Kerr looked like he was going to protest, but Delaney smoothly interrupted him.
‘We appreciate that, Inspector. Happy to help. There’s some interview rooms just around the corner.’
‘Excellent! We’ll start with Mr Kerr, if you don’t mind?’ said Farrell.
A momentary look of panic flashed across Kerr’s face as he glanced across at his colleague.
By the time they settled in the interview room, Jack Kerr was waxy white.
‘Are you feeling all right, sir?’ asked Mhairi. ‘Would you like some water?’
‘I’m fine,’ he replied. ‘Like we said on the phone, last night was poker night. Had a dodgy curry and a couple of beers too many.’ He attempted to smile.
‘You told the police that Fergus Campbell was with you at Max Delaney’s last night. Can you indicate when he arrived and when he left?’ asked Farrell.
‘He arrived around seven and stayed all night. Max has a big house. We often crash at his if we’ve had a few beers.’
‘Did you all sleep in the same room?’ asked Mhairi.
His mouth opened then closed again.
‘It’s not a hard question,’ said Farrell leaning forward.
‘Yes, we did. Sorry, things are a bit hazy, the demon drink, I guess. We just fell asleep on the couches in the lounge. We didn’t make it upstairs.’
‘What time did you wake up?’
‘We’d set an alarm for six. Fergus and I had to get across town to shower and change. I’d just got out the shower at home when Fergus phoned, said what had happened.’ His mouth twisted. ‘I still can’t believe it.’
‘How well did Fergus and his wife get along?’ asked Mhairi.
He paused for a beat then frowned. ‘Is that really relevant?’
‘You’re the defence lawyer, you know it is,’ she said.
He sighed. ‘They got along fine as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t really know her that well.’
‘Any chance she was cheating on him?’
His face flushed and he averted his eyes. His friends must have cleaned up at poker last night, thought Farrell.
‘Go on, you might as well tell us. It could have some bearing on her murder,’ he said.
Kerr pulled out a pen and fidgeted with it for a moment. ‘There’d been talk. Fergus hasn’t a clue, though, and I didn’t like to interfere.’
‘Who was it?’ asked Mhairi.
‘Another lawyer, apparently, but that’s all I know. Whoever it was they kept it quiet.’
‘How long have you known Fergus?’
‘About eleven years. We started down here within weeks of each other.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Is there anything else, officers? I do have somewhere I’m meant to be.’
‘Thank you, you’ve been most helpful,’ said Farrell.
Mhairi showed him out.
Max Delaney came in next and took a seat. Plump and smooth, his face bore a faint etching of broken capillaries that spoke to a fondness for hard liquor. He had the kind of hair that was styled rather than cut by a barber and the type of clothing that shrieked legal aid abuse.
‘Take me through the events of last night,’ said Farrell. ‘Is it still your position that the three of you were together the entire night?’
‘Yes, of course. It wasn’t a one-off. We often play poker, have a few drinks and whatnot.’
‘Was there anyone else there?’
Delaney looked wary.
‘My wife and child.’
‘Names?’
‘My wife is Chloe and my daughter is Mia, but she’s only three.’
‘Presumably you didn’t stay up the whole night when you had work today?’ said Mhairi.
‘It was fairly late. We were still up at two a.m., I recall. Given we were all there when the alarm went off at six, there wasn’t much scope for someone to have sneaked out, committed a murder and crept back in,’ said Delaney, with a hint of a smirk which he quickly extinguished.
‘Where did you all sleep?’ Farrell asked.
Again, a fleeting look of panic. They clearly hadn’t rehearsed that aspect of their story. He could see the cogs turning fast in the canny solicitor’s brain.
‘All together in the lounge. After a few too many beers we decided not to stumble upstairs and risk waking the family.’
‘What do you know about the deceased, Gina Campbell?’ asked Mhairi. ‘Did she ever cheat on Fergus Campbell?’
His face clouded.
‘There were some rumours a while ago but nothing concrete. A small Bar like this is a hotbed of gossip. I don’t think Fergus ever knew. It certainly wasn’t my place to interfere. All marriages have their ups and downs.’
‘Did she have any enemies?’
‘Not as far as I know.’
‘Has there been anything worrying Fergus Campbell?’ asked Farrell.
Max looked startled.
‘Not a thing. Unless you count having to appear in front of that jackass of a sheriff every day.’
‘He looked a right charmer,’ said Mhairi. ‘A bit power crazed?’
‘He got drummed out of Glasgow by the Glasgow Bar Association. Some poor kid hanged himself as a result of his bullying. Plus, he’s a total misogynist. They’ve palmed him off on us, unfortunately.’
Farrell and Mhairi thanked him and escorted him out. As he walked away they could see him already talking into his phone.
‘That sheriff was a nasty piece of work.’ said Mhairi.
‘A bully through and through,’ Farrell agreed. ‘That lass will have to develop a thicker skin if she’s to survive in her line of work.’
‘Do you think they’re on the level?’
‘Possibly,’ said Farrell. ‘Although, it would please me enormously to split their alibi wide open and shake the dust of this place from my feet within the week.’
‘You and me, both,’ she said.
As they were leaving, they noticed the fiscal, Peter Swift, walking ahead of them with a red-eyed Miss Roberts. She had her hand tucked in his.
‘Must be hard watching that sheriff rip her apart day in day out,’ said Mhairi.
‘I’d be tempted to punch him on the nose,’ said Farrell.
‘Now, that I’d pay good money to see,’ Mhairi laughed.
‘I can’t abide bullies. Can you hop over and catch Max Delaney’s wife before he has a chance to get to her? Don’t let her off the hook about the sleeping arrangements.’
Chapter 6
Farrell entered the station with a heavy heart knowing that Lind wouldn’t be there to greet him. A wave of nausea rolled over him and he swallowed hard. He had no idea how he was going to get through this investigation. In all the commotion this morning he had omitted to take his tiny maintenance dose of lithium. Normally he carried it in his suit pocket, but he’d forgotten today. A flash of anxiety ignited within him. He knew he couldn’t afford to relax his vigilance or his sanity might start to unravel once more.
He headed for the MCA room which was already a hive of activity. DC Thomson was directing matters with a quiet confidence he had grown into since he had last worked in Dumfries.
Farrell walked to the front of the room and put up his hand for quiet. The room hushed immediately.
‘First of all, let me say that it’s good to be back’ he said, trying to sound like he meant it. ‘The three of us are looking forward to working with you guys to nail this killer. He pointed to a photo of the deceased. ‘Her body was discovered at 6.25 a.m. by her husband, Fergus Campbell. He claims he was returning home from a night with his friends who, broadly speaking, corroborate his story.’
‘You reckon they’re being straight with us?’ asked DS Byers.
‘I’m not entirely convinced,’ said Farrell. ‘The three of them have been friends for a long time. They’re also criminal defence lawyers, so they know all the tricks of the trade. Because of that it would be unwise to accuse Fergus Campbell of anything until we have compelling evidence.’
‘DS McL
eod will dig into Gina’s background. Max Delaney said there was a rumour floating about that she was having an affair. I spoke to a Barry McLeish outside the court. He’s a frequent flier but when he was in the dock this morning he allegedly overheard two lawyers talking about our victim running around on her husband. He can’t remember or won’t say who they were.’
‘PC Rosie Green, you’ve been a Family Liaison Officer before. Given the dual nature of the role you’ll need to tread carefully. As the victim’s husband is a criminal defence lawyer, he’ll be wary of you. It might be an idea to reach out to other members of the family, to get an idea of their marital dynamics.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘DS Byers, would you bring us up to speed with the investigation prior to our arrival?’
DS Byers walked forward, a picture of sartorial elegance as usual. However, Farrell felt an unholy twinge of satisfaction to see a slight paunch swelling against the buttons of his expensive shirt. He must be letting his gym routine fall by the wayside. His hair was also starting to recede.
‘As you all know,’ Byers said, ‘the house is set well back from the road with the golf course at its rear. It would be easy for someone to gain entry that way without approaching from the road. We canvassed the neighbours, but no one saw or heard anything until the police arrived. No one even noticed Fergus Campbell returning to the house in the morning. There’s been no previous call outs for a disturbance at that address, and their immediate neighbours had very little to say about them beyond the fact that they are quite aloof and keep themselves to themselves. Nobody noticed any suspicious callers or activity in the area in the weeks leading up to the killing, apart from an elderly woman who lives across the road, who reported a prowler ten days ago. There were footprints and some fag butts beneath the trees, but no one was apprehended at the time. The fag butts were logged as evidence but weren’t sent off for DNA analysis as it didn’t seem important. Probably nothing to do with the case. More likely to be scoping out the joint with a view to breaking in.’
‘When’s the post-mortem?’ asked Farrell.
‘Tomorrow morning,’ replied DS Byers. ‘On the face of it the cause of death appears straightforward. It’ll be interesting to see how tightly he can pin down the time of death.’
‘Who was the last person to see Gina Campbell alive?’ asked Farrell.
‘It was the nanny, Jane Pearson. She picked up the kids at 7 p.m. to take them over to her house. The victim claimed she had a migraine and wanted an early night.’
‘Dressed like that?’ said Farrell. ‘I don’t think so.’ He pointed to the picture of the deceased. They all stared at her emerald silk dress and stiletto-clad foot.
‘Her husband claims he was unaware that she had plans to go out,’ said Byers. ‘Her password-protected phone has been handed off to the Tech boys. We’re arranging to requisition the landline records as well.’
‘If there’s any truth to the rumours flying around court it could be that her lover killed her or, alternatively, that her husband surprised them together and killed her,’ said Farrell.
‘You think his pals would risk everything to protect him?’ asked Byers. ‘That would have to be a friendship forged in steel.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Farrell. ‘I don’t think we can rule out anything at this stage.’
Chapter 7
Mhairi hadn’t eaten since breakfast but despite her grumbling stomach she drove straight to the Delaney place, a gorgeous architect-designed house on the outskirts of town near Terregles. Grudgingly she thought about the one-bedroom flat in Glasgow which she’d scrimped and saved to buy.
The vision of loveliness that answered the door in the shape of Max Delaney’s wife didn’t make her feel any better. Tall, slender and dressed in a powder-blue shift dress that complemented her tan and tumbling blonde curls, she made Mhairi feel at once short, stubby and travel-stained.
‘Mrs Delaney?’
‘Yes?’
‘DS Mhairi McLeod. I’m here in connection with the death of Gina Campbell.’
Her eyes widened and she ushered Mhairi inside.
‘Please, call me Chloe. I was so shocked when I heard.’ She gestured to a white leather sofa. A little girl aged about three sprang out from behind it and shouted ‘Boo!’ Mhairi clutched her chest theatrically and the child bounced on her toes with delight. Her dress was also powder blue and she had long golden curls like her mother. She was carrying a doll dressed the same way. This isn’t weird at all, thought Mhairi, struggling not to let her feelings show on her face.
‘This is Mia, my mini me.’
‘Yes, I can see that,’ said Mhairi.
‘Mia, why don’t you go and play in your room for a few minutes while I talk to this nice police lady? I’ll bring you a lollipop when we’re done.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise, now scoot!’
The little girl skipped off happily.
‘She’s adorable,’ said Mhairi with a smile.
‘Thank you. Now, how can I help?’
Mhairi pulled out her notebook and leaned back in her seat. ‘How well do you know Fergus Campbell and his late wife?’
‘I know Fergus fairly well. He was the best man at our wedding. The three of them, Max, Fergus and Jack, have been friends for a long time.’
‘What about Gina?’
‘They’ve only been married four years. To be honest it rather took us by surprise when they got together. Fergus was a confirmed bachelor before then. I always suspected he was gay but he was absolutely besotted with her.’
‘It’s been suggested that she might have been having an affair. Any clue about that?’
Chloe bit her lip and looked undecided. Mhairi held her breath.
‘I shouldn’t really say anything.’
‘It could be relevant to her murder. We’ll be as discreet as we can.’
Chloe swithered. Mhairi resisted the impulse to yell at her.
Eventually Chloe sighed and lowered her voice. ‘It’s been going on for a while. Max worries that Fergus might not even be the father of their youngest child.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Another criminal lawyer, Gabriel Ferrante, a bit of a rough diamond.’ She shuddered.
‘He scares you?’
‘A little. He’s got a scar right down one side of his face. I’ve nothing to base it on, but he makes me uneasy. You won’t say you heard it from me? Max thought it would only make things worse if it got out.’
‘Definitely not. Have you any direct knowledge of their affair?’
‘I only saw them together once, which was after the Faculty dinner last May. Everyone came back here to keep the party going. I went outside for some air and noticed a glow coming from the shed. I went up to the window and there they both were.’ She wrinkled her face in disgust.
‘Doing?’
‘What do you think?’ she shot back.
‘And you’re sure it wasn’t Fergus in there with her?’
‘He was inside drinking with Max and Jack. I really don’t think he knew.’
‘Who did you tell?’
She flushed. ‘Only Max. He said it would probably blow over and best to keep it to ourselves.’
‘Fergus found her body this morning. Both Max and Jack Kerr claim he was here with them all night until around 6.30 a.m. Can you confirm that?’
‘Yes and no.’
Mhairi leaned forward, pen poised over her notebook.
‘Max had told me they were coming over for a boy’s night at around seven, so I’d got in some beers and snacks. I think that the real reason they were getting together was that it was the tenth anniversary of that poor girl’s death. They were all badly affected by it and I think they wanted to mark the occasion in some quiet way together.’
Mhairi stopped writing and looked up. ‘What girl? What happened to her?’
‘They were all away at Jedburgh in the Borders for a trial. Max and his friends were staying together
in a guest house, but Colette, she was staying at a cottage. There was a fire during the night and she burned to death.’
‘That’s awful,’ said Mhairi.
‘I think going through all that was what cemented their friendship. Of course it was worse for poor Peter Swift. He was engaged to her at the time. That’s why he was there last night too. He doesn’t usually come along to poker nights, but I think he appreciated the gesture.’
‘The fiscal?’
‘Yes. He’s engaged to a lovely girl now, but it took him years to get over losing Colette.’
‘So, can you walk me through what you know about the evening before the murder?’
‘I heard Fergus and Jack arrive about seven. Peter arrived not long after that. I put Mia to bed at seven thirty and popped in to say hello, then went to relax with a glass of wine upstairs. They were all together in the lounge.’
‘How did they seem?’
‘A bit subdued but that’s to be expected. I didn’t see them again as the next thing I knew Max was shaking me awake and telling me what happened.’ Her eyes filled with tears.
‘It hasn’t even sunk in yet and here I am bad-mouthing the poor woman. She maybe had her reasons. I imagine Fergus could be … difficult … to live with. He’s a bit repressed. A boarding school survivor, you might say. Not exactly a barrel of laughs.’
Chapter 8
Farrell nudged open the door of his old office. It had a stale neglected air and he was immediately assailed by memories from the past, both good and bad. Emptying his few possessions into the drawers on the cheap wooden desk, he stretched his long legs beneath it once more. He’d better introduce himself to the new Super, Crawford Cunningham. He was relieved that DSup Walker had thrown in the towel. The fact that Farrell had been a practising RC priest before he joined the force had proved to be something of a sticking point for his old boss. Hopefully, his replacement would give him a fair crack of the whip. Not that he was planning to be around long enough to get fully acquainted.
There was a light tap on the door and in walked DI Kate Moore. Despite sporadic contact by text, they hadn’t seen each other since he had left for Glasgow with Mhairi. He was shocked by her appearance. She had always been slim and elegant, but her clothes now hung on her as though they were struggling to grasp onto something of substance and her skin stretched tight across her protruding cheek bones. Dark shadows ringed her lovely grey eyes.
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