Eye of the raven sd-5

by Ken McClure

  ‘ This is ludicrous!’ exclaimed Steven. ‘I’ve never been in the damned place in my life.’

  ‘ Aye, right,’ said the younger of the two policemen, a ginger-haired DC with a face like a ferret. ‘What’s your story? You had a quiet night watching the telly before going out and head-butting the pavement outside a sauna at two in the morning?’

  Steven fixed him with a look.

  ‘ Come on, Doctor,’ said the ferret’s boss, changing tack. ‘Your job here in the city was over and you fancied a bit of rest and recreation before going home. Perfectly understandable, we’re all men of the world. Things just got a bit out of hand. These things happen and the supposed extras that some of these tarts try to load the bill with are a nonsense…’

  ‘ Stop right there,’ said Steven. ‘I don’t know any Tracy Manson; there was no bill and I have never been in Cuddles sauna in my life. I was attacked last night around six when I got into my car and… I don’t remember any more.’

  ‘ Well now, isn’t that convenient,’ sneered the ferret.

  ‘ You’re beginning to annoy me, sonny,’ said Steven in an ice-cold monotone.

  ‘ Enough, Roberts,’ said his inspector. ‘We mustn’t forget that Dr Dunbar is a senior colleague of ours and has full Home Office backing.’

  ‘ No, boss,’ said the ferret with a grin.

  Steven bunched the fingers of his right hand and the ferret noticed. ‘Is that what Tracy Manson got then?’ he asked. ‘A bit of a thump for being a greedy girl?’

  Steven held his temper in check although it was touch and go for a moment. ‘Are you charging me?’ he asked.

  ‘ Not just yet,’ replied the inspector. ‘We’ve not finished our inquiries but you won’t be going anywhere will you, Doctor?’

  Steven swore softly as they left. He lay back on the pillow, wondering just what the hell was going on. The young doctor, whom he could now read from her badge, was, Dr Cynthia Reeves came back into the room and asked how he was feeling.

  ‘ Worse,’ replied Steven.

  ‘ How so?’

  ‘ Part of my life has gone missing and I don’t like what certain people are intent on filling it with. I can’t remember a damn thing after I got in the car last night.’

  ‘ Can you remember where you were going?’

  Steven thought for a moment before saying, ‘Oh God! I was on my way to see my daughter Jenny. God almighty! Sue and Richard will be wondering where I am. I’m supposed to be taking Jenny and the other two swimming this morning. I’ve got to phone them and tell them what’s happened.’

  ‘ Easy,’ said Cynthia, restraining him. ‘All in good time. It’s three in the morning. The whole world’s asleep.’

  Steven was persuaded to relax for the moment. He calmed down and lay back to start thinking again about the previous evening. ‘I got in the car and then… nothing. I can’t remember anything. No wait! There was a smell, a cloth on my face, Chloroform! It was chloroform! I remember now.’

  ‘ That would explain the slight skin burns on your face,’ said Cynthia. ‘They’re not consistent with a beating but direct contact with chloroform would fit the bill perfectly.’

  Steven thought out loud. ‘But they couldn’t have kept me under all that time with chloroform,’ he murmured. ‘They must have used something else.’ He started examining his arms, beginning with the inner aspects.

  ‘ What are you doing?’ asked Cynthia.

  ‘ Looking for puncture marks,’ said Steven, grimacing at the discomfort involved in the search. ‘Look! There it is,’ he said finally, pointing to a tiny mark on the inside of his left elbow. He lay back again while Cynthia examined it and agreed that it could have been left by a hypodermic needle.

  ‘ Did you take a blood sample when they brought me in?’ asked Steven His recollection of events at that time was still a bit hazy.

  ‘ Yes, for the usual routine’

  ‘ Can you rescue some of it and send it to the biochemistry lab for analysis?’

  ‘ Sure, what are they looking for?’

  ‘ Any drug they care to come up with,’ said Steven.

  ‘ I’ll see to it. Now you get some rest.’

  Rest was the last thing on Steven’s mind as the door closed and he was left alone with his thoughts. He was still in considerable pain despite having been given analgesics but it was the mental anguish that was really getting to him. He’d been set up by Paul Verdi but proving that to a police force who were obviously quite happy to see him discredited in any way possible was going to be difficult. He had to think ahead, try to anticipate the opposition’s next move.

  It only took a few moments to figure out that they were holding all the aces. He’d been unconscious for something like nine hours and couldn’t prove anything about his whereabouts during that period. To argue that he had never visited the Cuddles sauna or met the Manson woman wasn’t going to convince anyone, particularly as he’d been found lying in the gutter outside the place. He could see that the court’s reaction to such a claim would be much the same as that of the ferret-faced policeman. Proving his innocence was going to involve proving that he had been unconscious at the time of the alleged assault and was being held at some unknown location against his will.

  With a bit of luck the biochemistry lab would come up with the evidence he needed about the involvement of drugs but as for the rest, he wasn’t quite sure where to begin. He supposed his car would be as good a place as any. Forensics might be able to come up with evidence of the attack on him and maybe some clue as to his assailant. It would also be vitally important to establish his intention of travelling down to Dumfries when he’d got into the car. Luckily Peter McClintock knew that to be the case.

  Steven phoned Sue at 7am to tell her what had happened.

  ‘ Oh my God Steven, are you all right?’

  ‘ A bit bruised and battered but otherwise okay,’ Steven assured her. ‘The kids must have been awfully disappointed?’

  ‘ You could say,’ conceded Sue. ‘I let them stay up as long as I could last night but then I told them that something very important to do with your job must have come up at the last moment and they shouldn’t count on you taking them swimming today. The truth is that Richard and I were both very worried. It was so unlike you not to call.’

  ‘ Now you know why,’ said Steven.

  ‘ Do you know why you were attacked?’ asked Sue.

  ‘ I think I’m being framed,’ said Steven.

  ‘ For what?’

  ‘ An assault on a young woman in an Edinburgh sauna.’

  ‘ Oh dear,’ said Sue. ‘I’ve heard about these places. Sounds messy. Is it going to make the papers?’

  ‘ I hope not but there is a chance,’ said Steven.

  ‘ I just hope it doesn’t make the nationals then,’ said Sue. ‘Jenny thinks you’re the nearest thing we’ve got to Batman when it comes to fighting crime. I take it the police realise that you’ve been set up?’

  ‘ That could be another problem,’ said Steven.

  ‘ Oh double dear.’

  ‘ I’m a bit short of friends all round at the moment.’

  ‘ Well, you know you can always rely on us,’ said Sue.

  ‘ I do and I thank you for it.’

  ‘ When do you think we’ll see you?’

  Steven thought for a moment. He thought about the look on the kids’ faces when they woke up and learned that they weren’t going swimming after all. ‘Tonight,’ he said.

  ‘ But you’re in hospital!’ said Sue.

  ‘ Not for much longer. I’ll drive down later today and take the kids swimming tomorrow.’

  ‘ If you’re sure?’

  ‘ I’m sure.’

  Peter McClintock arrived just after eight when Steven was breakfasting on tea and toast.

  ‘ Well, well, well.’ He said, standing in the doorway for a moment with his arms folded and a smug smile on his lips. ‘You English blokes certainly know how to party.’

 
‘ Don’t you start,’ complained Steven. ‘I’ve had just about all I can take.’

  ‘ Looks like it too,’ said McClintock, coming closer to take a look at Steven’s cuts and bruises. ‘So what happened?… Not that I’m going to believe a word of it.’

  ‘ I left the hotel about six last night to drive down to Dumfriesshire. There was someone waiting for me in the back of the car. Shit! I should have realised when I found it unlocked but I didn’t. He held a chloroform rag over my face. After that I don’t remember anything until I came to in the gutter outside one of Verdi’s sauna parlours.’

  ‘ Not quite the same story the sauna staff are telling,’ said McClintock.

  ‘ Come on,’ protested Steven. ‘You know damn well that Verdi is behind this. He was warning me off.’

  ‘ It’s your word against theirs.’

  ‘ You do believe me, don’t you?’

  McClintock took his time before saying, ‘I’m not the one you have to convince and Verdi’s not the only one you have to worry about right now. Santini smells blood. He figures it’s payback time. The word is he’s going to send the papers up to the Fiscal’s office today with a recommendation that you be formally charged.’

  ‘ Vindictive little bastard.’

  ‘ He speaks kindly of you too,’ said McClintock.

  Steven told McClintock about the needle mark on his arm. ‘I should get the biochemistry report later today. Do you think you can at least stall him until that comes through?’

  McClintock looked doubtful. ‘Santini would like to see you suffer the same sort of embarrassment he reckons you’re putting the local force through. I’m not sure that he’ll listen.’

  ‘ Even if he knows that I’m not guilty and I’m not.’

  McClintock shrugged.

  ‘ Well, at least I know where I stand,’ said Steven. ‘Do you think your forensic people will go over my car or will I have Sci-Med appoint an independent lab?’

  ‘ I’ll get on to McDougal this morning unless of course, you still have doubts about our lab’s competence?’

  ‘ No,’ replied Steven. ‘There’s nothing wrong with McDougal.’

  ‘ What are they looking for?’

  ‘ Evidence of chloroform having been used plus anything else they can come up with on the guy who was in the back.’

  ‘ Is that it?’

  ‘ Tell me about these saunas,’ said Steven.

  ‘ Saunas!’ snorted McClintock. ‘Everybody knows they’re knocking shops but it’s council policy to leave them alone. The city prides itself on its liberal policy towards sex for sale. As well as the saunas the whores can work the streets unchallenged in certain designated areas. It suits everyone except the poor buggers who live there but then if you are going to have winners, you have to have losers. That’s the way it goes.’

  ‘ And Tracy Manson?’

  ‘ Not known to me but I can ask around if you like.’

  ‘ Please,’ said Steven.

  ‘ On thing’s for sure,’ said McClintock as he got up to leave. ‘You certainly got under Verdi’s skin. Makes you wonder why.’

  ‘ I hope it makes a lot of people wonder why,’ said Steven.

  ‘ Where’s your car?’

  ‘ I’m assuming it’s still in the car park at the hotel. If it’s not, I’ve no idea.’

  ‘ Better give me details,’ said McClintock.

  Steven asked McClintock to hand over his jacket and he took out his wallet to find the hire car documents, which he handed over adding, ‘I’ve been told not to leave town.’

  ‘ Routine,’ said McClintock.

  ‘ I’m going down to Dumfries to see my kid.’

  ‘ Naughty boy,’ said McClintock.

  ‘ Can I expect the cavalry to come calling?’

  ‘ Leave me a contact number,’ said McClintock. ‘I’ll do my best to head them off at the pass.’

  ‘ Thanks. I owe you.’

  FIFTEEN

  Steven left hospital just after eleven, having been given the all-clear about head injuries and having arranged that the biochemistry report on his blood be e-mailed to him as soon as it became available, with a copy going to Peter McClintock at Fettes Police Headquarters. He took a taxi back to his hotel and saw that his car was not in the car park. He didn’t know if this was because the police had already removed it or whether it hadn’t been there when they’d come for it. He decided not to ask; he’d let them sort it out. He pulled up his collar to hide his facial injuries and looked to the side as he walked through the lobby before going directly to his room where he called down to make arrangements for another car. He called Sci-Med to tell John Macmillan what had been going on.

  ‘ Anything broken?’ asked Macmillan.

  ‘ Just my pride,’ replied Steven. ‘But there’s another problem. Chief Superintendent Santini, the man who’s been bending ears in your neck of the woods, sees this as a chance to get back at me for poking around in his dirty linen cupboard. He’s all for prosecuting me for assaulting the sauna girl.’

  ‘ Damnation,’ said Macmillan. ‘What the hell does he think he’s playing at?’

  ‘ Who said policemen aren’t human?’ said Steven dryly.

  ‘ I’ll do what I can to apply pressure from this end,’ said Macmillan.

  Looking at his face in the bathroom mirror, Steven decided that he might need some cosmetic help to hide the worst of his bruising otherwise Santini might dig up an additional charge of frightening the horses. He had two black eyes, a stitched cut above one of them and severe swelling under his left cheekbone. His bottom lip was swollen where two of his teeth had gone clean through it. For the moment, he decided that a scarf worn around the lower part of his face — if he could lay hands on one — would suffice. He put on a pair of sunglasses before nipping down to the hotel shop where he found he was able to buy a navy blue scarf and a woollen hat — albeit with Scottish lion rampant motifs on them. Self-consciously wearing his new disguise, he made one other stop at a shop in the nearby Gyle shopping centre where he bought presents for Jenny and Sue’s kids — books on the sea and what lay beneath. The assistant on the till eyed him suspiciously; unable to decide whether he was a film star trying to avoid recognition or a shoplifter on a mission. She asked a series of auxiliary questions involving his postcode and mother’s maiden name before finally accepting his credit card.

  Steven got into Glenvane just after seven. The pain he’d been in from his bruised ribs on the drive down had left him exhausted and it was good to get out of the car and stretch himself, albeit gingerly. Sue sensed that something was wrong when she saw him from the window and told the children to wait inside for a moment while she came out to the car. Steven took off his dark glasses and gave a smile his best shot.

  ‘ My God, Steven, you really shouldn’t have come,’ said Sue. ‘You must be hurting?’

  ‘ It looks worse than it is,’ said Steven. ‘Maybe your make-up box can help? I meant to get some stuff on the way but when it came down to it I wasn’t quite sure what to ask for…’

  ‘ We’ll see what we can do in the morning,’ laughed Sue. ‘What are you going to tell the kids?’

  ‘ That I had a bit of an accident,’ said Steven.

  ‘ Daddy, daddy,’ said Jenny as Steven walked up the path to find her standing in the doorway.

  ‘ Hello Nutkin,’ said Steven, who’d put his dark glasses back on. ‘How’s my girl?’

  Jenny looked puzzled. ‘It’s not sunny,’ she said unsurely.

  ‘ Daddy had a bit of an accident yesterday,’ said Steven, squatting down in front of her. He took off his glasses and said, ‘I fell down some stairs.’

  ‘ Oh,’ said Jenny, putting her hands up to her cheeks. ‘You’re all sore.’

  ‘ I’ll be all right again in a few days, Nutkin; the main thing is I can take you guys swimming tomorrow just like I promised. Sorry it’s a day late.’

  Later, with the children safely off to bed clutching their new books, Richar
d poured three large whiskies and put another log on the fire. ‘You know, I used to envy you the excitement in your job,’ he said. ‘Now I’m not so sure. Maybe property conveyancing has its good points after all.’

  ‘ An occasional quibble about the bill is about as rough as it gets,’ agreed Sue. ‘I think I like it that way.’

  ‘ At the moment you’re making it sound attractive to me too,’ agreed Steven with an attempt at a grin, which immediately changed to a grimace of pain.

  ‘ You really shouldn’t have come,’ said Sue. ‘The kids would have understood.’

  ‘ Promises are important,’ said Steven. ‘I’ll take them to the pool tomorrow and then we’ll all feel good.’

  ‘ If you’re sure’ said Sue.

  ‘ I won’t be able to get in the water with them: my ribs are strapped. Still, they can do the swimming and I’ll keep watch on them from the side.’

  Richard got up and fetched the whisky bottle. ‘You need some more anaesthetic,’ he said, refilling Steven’s glass.

  In the morning, Sue set out to disguise the worst of Steven’s bruises with make-up, something that caused much hilarity among the children, but when she’d finished, Steven had to admit that he was now much less likely to attract public attention although he still opted for the dark glasses. Sue and Richard set off on a shopping trip to Glasgow and he drove the children up to Dumfries, happy at hearing their excited chatter in the back of the car and grinning at their exaggerated claims about who could stay under water the longest. Although his ribs were aching, he was a world away from his other life and that felt therapeutic in itself.

  Mary was putting the other two through their paces by insisting that they swim through her legs underwater and Steven was thinking how nice childish laughter sounded when his phone rang.