by Lin Anderson
‘Is he okay?’
‘They wanted to keep him in overnight in case of concussion. He insisted on calling a taxi and went home.’
McNab answered on the third ring. ‘What’s up, Dr MacLeod?’
Rhona switched to loudspeaker. ‘Where are you?’ she demanded.
‘At work, of course,’ he said.
‘What happened last night that meant you ended up in A&E?’
‘Ah.’ There was an exasperated sigh. ‘I see your forensic assistant has eyes everywhere.’
‘Well?’ Chrissy got in on the act.
‘I had a run-in with a cyclist,’ McNab said in an irritated fashion, ‘as I explained to the nurse.’
The groan that followed sounded real. But the rest? Rhona suddenly thought of Ellie. Had McNab got into a fight over her? She didn’t get a chance to ask because McNab swiftly changed the subject.
‘On a more important topic, Cleverly’s gone back to London, having given us zilch on our fire victim and without speaking to the boss.’
‘What does Bill think about that?’ Chrissy said.
‘I plan to run the whole Go Wild thing past him. If the incidents in Orkney and here in Glasgow are connected, the boss will want to know.’
As he rung off, Rhona exchanged looks with Chrissy.
‘He’s lying,’ Chrissy said. ‘Sandra says his injuries suggested he was in a fight.’
‘Over Ellie maybe?’ Rhona voiced her thoughts out loud.
‘Exactly what I was thinking.’
25
She’d left before Dougie got up. His reaction the previous evening to being told she was off to London had been one of anger. So there had been little point in saying goodbye.
Ava realized then that by offering to help with the investigation, he’d been trying to prove that she didn’t need to leave the farm to do her work.
‘Mark has something to show me,’ she’d insisted.
‘He can show you online.’
At that point she’d stopped arguing because she didn’t want to tell Dougie that Mark had been reluctant to do that.
During the brief stopover in Glasgow, she’d rung Mark’s number but it had gone to voicemail. She’d tried again on landing, but still had had no luck. Mark had told her not to email. Just in case.
Looking around the packed Underground carriage, the myriad voices and the sheer number of people reminded her how long she’d been away from London. From Kirkwall airport to Glasgow to Central London it had just kept on multiplying exponentially.
When she’d first departed Orkney for London, she’d revelled in the city’s hordes, not missing the wide sky and empty landscape of the islands. Coming back now felt different, as though she were an insignificant ant among an army flowing around her.
Mark had arranged to meet her in a coffee shop in St Martin’s Lane, after she’d spoken to David Morris, her editor. If Mark didn’t turn up, what would she do?
Emerging from the Underground, Ava made her way to the cafe, and wasn’t surprised to find she was there first because she’d factored in time for a longer meeting with her editor than the one that had taken place.
At the onset, David had appeared keen on the emerging Orlova story, until she’d brought up Mark’s imminent involvement. That’s when things had changed.
‘You didn’t mention Mark when we spoke on the phone,’ he’d said.
‘I hadn’t talked to him at that point,’ she’d begun.
‘Mark can be a wild card,’ David said. ‘Treads on a lot of important toes.’
He didn’t give an example because he didn’t have to. The British government preferred to be seen as the good guy in the Middle East in particular. Mark’s various investigations there had tarnished that image.
‘He gets results.’ Ava had found herself rising immediately to Mark’s defence, even though what David said was true.
David had sat back in his chair at that moment and his expression should have been a warning. ‘The word is Mark’s under investigation by the Met,’ he said firmly, as though that was the end of the matter.
Was this investigation linked to Mark’s current interest in Go Wild? He’d told her he already knew about the company. Which was probably why he’d agreed so readily to help her when she’d called him, and why he’d asked her to come to London so soon after that call.
As for the Met, he’d rubbed them up before now. By what David had said, he must have done it again. Which could explain why Mark hadn’t wanted to reveal anything he’d found out over the phone.
Whatever the truth of David’s statement, their meeting had ended at that point, and not in a positive manner. In fact, David’s parting comment of ‘Let me know when you’re back down permanently and we’ll talk again’ had left her in no doubt that the Orlova investigation would only be of interest should Mark not be a contributor.
Ava checked her watch again. How long should she wait before abandoning her post? When she’d raised that question with Mark last night, he’d just laughed. ‘You know me. Always late to the party. I’ll find you at home if need be.’
Deciding the party was over, Ava abandoned her spot in the now busy cafe and headed for her flat, just managing to hit the rush hour. A phenomenon she’d almost forgotten about.
Rush hour on Orkney could be construed as passing a couple of cars on the road home to Orphir, but only if she didn’t know either of the drivers.
Out of the Underground now and moving swiftly into the residential streets, Ava breathed a sigh of relief as humans became scarcer and an occasional tree or hedgerow appeared. She’d been away from her Chelsea flat for work on numerous occasions, but the Orkney stay had had a degree of permanence that had made her feel like a stranger here. Slipping her key in the lock, she was suddenly relieved to open the door on her previous life again.
She stood briefly in the hall, revelling in its familiarity, before heading to the sitting room. It was as she glanced into her office that it struck her that something was wrong.
She came to an abrupt halt as the hairs rose on the back of her neck. It was the smell of the place, she realized. It had been empty for over two months, yet didn’t smell like it. Walking into her office, she ran her eyes over her untidy desk. The piles of articles, the books. Her back-up laptop. An abandoned coffee mug. Was everything as it had been when she’d left, after the devastating phone call from Dougie?
She realized that she had no idea. All she knew was that someone had been in here. Walking through the rest of the flat just confirmed the feeling. Looking for a logical explanation, she decided to check with Mrs Rosen across the landing, who held her spare key.
‘Ava, you’re home.’ Mrs Rosen looked delighted to find her on her doorstep.
Ava stopped her neighbour from beginning her commiserations on what had taken her to Orkney and asked if anyone had come looking for her in her absence.
Mrs Rosen looked surprised, then nodded. ‘A man did knock to ask me when you would be back and I told him I didn’t know.’
After being given a description of her visitor, which she didn’t recognize, Ava asked, ‘Did this man give a name or say why he wanted to see me?’
‘No, dear, he didn’t. Should I have asked?’
Ava tried to look unconcerned. ‘No matter, Mrs Rosen. It couldn’t have been important.’
Re-entering the flat, she contemplated the latest development. The man hadn’t left a name, but whoever he was, he’d learned from Mrs Rosen that the flat was empty.
Which gave him the opportunity to break in and do what? There was no mess, so he hadn’t been searching for anything. Plus her back-up laptop was still here and when she’d switched it on to check, it was working okay.
That didn’t mean it hadn’t been interfered with. Ava shut it down again, then began looking for bugs in all the usual places.
She was on her knees under the desk when she heard the front door open and footsteps enter the hallway.
She froze, unsure what to do ne
xt. She could stay hidden and hope whoever it was didn’t come in here. Or she could call out and challenge them. Chances were, they might leave if she did.
She shouted, ‘Who’s there?’ in as commanding a tone as she could manage.
‘Ava?’ Mark’s voice answered in return.
Relief sweeping over her like a warm wave, she ran into the hall and threw her arms about her former lover as though they’d never split up in the first place. ‘I forgot you still had a key.’
It was then she registered the cut mouth, the swollen right eye already turning fifteen shades of purple.
‘What the hell—’ she began.
Mark raised a hand to stop her. ‘First things first. Is there any whisky in the house?’
He followed her into the kitchen where she poured him a shot of Highland Park. Taking a gulp, he swirled it round his mouth before swallowing it and offering up the glass for a refill.
‘So,’ he finally said, ‘is David going to cover the Orlova story?’
When Ava shook her head, Mark showed no surprise. ‘Did he give you a reason?’
‘He says the Met are after you.’
Mark gave a strangled laugh. ‘I wonder who told him that.’
‘Then it’s true?’
‘Well, it wasn’t the boys in blue who did this to me,’ he assured her.
He’d taken a seat at the kitchen table as though his legs would no longer hold him up. Ava set the whisky bottle before him. With an attempt at a smile, he refilled his glass. After which he bent over, removed his left shoe and extracted something.
‘This is what I wouldn’t send you by email.’ He handed Ava a memory stick. ‘Everything I have gathered so far on Go Wild is on there.’
She gestured at his face. ‘Is this why you were attacked?’
‘Maybe. But I have my fingers in many pies, as you know. On the current subject, I heard that the Met sent someone up about a fire victim in Glasgow, who apparently had a link with Go Wild.’
Ava had no knowledge of that and said so.
‘Is there someone you can approach in Police Scotland to ask if that’s the case? Because, if so, that would make four deaths so far linked to the company.’
She doubted if she approached Erling that he would be familiar with the Glasgow case. So it would have to be someone close to that.
‘I met a Dr Rhona MacLeod in Orkney,’ she said. ‘She was the forensic scientist on the Orlova and I believe on the Glasgow fire too, although we obviously didn’t discuss either case.’ She paused, remembering. ‘Except when I mentioned looking into Go Wild and Rhona’s assistant realized an insignia she’d spotted on board might stand for the company.’
‘She’s your way in, then,’ Mark said, his eyes lighting up.
‘To do what?’
‘The guy the Met sent up, a DI Cleverly – there’s evidence on the memory stick to suggest he’s involved with Go Wild in some way.’
Ava’s head was spinning. ‘You’re talking about a Met police officer,’ she said in a shocked voice.
‘I know.’ He held her gaze. ‘Which is why someone in Police Scotland should be made aware of that.’ He gave a half-smile. ‘And that information should come from someone with an unblemished investigation record. And that’s clearly not me.’
‘I’m flying home tonight via Glasgow.’ Ava hesitated. ‘I could make a stopover. Talk to Dr MacLeod.’
‘Great.’ He took hold of her hand. ‘After that, promise me you’ll return to Orkney and stay there?’
‘I got you into this,’ she said.
‘And I’m glad you did.’ He forced a smile past his bruised lips. ‘We’ve always been good together at getting the bastards.’
Before he left he gently kissed her and held her tightly to him.
‘Be safe,’ he said, and Ava murmured back, ‘You too.’
Those words had always served as their goodbyes while in the middle of an investigation. Ava couldn’t prevent the feeling of foreboding they had begun to generate.
What if this was their last farewell?
That question had become the reason for their break-up, or – more honestly – her reason for ending their relationship.
Hearing Mark head downstairs, followed by the bang as the front door shut behind him, she felt again that familiar feeling of loss. He wanted her to be safe, yet discussing his safety was never permitted. She stood in the hall, wondering why she hadn’t told Mark of her possible intruder.
What would have been the point, she argued.
She was about to leave shortly for the airport. As to whether she would ever return to London, that was a decision she had yet to make.
26
‘Who was that on the phone?’ Chrissy said, removing her forensic suit.
‘Ava Clouston. She’s in Glasgow tonight and wants to meet up. I suggested she come to the jazz club.’
Chrissy’s face fell like a ton of bricks. ‘Bugger it. I’m heading straight home tonight. Mum’s got a date.’ Before Rhona could ask, Chrissy carried on. ‘His name is Euan and he works for the Scottish Fire Service. I’ve met him. He’s very nice. Although his appearance is about to curb my social life.’
‘I’ll tell you what happens first thing tomorrow,’ Rhona promised.
‘Okay,’ Chrissy said. ‘Or you could call me later?’ She made a begging face.
‘If it’s not too late,’ Rhona said, laughing.
Stuffing her own suit in the bin, she headed for the shower, wondering what the proposed meeting was really about. Ava had intimated that she’d been in London briefly and had been booked to fly back to Kirkwall via Glasgow tonight.
She’d hesitated then, before saying, ‘It’s a tight connection, and it looks as though I might miss it. So I thought it better to book in somewhere in Glasgow and head north in the morning.’
‘Sounds sensible,’ Rhona had said, already suspecting that wasn’t the real reason for the overnight stay. ‘It’ll be nice to see you again.’
Ava had sounded so relieved at this point, Rhona almost asked if everything was okay, but bailed out and gave her directions for the jazz club instead. ‘That’s our hang-out place after work,’ she’d explained.
As she walked towards Ashton Lane, Rhona pondered the real reason for Ava wanting to meet up. Was this to be a fact-finding mission regarding the Orlova case? Ava had shown no desire to interrogate them in Orkney. In fact, she’d been the one giving out the information, leading to Chrissy mentioning the GW insignia aboard the Orlova.
The autopsies on the three victims from the ship were scheduled for tomorrow morning and McNab had called her late in the afternoon, informing her that he planned to attend.
‘Campbell and Neville are the investigating officers,’ Rhona had reminded him.
‘If I’m right and the cases are connected, I need to be there.’
Something she couldn’t argue with.
McNab was propping up the bar when she arrived, Sean alongside. They appeared deep in conversation as she approached, and a little put out when she suddenly appeared.
McNab and Sean were not best pals; in fact, at times they’d been adversaries, even rivals for her affections. Although on more than one occasion they’d also been each other’s supporter.
Which was it this time, Rhona wondered?
It was Sean who spoke first. ‘I’ve been keeping McNab company while he waited for Chrissy’s arrival,’ he said.
‘So you weren’t talking about his battered face?’
‘He was run over by a mad cyclist,’ Sean said with a smile.
‘So he spun you that line too?’ Rhona was taking in the injuries in all their glory, in particular the bruised and skinned knuckles. ‘Did you beat up this mad cyclist?’ she said.
‘Bloody back-lane cobbles did that,’ McNab said, taking a mouthful of his beer.
Sean, obviously keen to get out of what appeared to be a tricky situation, slapped McNab on the back. ‘Next one’s on me, mate.’
‘Gr
eat,’ McNab said.
Rhona’s white wine was delivered at that point, which gave McNab an excuse to change the subject.
‘Why’s Chrissy not coming?’
Rhona gave him the mum’s boyfriend story.
He winced as he tried a smile. ‘That makes a change from hearing about Chrissy’s latest conquest.’
Rhona, not one to give up when in dogged pursuit of the truth, said, ‘About girlfriends and boyfriends. How’s the situation with Ellie?’
‘Okay,’ he said breezily. ‘We’ve been invited to Janice and Paula’s for dinner.’
‘And Ellie’s accepted?’
‘We’re waiting on a date to confirm. What?’ McNab said, catching her look.
Realizing she was unlikely to get anything more on the Ellie front, Rhona decided to spring her surprise.
‘Chrissy’s not coming, but Ava Clouston is. She’s having a stopover in Glasgow on her way back to Kirkwall.’ When McNab looked blank, Rhona reminded him of who she was talking about.
‘You invited a journalist here to interrogate us?’
‘I was thinking it might be the other way round,’ Rhona said. ‘She knew about Go Wild and the Orlova connection before we did.’
McNab began to show some interest. ‘So what’s the plan?’
‘We take her somewhere to eat and see what we can find out,’ Rhona said.
‘Without giving anything in return?’
‘Exactly.’
Rhona was on her second packet of crisps to stave off her hunger when the text pinged in, announcing Ava had arrived in Ashton Lane. McNab followed her outside, keeping back a little as agreed.
Rhona recognized the tall figure immediately and went towards her.
‘Ava, you found us.’
‘I found the lane,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t found the jazz club yet.’
‘It’s right at the end and down the stairs, but it doesn’t serve food and I’m starving. Have you eaten?’
‘Not yet,’ Ava said.
‘Do you like curry? It’s a big Glasgow favourite.’
‘Great. Lead me there.’
At that point McNab appeared.
‘McNab is going to join us,’ Rhona said.