Close to the Bone lm-8

by Stuart MacBride

  Steel puffed on her fake cigarette. ‘Tell that to the four poor sods she tortured to death.’

  ‘Yes, well. .’

  She hauled open a bottom drawer, and pulled out a box the size of a thermos flask. ‘Laz: you caught her, and Anthony Chung; rescued Chalmers; and didn’t get anyone killed. Here.’ She chucked it to him. ‘You can have your present after all.’

  Logan caught the box. Whatever it was, it was wrapped in brown paper. ‘Do I want to know? ’

  Steel grinned at him. ‘Open it.’

  OK. .

  He peeled back the paper, exposing a plain cardboard box. Lifted the lid and stared. It looked like a plastic vagina, stuck on top of a thermal travel mug. ‘What the sodding hell is this? ’

  ‘It’s a Fleshlight: you stick your Wee Willie Winkie in it and jiggle it about. You’ve been a right miserable tosser since your girlfriend ended up in the hospital, do you good to relieve a bit of tension now and then.’

  Oh dear God.

  ‘For the tape, I’m showing Mr Chung exhibit six, a semi-automatic handgun of Eastern European origin.’ Logan held up the ugly black weapon in its clear plastic evidence pouch. ‘Mr Chung, would you like to tell us where you got this? ’

  Anthony Chung grinned. ‘Dude, it’s-’

  His lawyer put a hand on his arm. ‘My client has no comment to make.’

  Again.

  ‘Mr Blake, your client’s prints are all over it, and we have three police officers as witnesses, do you really think a jury will-’

  ‘My client has no comment to make.’

  A knock on the door, then PC Guthrie stuck his head into the room. ‘Guv? ’

  Logan sat back in his seat, closed his eyes. Gritted his teeth. ‘Interview suspended at. . nine forty AM. DI McRae leaving the room.’

  Outside, Guthrie shifted from foot to foot, glancing up and down the corridor as Logan closed the interview-room door.

  ‘This better be important.’

  Guthrie dropped his voice to a whisper. ‘It’s Insch. He’s downstairs going ballistic. Something about an early court date for his Hollywood starlet? Says he’s been calling you all morning.’

  Oh. . crap. Logan sagged against the wall. He was supposed to get Morgan Mitchell up in front of the Sheriff first thing. Knew he’d forgotten something. ‘OK, OK, I’ll sort it.’ He pointed back, over his shoulder at the interview-room. ‘Go tell them we’re taking a fifteen-minute break. Give them a bit more time to work on their lies.’

  The cell block was a lot quieter than yesterday. Today the only sound came from the PCSO office radio, oozing out hits of the nineties. Which probably counted as cruel and unusual punishment under the European Convention on Human Rights, but what the hell.

  No sign of Kathy in the lower cell block, so he tried the one upstairs instead.

  She was bootfaced, dragging a mop back and forth across the concrete floor. A bucket of dirty water sat beside an open cell, filling the air with the pine-fresh stench of disinfectant. ‘. .but no, it’s Muggins here who has to clean it up. .’

  Logan stayed well out of mop-range. ‘Having fun? ’

  She glowered at him. ‘Why is it that as soon as anyone pukes their guts all over the place, everyone disappears? ’

  Maybe not then. ‘I need to get Morgan Mitchell bumped up the court schedule.’

  ‘What am I, their mother? Lazy bunch of-’

  ‘Kathy: court schedule.’

  She jabbed the mop into the grey water, sending a little wave slopping out and onto the concrete. ‘I’m busy.’

  ‘OK. .’ He put his hands up. ‘I’ll wait.’

  He backed off a couple of paces, stuck his hands in his pockets, rocked on his heels. Then pulled out his phone and switched it back on. There was a pause then it bleeped at him: eight new voicemails and a dozen text messages. All from Insch. He deleted the lot.

  Kathy scrubbed the mop across a stubborn spot. ‘Not even my sodding job!’

  It looked as if most of the cells in the women’s section were empty. According to the boards by the doors, only three still had their occupants: an Amy Brooke — shoplifting; Morgan Mitchell — assault; and Agnes Garfield — four counts murder.

  Logan slid the hatch back.

  Agnes was sitting on the edge of the blue plastic mattress, her knees together, feet together, arms at her sides, hands folded in her lap. Still as a stone. Then she turned her head to face him. The heavy black eye makeup made streaks down her cheeks, like ravens’ wings.

  A blink. Then she opened her mouth. Closed it. Swallowed. Then tried again. ‘I’m. . sorry.’

  Bit late for that. ‘It’s not your fault. You’re ill.’

  ‘I never touched your girlfriend, I just. . She’s very pretty, lying there, all peaceful. .’ A little smile. ‘I was so jealous. Sleeping for years and years, waiting for her prince to kiss her and wake her up.’

  ‘That why you hung bones beneath her bed, so she wouldn’t wake up? ’

  Agnes frowned at him, as if he’d just said something incredibly stupid. ‘Why would I do that? The bones were meant to protect me from you. Tenet Nine: “The Lord helps those that help themselves.”’ She licked her lips. ‘But they weren’t working. I tried everything I could think of, but you kept looking for me, so. . I’m sorry I cut your brakes.’

  ‘That was you? I could’ve died!’

  Agnes nodded. ‘I’ve been. . confused.’ She looked down at her fingers, twisted them into a knot. ‘Is your police officer friend all right? ’

  ‘You shaved her head, stabbed her, and tried to drown her. What do you think? ’

  A pause. ‘Are you going to kill me? ’

  What? ‘No, I’m. . Why would we kill you? ’

  ‘I hurt so many people. I thought they were witches. We. .’ Her red hair fell forward, covering her eyes. ‘I thought I was doing the Lord’s work. Purifying them with the trial by blood. Making them confess. Saving their souls. .’

  So Reuben was right: Word is, the new kids on the block have an enforcer who’s a card-carrying psycho. Gets off on maximum pain.

  ‘It was you, wasn’t it? The enforcer.’

  The words came out as a low murmur. ‘The Kirk is my mother and father. It is my rod and my staff. My shield and my sword. What I do in its service lights a fire in God’s name.’

  ‘The witches worked for a rival drug gang, I get that, but what did Roy Forman do? Did he see something he shouldn’t? Was Anthony dealing at the soup kitchen and he found out? Is that why you burned him? ’

  Agnes peered up at Logan from behind her curtain of hair. ‘Burned? ’

  ‘Necklaced. Staked to the ground with a tyre wedged over-’

  ‘No!’ She shook her head. ‘The trial by fire is barbaric. A stain on the Kirk.’

  ‘But he was-’

  ‘Rowan would never do that.’ She shuddered. ‘Not ever.’

  Logan stared at her. ‘You didn’t burn Roy Forman? ’

  Sodding hell.

  Steel scowled at him, mouth pulled down, making the wrinkles stand out. ‘Well, of course she’d say that, wouldn’t she? ’

  ‘Why? She’s got nothing to gain — she’s already admitted to torturing three people to death, robbing graves, and trying to drown Chalmers. She knows she’s going to spend the next twenty to thirty years in a secure psychiatric ward. What’s one more death? ’

  ‘Arrrgh. .’ Steel slapped both hands over her face then folded over until her head rested on her desk. The words came out all muffled. ‘You’re no’ seriously suggesting we’ve still got some mentalist out there burning people? ’

  He pulled out his phone and got Control to put him on to PC Sim.

  Not answering her Airwave handset. Try her house instead.

  She picked up on the seventh ring. ‘Oh, come on, can’t I even have one day off? I got shot yesterday!’

  ‘You’ve read Witchfire-’

  ‘Yes, I’m feeling much better, thanks for asking. The stitches itch a bit where a
shotgun went off in my face, and my whole chest is one big bruise, but other than that. .’

  ‘Do you want me to send Steel over to kiss it better? ’

  A pause. ‘Urgh. . I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth.’

  Steel peered up at him between her fingers. ‘What am I kissing now? ’

  ‘The necklacing — trial by fire — does Rowan ever do it? ’

  ‘No. That’s all Mrs Shepherd. Rowan doesn’t believe in witches so the whole burning people thing sickens her. . Why? ’

  Of course it did. ‘Thanks. Enjoy your time off, OK? ’ He hung up.

  If Rowan wouldn’t do it, Agnes Garfield wouldn’t either. . But maybe a method-acting nut-bag would. The kind of person who’d go all the way to Iowa to learn about witchcraft. The kind of person who thought they had to live the role in order to play the character. The kind of person who could turn up at a soup kitchen and abduct someone like Roy Forman.

  Logan’s phone blared at him as he hurried down the stairs to the cell block. Unknown number. He pulled it out. ‘McRae? ’

  ‘You the one put an ASAP request on DNA samples from a body? John Doe, torture victim? ’

  ‘On Tuesday.’ Logan pushed through the doors at the bottom. ‘This is what counts as ASAP now, is it? ’

  ‘Sarcasm. Helpful. You try getting anything done when they reorganize your department every three sodding minutes, then lump you with a sodding software upgrade that throws false positive and negatives the whole time!’ A pause, filled with what sounded like angry breathing. Then a slow hissing noise. And finally he was back. ‘We’ve a ninety-nine percent match with a Mai Shi-tu, arrested half a dozen times for possession, housebreaking. Low-level drug dealer from Glasgow.’

  The double doors onto the rear podium burst open and Rennie swaggered in, then stuck his arms up, fingers making the victory signs. Like a young, blond, Richard Nixon. ‘Who’s the daddy? Oh yes!’

  ‘Yeah, well, that would’ve been really useful information yesterday when it actually mattered.’

  ‘There’s no need to be a dick about it, it’s not like-’

  ‘Next time we say ASAP, we mean ASAP.’ Logan hung up on him.

  A hunched figure hurpled in behind Rennie, leaning heavily on a walking stick, his left leg encased in a filthy cast from the knee down. His face was covered in scabs and scratches, his hair plastered to his head by the rain.

  Rennie waved at Logan. Grinned. Then turned and swept an arm towards his limping friend. ‘Ladies, and gentlemen, the one, the only, Mr Henry Scott!’

  Henry Scott stopped where he was, licking his chapped lips, eyes shifting left and right. ‘I’m sorry. .? ’

  Rennie beamed at Logan again. ‘See: told you I could do it. Found him in Kincorth, hiding in a derelict building.’

  ‘I didn’t do anything. .’

  The smile slipped from Rennie’s face. ‘I know you didn’t, Henry.’ He patted him on the shoulder. ‘I tracked down your sister, she’s been worried about you. Wants you to go live with her and the family in Perth. Help you get better.’ Then Rennie backed off a pace and sniffed the hand he’d just patted Henry Scott with. He shuddered. ‘But first, we need to get you a bath. .’

  Logan stayed where he was while Rennie led Henry Scott away. As soon as they were out of sight, the sound of Rennie whistling ‘We Are the Champions’ echoed up the stairwell.

  He slid the hatch open on cell number three.

  Morgan Mitchell lay on her back on the mattress, staring up at the advert for Crimestoppers painted on the ceiling. She raised her head and frowned at him. Then sat up. ‘Well, well.’ A smile. ‘You going to give me a seeing-to with the rubber hoses now? ’

  ‘It was you.’

  She stood and padded her way across to the door. ‘Of course, we could start with some light spanking, if you’re not ready for the heavy stuff yet.’

  ‘Agnes Garfield didn’t necklace Roy Forman, you did.’

  ‘Little old me? ’ She bit her bottom lip. ‘Now that would deserve a sound thrashing. That’s what you Brits call it, right? ’

  ‘You were there on Friday, with Nichole Fyfe, when he went missing. What did you do: slip him a bottle of supermarket whisky so he’d go with you? So you’d know how it felt to do that to someone? ’

  A laugh. ‘Seriously? ’

  ‘This is a joke to you? ’

  Her eyes narrowed. ‘Better believe my art is not a joke.’

  ‘You burned a man to death so you could play a part in a film.’

  Morgan took a step back from the door. ‘I didn’t do anything of the kind. I didn’t hurt anyone. Yes, I was at the soup kitchen, but I was with Nichole the whole time, helping the homeless. And you can’t prove a damn thing.’

  ‘Oh believe me, we’ll-’

  ‘I did three seasons on CSI New Orleans, do you really think I wouldn’t know how to clean a crime scene? ’ A little shrug, then the smile was back. ‘You know, if I’d done this terrible thing.’

  He stared at her.

  ‘You’ve got nothing, Inspector. If you had something: you’d be charging me.’ She spun around on one foot, as if she was on a dance floor. Then settled back onto the mattress, one knee up, an arm behind her head. ‘Now, be a good cop and take a hike. I’ve got atmosphere to soak up.’

  51

  Insch paced up and down outside FHQ in the rain, grumbling into a mobile phone, an umbrella thrumming over his shiny bald head.

  Logan turned up his collar and hurried out through the automatic doors from reception, hopping his way between the puddles. He stopped just short of Insch. ‘You knew, didn’t you.’ It wasn’t a question.

  Insch curled his lip, the sagging skin on his neck stretching like a tortoise. ‘I’ll call you back.’ He stuck the phone in his pocket. ‘So you finally deign to speak to me.’

  ‘Why didn’t you say anything? ’

  ‘You’ll be happy to know, I’ve been speaking to Ma Stewart. We’re making her the authorized supplier for authentic Witchfire merchandise. It’s high quality, it’s locally produced, and it helps support Aberdeen’s elderly community.’

  ‘Morgan Mitchell.’

  ‘I have. . spoken with the person she’s alleged to have assaulted. Turns out it was all a misunderstanding. He slipped and fell. Banged his head. And when she helped him up, he confused the order of events. He’s apologized and withdrawn the charges.’

  Logan stared at him. ‘What about Roy Forman? ’

  Insch dug a bag of carrot sticks from his pocket and stuffed one into his mouth, crunching and frowning at the same time. ‘The Hardgate Hobo? What about him? ’

  ‘She killed him. She lured him away with a bottle of booze, drove him out to the middle of nowhere, and burned him. All for your bloody film!’

  ‘Don’t be an idiot. The gentleman she allegedly assaulted has dropped the charges. Now let her get back to work.’

  Back to work. .?

  Logan jabbed a finger in Insch’s chest. ‘You knew!’

  ‘I have no idea what-’

  ‘Don’t, OK? Just. .’ He marched away half a dozen paces, then back again. ‘Roy Forman died, screaming in agony.’

  The only sound was the rain, making drum-rolls on Insch’s umbrella. ‘Morgan Mitchell — didn’t — kill — anyone.’

  ‘She was there the night he was abducted. She says she was with Nichole Fyfe, but what do you want to bet Nichole was so stoned you could’ve paraded half the circus up and down in front of her and she wouldn’t have noticed? ’

  Insch’s face was growing darker, the muscles along his jaw rippling. ‘And I’m telling you-’

  ‘All that bollocks about “You can’t just turn up and drone out your lines, you’ve got to inhabit the part. You’ve got to live it.” She killed Roy Forman just so she’d know what it felt like.’

  He clenched his eyes shut, two trembling fingers pressed against the folds of skin at his neck — taking his pulse. A thick vein throbbed on his forehead. ‘Morgan wouldn’t
-’

  ‘You said it yourself.’ Logan poked him in the chest. ‘She’s a method-acting nutjob. She thinks this performance is going to catapult her to superstar-’

  ‘NO!’ Spittle flew from Insch’s mouth, accompanied by little flecks of chewed carrot. ‘MORGAN MITCHELL DIDN’T KILL ANYONE!’

  Logan took a step back. ‘She did it, and she thinks we can’t touch her.’

  ‘She. .’ Air hissed in and out of his nose, like a broken bellows. ‘I’ve sunk everything I’ve got into this bloody film. We can’t afford to go back and reshoot every single scene Mrs Shepherd-’

  ‘What the hell happened to you? ’ Logan turned on his heel and marched back towards the station. ‘You used to be a police officer.’

  ‘Look, Inspector McRae, if you’re just going to sit there and scowl at my client, I don’t see any point in continuing this interview.’ Anthony Chung’s lawyer gathered together his paperwork.

  ‘Maybe if your client said something other than “no comment”, Mr Blake, we’d actually get somewhere.’

  Sitting on the other side of the table, Anthony Chung just smiled at him.

  Fine.

  ‘Constable Buchan: do the honours.’

  ‘Interview suspended at ten fifty-two.’ She reached forward and switched the audio and video off.

  Blake stood, but his client stayed where he was.

  Anthony’s American accent was beginning to fray around the edges, a hint of Scottish creeping in. ‘You go. I want to have a word, with The Man. Off the record.’

  ‘I have to advise you not to say anything to the inspector-’

  ‘I’m cool.’ The smile became a grin. ‘They know I didn’t kill anyone.’