Perfect Crime

by Helen Fields

  ‘So if you could get a good picture of her life, that would help. Friends and known associates, the places she frequented, where she shopped regularly, that sort of thing?’

  ‘Exactly. We need to know who saw her last, if she was in any trouble, you know the form.’

  ‘Got it,’ Lance said. ‘I’ll get a piece out tomorrow morning. So come on, spill the beans. How’s the gorgeous doctor and why have I still not been allowed to meet her yet?’

  ‘You’re too late. The gorgeous doctor is back on the singles scene. And she’s too young for you, so don’t get any ideas.’

  ‘Hey, some women appreciate the substantial benefits that come with dating an older man. We’re better at DIY, know how to stack a dishwasher properly, understand the perils of failing to pick up our dirty socks and most of us only have the energy for sex once a fortnight.’

  ‘You’re not selling the ageing process to me,’ Callanach laughed.

  ‘What happened?’ Lance asked.

  ‘Wasn’t working for me. It wasn’t fair on her to keep pretending it was. She deserved better.’

  ‘Do you need some advice?’ Lance asked, slipping an arm across Callanach’s shoulders and gripping the far shoulder.

  ‘No,’ Callanach replied, downing his whisky.

  ‘Sex is all in the mind. It’s not about perfect legs or shapely breasts. It’s about finding the person who presses that button in your head. Usually that’s also someone who makes you crazy and who thinks you’re a total idiot. Perhaps the doctor was just too into you.’

  ‘You remember the part where I said no to the offer of advice?’

  ‘This is a bar. I’m a Scot drinking single malt. You’ve split up with your girlfriend. What did you think was going to happen? If I hadn’t offered you useless advice, we’d have broken every pub tradition in the book.’

  By the time eight thirty rolled around they were both past the legal point of driving and headed for either a long walk or a taxi ride home.

  Natasha was late, which was usually Ava’s thing. By the time she sashayed into Whighams Wine Cellars on the corner of Hope Street and Charlotte Square, Ava was on her second cocktail and had already ordered food for them both. The rustic chic, bare brickwork and intimate cellar booths made Whighams the perfect place for a first date. It was Natasha’s go-to for seducing new partners, but Ava just wanted the sense of otherworld idyll she got there.

  A jazz band produced good enough quality music that Ava had been able close her eyes for a few minutes and lose herself in it. There would be no fights, no bloodshed. No weapon would suddenly appear from a pocket in a moment of drunken idiocy. In Whighams, Ava could pretend to be in any good restaurant in any city in the world. Not that she wanted to be anywhere other than Edinburgh, but sometimes the fantasy was pleasing and right now, a fantasy was the only thing on the cards with her annual leave still three months away.

  ‘Bloody hell, tell me there’s an explanation so titillating behind what’s happened to your face that I can sell the story to the gutter press for enough money to buy myself a sports car!’ Natasha beamed as she threw herself into Ava’s arms, hugging her then prodding the reducing bump on her forehead.

  ‘Ow! Could you not? And why are you so late?’ Ava moaned.

  ‘I was having my legs waxed and the beautician was delayed. Stop changing the subject. Why are you sitting so awkwardly?’ she demanded.

  Ava pulled up the trouser leg to display the gash complete with stitches.

  ‘Oh my imaginary fucking deity,’ Natasha whistled. ‘I thought my legs were hairy. You look like you’ve been living wild for the last five years.’

  ‘Thanks for that,’ Ava laughed. ‘My boss recently compared me to an extra in a zombie movie. I’m feeling all the love this week.’

  A waiter appeared with two tall glasses full of rainbow liquid and ice. Ava took hers and drained half of it before Natasha could gear up with another insult.

  ‘Seriously, the injuries. Line of duty or something more entertaining?’

  Ava sat back, hugging her glass. ‘Officially? Line of duty. But I took a stupid risk, Tash, and I have no idea why. If Luc hadn’t been there, I’d have been mashed potato at the base of Tantallon Castle.’

  ‘What were you doing out at Tantallon?’ Natasha asked.

  ‘Looking for evidence at a potential crime scene, which proved not to be, before it disappeared overnight in a storm. It made more sense at the time.’

  ‘I’d hope so. You went up on the walls in the dark? Have you completely lost your marbles?’

  ‘Guilty as charged and paying for it. I hope you’re hungry, because I ordered half the menu.’ Ava said, waving at the waiter to order more cocktails.

  ‘And you were up there with Luc, who saved the day. That sounds exciting,’ Natasha said, pulling a cocktail cherry from her glass and running it to and fro over her bottom lip.

  ‘A bit too exciting for us both. I nearly squashed him when he pulled me back over the wall, then he spent the night patching me back up. My leg bled all over his bedsheets, so I owe him a new set to add insult to injury, and now he’s going through …’

  ‘Overnight? In his bed? Just the two of you?’ Natasha raised her eyebrows. ‘Two champagne cocktails, please,’ she directed at the approaching waiter.

  ‘Don’t start,’ Ava warned her.

  ‘My oldest friend spent the night in bed with the best-looking man in Scotland – although he doesn’t do anything for me, so I’m taking everyone else’s word for that – and I’m not even allowed to ask about it? Does the delicious Spanish doctor know what the two of you have been getting up to?’

  ‘Selina and Luc aren’t together any more. And no, I’m not giving you her number.’

  ‘Damn, when did that happen? How am I so out of the loop? Hold on …’ Natasha continued before Ava could answer any of her questions, ‘you and Luc spent a whole night cuddled up in bed together and you’re both currently single? Wait, don’t tell me anything else until I have a drink in my hand, and take it really slowly. I want a blow-by-blow account. Hopefully literally. You have no idea how relieved I am. I was starting to think you’d taken some sort of vow of celibacy.’

  ‘Would you stop? Sorry to disappoint, but my night with Luc was completely platonic. Both nights, in fact. Believe it or not, we’re grown-up enough to be able to offer each other support without getting so carried away that we end up naked as soon as we’re alone together.’

  Natasha stared at her, frowning. ‘Both nights?’

  ‘Listen before you put two and two together and come up with the answer to what’s beyond the limits of the known universe. Give me a chance to explain. The first night I was badly injured and in shock after my near fall. Then last night, we’d come back from a crime scene and needed to talk. We had a few drinks and it was really late. I’d just had the stitches put in my leg, so it was easier to stay.’

  ‘Easier to stay? Be still my beating heart. So are you telling me you both kept all of your clothes on, both nights, and neither one of you touched the other?’ Natasha let her head fall heavily to the table, banging her forehead up and down three times. ‘You know, you were a lot more fun when you were sixteen. At least when you were still a virgin, you thought sex was something to look forward to.’

  ‘Tasha!’ Ava reprimanded. The waiter put two glasses on the table and she picked one up to taste the contents. ‘That’s so good.’

  ‘Did you at least see Luc naked?’ Natasha giggled.

  ‘I hate to be the one to remind you, but you’re a lesbian. Why the sudden interest in male anatomy?’

  ‘Humour me,’ Natasha said. ‘Details, please – less dull than you’re currently making it sound.’

  ‘I’m not doing this. I’m Luc’s commanding officer. It’s not appropriate for me to …’

  ‘That’s such bollocks!’ Natasha laughed, spraying champagne across her lap. ‘You spent the last two nights in his bed. Were you worried about chain of command, then? Plus
, Luc’s my friend, too. I’m not asking you for any details I wouldn’t be perfectly happy to demand from him if he were here.’

  ‘I can’t argue that point. You’re shameless, do you know that?’ Ava rolled her eyes.

  ‘Stop. There’s method to my madness. I want to prove a point – you know I love that. Think of it as a real-life example of a philosophical argument. I’m offering you my expertise for free. Now, finish your drink and give it up.’

  Ava did as she was told.

  ‘Okay,’ she began, ‘as I have nothing to hide, and neither does Luc, I can tell you every boring detail. I was a mess from the injury and wet through from the storm. Luc needed to see my leg to clean the wound and apply butterfly stitches. I had a bath, then I got into his bed – for the record, he stayed on top of the covers – and we fell asleep. It was late. We got three, four hours, then got up. He went for a shower as I got dressed and we drove to work.’

  ‘So you were naked, after your bath …’

  ‘Logic dictates I would have been,’ Ava sighed.

  ‘And did Luc take his clothes off?’ she grinned.

  ‘Oh! come on, Natasha, what is this?’

  ‘I’m just asking. Have you seen him naked?’

  Ava attempted to drain non-existent remnants from her glass before answering.

  ‘Yes, I have seen Luc naked, for your information, but only during an argument ages ago when he was making a point in a very childish way. The low-down, as you’re going this low, is that he’s physically perfect, as you might expect given the face. Six-pack, those nice little dimples between each hip and the curve of his butt cheek as he walks. His skin’s more than just tanned; it’s quite a smokey colour on his body. Good chest and nice arms, not excessively built up but well defined. You can see the different layers of muscles. Strong thighs, broad and flat at the top. And that line of hair that goes up from groin to the base of the stomach, like an invitation. You know?’ She smiled into her empty glass.

  ‘Waiter!’ Natasha called. ‘Bring us four more of these, please.’ She pointed at the empty glasses on the table. ‘That’s quite the picture. Thank you.’

  ‘You did ask,’ Ava said smugly.

  ‘I did, and your answer confirms everything I thought. You’ve thought about every inch of him. In detail. You’ve run it through your mind. No hesitation, no uncertainty. It’s all flattering. Some of it was actually quite nauseating. Did you stop to wonder how he felt about having you in bed with him?’

  Ava considered it.

  ‘It was his idea that I stayed. There was no point either of us sleeping on the couch, so it seemed like the natural thing to do to share the bed. He’s just got out of a relationship with a goddess, so it’s pretty obvious the only emotion he’d have had looking at me would have been pity.’

  ‘God, you’re stupid!’ Natasha said. ‘I mean, I love you, you know that, but you are outstandingly dense when it comes to your personal life. How the hell did you ever become a detective?’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘You haven’t noticed the way he looks at you? How possessive he is around you? How angry he gets when you’re in danger? I’m willing to bet quite a lot of money on the fact that he didn’t sleep at all. I reckon he just lay there staring at you all night, maybe stroking your hair a bit, or …’

  ‘That’s enough! Did the leg waxing also strip out your intellect? Luc has never made a pass at me. He’s never implied that he’s interested in me. After two nights in his bed, I can tell you that he didn’t lay a finger on me. If we weren’t such good friends, I might actually have been insulted; although, to be fair, I’m not looking my best …’

  ‘Well, the leg forest would have put me off, too.’

  ‘Fuck you,’ Ava said, taking the next drink off the tray before the waiter could set it on the table.

  Natasha burst out laughing. ‘Listen, you don’t have to answer this question out loud, but at least answer it honestly inside your own head. Can you genuinely say you’ve never looked at Luc – either fully clothed or naked – and not felt that fizz, low in the pit of your stomach? That liquid warmth spread through you? Because I’ve seen it in his eyes when he looks at you and I think you two may need to have a conversation about it.’

  Ava raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you done?’

  ‘Yup,’ Natasha said, sitting upright and pulling her shoulders back.

  ‘Good, thank you. Now, let’s change the subject.’

  ‘Okay. I know what I know.’

  ‘How’s your new girlfriend?’

  ‘Needy. Were you aware that your pupils dilated when I asked if you’d ever got turned on by Luc?’ Natasha leaned forwards and peered into Ava’s eyes.

  ‘It’s dark in here. Of course my pupils are dilated. Needy in what way?’

  ‘Too many phone calls and texts. Too much “hold me until I fall asleep”. Just so we’re clear, it’s not that dark in here and your pupils were just fine earlier.’

  The food arrived, distracting them with its beauty and smell. Ava had ordered Natasha the Scottish rib-eye, just barely touched down onto the pan, and herself the Shetland mussels. At last, Natasha stopped talking.

  Chapter Fourteen

  6 March

  Osaki Shozo pressed the buzzer and stood back, waiting to see if he could be saved, wondering if he should let himself be saved. He’d found the card for the helpline on a board in the job centre, which was presumably a last resort. Can’t get a job? Try not to kill yourself. Here are some people who might be able to help. It was either genius or cruel.

  ‘Yes, hello?’ a dull voice rattled through the tinny speaker.

  ‘I was hoping to see someone. I need … help. Can you help me?’

  ‘I’ll come and open up,’ the reply came.

  Osaki stepped back and waited for the door to open. He had no idea why he was here. The people inside wouldn’t be able to change anything.

  A red-headed young woman opened up, looked Osaki up and down, then stood aside and gestured for him to enter.

  ‘Follow me; there’s a lounge where you can wait. I’ve a form for you to fill in, but you’re not obliged to answer any questions if you don’t want to.’

  The tone of her voice suggested differently, Osaki thought. It seemed rude to refuse to complete the form and Osaki was never rude. That was part of the problem.

  ‘My name’s Vicki. I can get you tea, coffee or water. Here’s the form and a pen. Our next available counsellor will see you. It’ll either be Mr Packham or Mr Maclure, as the other counsellors are busy. It should only be a few minutes, anyway. Are you carrying a weapon? Only I’m supposed to ask. Also, if you’re currently under the influence of either drugs or alcohol?’

  She handed Osaki a clipboard and visibly sniffed the air. Checking for alcohol fumes, Osaki guessed, and not subtly. It was like being back at home with his parents in Tokyo. He bowed his head, realising Vicki was still waiting for a response.

  ‘No alcohol. No drugs,’ he said, ‘and no weapons. You can check if you need to.’

  ‘That’s not part of my job,’ Vicki replied. ‘You can hand the form to the counsellor when they come to get you.’

  Vicki had reached into her pocket and was reading text messages before Osaki had even begun reading through the form. It was all standard questions. Name, address, date of birth, doctor, current medication, addictions, next of kin – all clearly prefaced with the fact that no information at all needed to be given for Reach You to provide assistance. Osaki began writing his name, looking up when he heard voices from the other side of the door.

  ‘Vicki, I have asked you not to use your mobile while you’re at work. It’s really important that we focus on the people we’re trying to help and there’s a confidentiality issue, as you know,’ a deep voice rumbled.

  ‘I was just texting my mate. I didn’t realise I couldn’t even do that,’ Vicki responded. ‘And I’ve already added this file to Mr Packham’s list, so maybe we should just leave it for him.’


  ‘If someone’s waiting, we just get on with it. Take the file back off Charlie’s pile. It’s not a big deal.’

  ‘No, but Charlie hasn’t seen that many people today. I thought I’d share the cases out a bit better.’

  ‘Vicki,’ Maclure said patiently. ‘We’re not on commission. It’s about not keeping people waiting. Now, what’s happening?’

  ‘He’s filling in the form.’

  ‘It’s helpful if you stay with people until one of us can get to them, to set them at ease and offer a friendly face. You know that.’

  ‘I was just getting him a coffee,’ Vicki replied.

  Osaki couldn’t remember asking for coffee. Presumably it was a mistake. It sounded to him as if Vicki was new on the job. At least she had a job. Osaki would have given anything to have been offered work. Perhaps then his wife would have become less dissatisfied with him.

  ‘All right. I think there’s some paperwork in the office that needs filing, if you don’t mind. We’ll run over our meet-and-greet policy again later. Thank you.’

  Vicki had obviously been dismissed. Osaki stood up, anxious not to appear disrespectful to the man he hoped would have answers for him. The door opened.

  A good-looking black man with designer stubble and a broad smile offered his hand to shake.

  ‘I’m Rune Maclure,’ he said. ‘Come on through to my room, it’s more private. I gather Vicki’s bringing you coffee. She’ll find us.’

  Osaki followed Maclure up a short staircase and into a room full of photos of grand-scale landscapes and comfortable furniture. There was no desk, no office chairs, only bookshelves, plants and soft furnishings. He sank slowly onto a sofa and tried to put together a coherent explanation for why he was there.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Maclure said quietly. ‘The first few sentences are the hardest, so why don’t you let me start. Everything you say to me is confidential. We maintain notes, but they’re kept securely, the same as if you’d seen a doctor. If you don’t want to give your name, the notes simply record the time and date of your visit, and often they’re only referred to for internal training. It takes a lot to walk through this door, so whatever you’re going through, know that you’ve already been brave and helped yourself. Do you feel able to tell me what’s going on?’