deeper. ‘Not getting along with your partner’s one thing. But this! It’s not rational.’

  Adele seized on the statement and beat him with it. ‘“Not rational”. Exactly what I’ve been saying. We’re dealing with a child in a woman’s body. Normal goes out the window. We don
’t know what state she was in when she left.’

  Gavin spoke calmly. ‘Then shouldn’t we find out? Don’t we owe her that much? Doesn’t it make sense to do whatever we have to, to be sure Mackenzie’s all right? What’s Blair’s thinking?’

  The white heat in Adele’s voice turned to ice. ‘I haven’t a clue.’

  ‘What did he say to Andrew Geddes?’

  Silence.

  ‘He did speak to him, didn’t he?’

  She faltered. ‘That’s why I’m phoning. You caused this mess so you can bloody well clean it up. Blair hasn’t been home and your policeman needs to eliminate him from his bloody enquiries.’

  She burst into tears.

  ‘I’m sorry. I’m only trying to do the right thing.’

  ‘The right thing!’ She almost choked on her anger. ‘The right thing for Mackenzie, maybe, not for me, Gavin. Never for me. But why am I surprised? It’s always been that way.’

  ‘That’s just not true…’

  She interrupted. ‘Not true! I asked you to find out what Blair was up to. You said you would, but you haven’t.’

  ‘I will. I promise I will.’

  Her voice cracked. ‘Don’t bother, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters.’

  ‘Adele…’

  ‘Don’t “Adele” me. You’d listen if it was Mackenzie. She’s got you all fooled with her candle in the wind routine.’

  ‘So where is Blair?’

  ‘I don’t give a damn where he is.’

  ‘Have you contacted his office?’

  The anger returned. ‘I haven’t, and I don’t intend to. I told you it was your mess. You find him. Blair Gardiner isn’t the “good old Blair” you think he is and it’s about time you realised it.’

  * * *

  The men walked into a deserted Cathcart police station and approached the officer on the desk. One of them, the one carrying a briefcase, told him why they were there. The policeman wrote down their names and asked them to take a seat.

  An hour earlier Gavin had called Blair. The conversation was fresh in Blair Gardiner’s mind, though ‘conversation’ wasn’t an accurate description. His brother-in-law had made his point and rung off.

  ‘The police want to speak to you. Need to eliminate you from their enquiries.’

  The expression had sounded unreal, something he’d never imagined someone would ever say to him. Gavin had been curt. ‘I’m texting you the number. Call it. Call it now. And whatever’s going on with you and Adele, for Christ’s sake, sort it out. There’s still no word from Mackenzie.’

  DS Geddes deliberately raised an eyebrow, looking at Finnegan, then at Gardiner. Nobody had accused him of anything, why bring a lawyer?

  Blair remembered the policeman was an acquaintance Gavin had met at five-a-sides. If it was an advantage it certainly didn’t feel like it. The phrase ‘eliminate you from their enquiries’ had convinced him he needed to defend himself. He’d caught Finnegan at home and got him to agree to ‘accompany him to the station’. Another expression straight out of crime fiction. At such short notice, God knows what he’d charge him for that.

  Not important. He’d seen the family’s reaction, their opinion written on their faces. Turning up with a lawyer had altered the dynamic, that wasn’t important either. The DS looked like a guy who didn’t play much football, or any other sport for that matter. He offered Blair his hand. ‘I was hoping to talk to you earlier.’

  The disguised accusation hung in the air. ‘Something came up at work.’

  The detective empathised. ‘Happens all the time in this job, one of the reasons the divorce rate’s so high. Get it sorted, did you?’

  Blair didn’t reply and introduced his companion. ‘This is Gerald Finnegan.’

  Geddes barely glanced at the bald-headed man in a three-piece suit before giving his attention to Gardiner. ‘Just a few questions. Shouldn’t take long.’

  They made their way to the room Gavin Darroch had been in two days earlier. Geddes closed the door behind them and they sat round the table. Finnegan opened the briefcase and readied to make notes.

  Blair said, ‘Doubt anything I tell you will help much.’

  The lawyer placed a restraining hand on his arm, its message clear: say nothing.

  The detective noticed the gesture, flashed a smile and cut it off. ‘People often think they know less than they do. It may be your sister-in-law has decided to quit her marriage and drop out of sight. It happens and it isn’t against the law. I’ve spoken with her husband as well as Adele and Monica. They’re pretty much agreed Mackenzie Crawford was erratic and had a drink problem. There’s also reason to suspect she was having an affair and may have run off with her lover.’

  He paused. ‘On the other hand, her brother’s worried that isn’t the case. I’d like to hear what you think.’

  Geddes could’ve spun it out with questions about the birthday party and listened to speculation about the lover/stalker. Instead, he chose a more provocative approach, guaranteed to have the lawyer jumping up and down. ‘Where were you earlier, Mr Gardiner? Your wife seemed upset you hadn’t come home. What was the “something” that “came up” at work?’

  Finnegan whispered in his client’s ear then answered for him. ‘Detective, do you have reason to suspect Mr Gardiner’s whereabouts earlier this evening is relevant to Mrs Crawford’s disappearance?’

  ‘That’s what we’re here to find out, isn’t it?’

  ‘In that case, not relevant. He was with me.’

  Lawyers, you had to love them. Geddes coughed and got straight to the point.

  ‘Mr Crawford stated that, on more than one occasion, the car he saw his wife get into was a blue Vectra, the same as Mr Gardiner’s. I simply want Mr Gardiner to confirm if it was, indeed, his car.’

  Finnegan slowly shook his head. ‘My client has already assured all parties concerned that, despite similarities, it was not, in fact, his car.’

  Geddes stared directly at Blair. ‘Well, now I’d like him to assure me. Was Mackenzie Crawford, at any time in the last three months, in your car?’

  The lawyer nodded his permission for him to respond. ‘Absolutely not. She’s never – ’

  Finnegan’s hand was back on his client’s arm. ‘If that’s all, Detective?’

  ‘For the time being.’

  ‘Good.’ He closed the briefcase and slid a card across the table. Geddes ignored it and kept his eyes on Blair. The interview had been short and sweet and unsatisfactory.

  * * *

  Outside in Aikenhead Road, Gavin Darroch sat in the darkened car, listening to a DJ in love with the sound of his own voice prattle away between tracks from artists he hadn’t heard of. Monica had been less than happy to be told he was going out. It wasn’t a choice. When he’d called Andrew Geddes to let him know he’d spoken to Blair, he was pleased to hear his brother-in-law had made an appointment to see the detective.

  What the policeman added changed his mood. ‘He’s bringing his lawyer.’

  ‘Why on earth does he need a lawyer?’

  ‘Why indeed?’

  More than anything, else the mention of a lawyer convinced Gavin to do as Adele had asked and follow her husband. He’d watched the men enter the police station and come out again twenty minutes later. Did that mean it had gone well or badly?

  They disappeared behind the building and appeared again when the lawyer’s car nosed into the traffic. Blair looked out from the passenger seat as they headed into the night, towards the city. Gavin edged onto the road, keeping two vehicles behind. At the traffic lights in St Vincent Street, they stopped, animatedly discussing what had just happened. Planning the next move?

  They pulled up outside the Lorne Hotel in Sauchiehall Street and Blair got out and the car drove off. He stood on the pavement checking one way then the other before going inside. Gavin was forced to drive on by so he wouldn’t be seen. His world was rocking. He’d known Blair Gardiner for fifteen years and liked him, but with the Spanish bar
oque silhouette of Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery etched against the midnight blue sky, he wondered if he’d ever really known him at all.

  He took the next left and left again into Argyle Street. A third left turn brought him to the side of the hotel near Mother India. In the Lorne’s almost empty foyer, a couple sat at either end of a dark leather couch, drinking coffee and reading magazines – in the middle of an argument or killing time? But they weren’t Blair and Mackenzie. He tried the bar and saw a group of business-types lounged in the corner – diehards from a meeting earlier in the day – loudly drinking their expenses, too busy laughing to notice him.

  The last possibility was the restaurant: The Bukharah. He stood at the door scanning the tables without seeing a familiar face. Blair must have gone up to one of the rooms. Gavin approached the reception desk and went into his act.

  ‘Has Mr Gardiner come back yet?’

  A serious girl behind the counter peered over her spectacles at the online register and shook her head. ‘Can’t find a Mr Gardiner. Are you sure he’s staying with us?’

  He glanced round and saw the couple on the couch holding hands. If they’d been having a row, peace had broken out. His family could do with some of the same.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I must have the wrong hotel.’

  * * *

  Monica’s eyes had sleep in them but she wasn’t in bed, she was waiting for him, her iPad discarded on the arm of the chair. Gavin hadn’t told her where he was going and, for once, she hadn’t asked. She’d realised that wherever he’d gone it was to do with Mackenzie and wished she’d contact her brother to let him know she was all right. If something had happened to her it would devastate him.

  She spoke softly. ‘Alice wanted to know where her daddy’s been all night.’

  He smiled. ‘What did you tell her?’

  Her hand stroked his cheek. ‘That he was worried about his sister and, like a good brother, he was trying to help her.’

  ‘And what did she say?’