by V Clifford
She said, ‘This is mad, isn’t it. We need a helicopter with heat detection.’
Mac snorted, ‘You’re kidding me. Nothing is getting off the ground in this weather.’
She bit the inside of her cheek. He was right of course, but she didn’t want to hear it. There had to be a way of finding them. It should be child’s play. By the time they reached Crieff the whole place was a winter wonderland. No longer evidence of pavements, Hansel and Gretel cottages, and cars sitting in drives with at least a foot of snow on top. Every shop and pub was closed. Lights in every house made them look inviting. Viv felt like a voyeur, peering in through open curtains, watching families staring at screens. A weird silence, dense and impenetrable, had descended with the thick snow and it seemed as if everyone had battened down the hatches, prepared to wait it out. At the other side of Crieff a snowplough passed and Mac decided that the best thing to do was follow it towards the motorway. Their only hope of getting anywhere was on the motorway and even then they’d be lucky if it was being cleared regularly enough to be anything more than one lane.
‘We’re at the mercy of the weather, Viv. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think we should head home until this goes off. The worst case scenario would be us getting stuck up some country lane.’ He grinned. ‘Or maybe not so bad . . .’
She play-punched his arm. ‘In your dreams. I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right. Christ, it’s impossible to see anything on either side of us. If we weren’t behind him,’ she pointed to the snowplough, ‘we’d be up the creek. Okay, let’s head back. See if we can find anything that would help work out his next move.’ She rubbed her face and flinched again as she caught the bruise on the side of her head. ‘This shouldn’t be this difficult.’
‘Sometimes it just is what it is.’
‘Oh, wise words, master.’
‘Sarcasm’ll get you everywhere.’
She glanced at him and reminded herself how good it was to have him around. Her leg ached, as did her head. It would be uncomfortable for her to drive even if the weather was clear, never mind in this blizzard. By the time they reached the motorway Mac was able to increase his speed to thirty miles an hour. The slip road was closed and they had to continue to the next turn-off then head towards Dunblane to get home.
‘God, will we ever get out if we go back to the cottage?’
Mac glanced at her. ‘It hasn’t been this heavy for years, but we’ve got more sophisticated gear these days, so the main roads will be kept clear.’
‘Even the Rav is struggling in this. I wonder if there’s a garage in the village with snow chains?’
‘You must be kidding. Even if they had them they’ll be long gone by now. The tyres on this are good. It’s just too deep in the drifts to risk getting stuck.’
Viv’s phone vibrated and another email arrived from Hahn. A row of smiley emojis with tears pouring from their eyes. No other words but another video attached. She passed it to Mac. ‘It’s too small to see it properly on that screen. Can’t we trace his phone?’
Mac said, ‘We’ll be back in five minutes and be able to view it better. I will call in a favour. See if we can trace it.’
‘I can do it, but the software I need is in Edinburgh.’
‘I’ll see what I can wangle.’
Doune was picture perfect, draped in white; the Catholic Church, perched up on the left, looked like a scene from a Christmas card.
Mac said, ‘I think we’ll leave the Rav at the end of the lane.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about the Rav’s performance.’
‘I’m not. I just don’t want to block Mand in.’
Viv clocked a dark blue car with its engine labouring parked outside the gift shop.
They jumped out and trudged through the snow, which was easing slightly, towards the cottage. A single set of footprints preceded them all the way to the front door. As they approached, Ruddy stepped out from the porch and Moll started barking.
Ruddy said, ‘She wouldn’t let me in. Glad you’ve arrived sooner rather than later. Every time I stamped my feet to keep warm the dog went mad. Besides there’s only so much stamping a man can do.’
Viv tapped at the door and shouted, ‘Mand. Time to open up.’
Seconds later her sister appeared with James on her hip and undid the locks. ‘Better safe than sorry,’ Viv said, for the benefit of both Ruddy and Mand. Everyone took off their jackets and after she’d made a fuss of Moll who was birling round and round with excitement Viv took the wet stuff through to the back porch, its under-floor heating specifically for drying outdoor kit.
Mand looked uncomfortable. ‘I didn’t know . . .’
Viv shook her head, ‘It’s fine.’
Mand said, ‘Kettle’s on. What shall I make?’
Ruddy shivered. ‘Anything hot that I can wrap my hands around.’ Mand flushed pink and looked away.
Viv put a finger in the air. ‘I think Sal has hot chocolate.’ She raked around in the larder and held a tin of Green and Blacks aloft. ‘The very stuff.’ She stroked James’s hair. He leaned his head against his mum’s shoulder, the two looking like a Victorian painting idealising motherhood. The reality was a sleepy wee boy with a thumb in his mouth easing the pain of teething.
Ruddy coughed. ‘Time for a different approach.’
Viv turned round. ‘Thank God. We need his mobile traced.’ She stopped spooning chocolate powder into mugs and showed him the new video on her laptop. ‘He wants to play now.’
‘What makes you think that?’
Mac said, ‘He’d definitely been at Cultybraggan. Obviously thinks he’s being funny and left behind a blow-up doll underneath a blanket.’
Mand looked at Viv. ‘Oh God, that’s horrible.’ She went over to her and laid a hand on her arm. ‘Vivi, that must have . . .’
Viv nodded. ‘It was. But it probably means she’s still alive. We have to believe she’s alive . . . Let’s concentrate on the maps and hope he hasn’t left the area.’
They huddled round Viv’s laptop as they played and replayed his latest video of Viv’s mum. Different grubby brick background and the sound was much harsher, but she was alive and holding up another newspaper. Her message, ‘Instead of making a transfer could you put the money into a holdall, used ten pound notes.’
Ruddy said, ‘Send it straight to me and I’ll have it enhanced asap, that way we should be able to trace the phone. But tracing it is only useful if he’s kept it. The last video he sent we couldn’t trace. He’s probably cleverer than we’re giving him credit for.’
‘What about a helicopter with heat sensors?’
Ruddy looked at her. ‘I’ve thought of that, but we can’t go up in this weather. The forecast is for it to stop by morning. But that still means a whole lot of snow and if it freezes they won’t fly either.’
‘But mountain rescue fly in all weathers.’
He nodded. ‘If we had evidence that she was injured . . .’
‘We don’t have evidence that she’s not. She doesn’t get to move. He might have broken her legs for all you know.’
‘She doesn’t look as if she’s in pain. She’s a pro, Viv. She knows what to do. She’ll wait it out. Wear him down.’
‘We can’t assume she has the energy to wear him down. He’s a strong man who was able to pull one over on me.’ Her voice was desperate. She knew that there was protocol to follow if technical intervention was required, but she couldn’t bear the sight of her mum staring blandly at the camera. ‘It’s odd that he hasn’t given a deadline, is it not?’
Mac said, ‘He’s probably convinced either by his own delusions or by your mum’s wiles that he will actually receive the money. If he doubted it he’d be more aggressive.’
‘You’d think he’d just want to get hold of the money and get out.’
Viv caught a look passing between Mac and Ruddy.
‘What? What’s with the look?
Ruddy said, ‘It depends on what he knows abou
t your mum and . . .’
‘And?’
‘And her relationship with his own mother.’
‘What are you not telling me?’
Ruddy glanced at Mac, ‘Greta was in love with your mother. Some might say obsessed.’
Viv rubbed her face hard. ‘But how did that happen? How did they know each other?’
Ruddy cleared his throat. ‘Your mother was assigned to Greta’s case. She was kind to her. Greta misinterpreted the signs. She must have. Your mother did her job exceptionally well. Have you heard of the term “swallow”?’
Viv screwed up her eyes. ‘Yes. Mac mentioned, it’s an old term for a female agent who . . . oh my God. My mum?’ She rubbed her face again. ‘Could this get any worse? So she was employed to seduce Greta.’ She could barely get the name out. ‘And then what?’
Ruddy said, ‘Then things changed. There was someone that we needed to bring home and we’d got as much out of Greta as we were going to, so she was swapped.’
Mand gasped and shook her head.
Viv was no slouch on the Cold War, but she was having a difficult time getting her head round her mum’s involvement in this cloak and dagger stuff – her mum seducing a woman, a spy, from another country in order to pump information out of her. She looked at Mac. ‘Christ, Mac, try and imagine if this had been your mum. It just seems too outlandish. So improbable . . . and yet the more you tell me, the more . . .’
Mand said, ‘It can’t be true. Mum would never do that. She’s always been . . .’
Viv and Mand stared at each other.
Viv said, ‘I’m guessing you know this because you’ve read her files?’
Ruddy nodded. ‘I wouldn’t just make it up.’
Viv snorted, ‘Oh please . . . if it was in your interest you’d have no problem making anything up. You’d tell us she was the tooth fairy if you thought you’d get away with it.’
Ruddy shook his head and glared at her. ‘No, I certainly wouldn’t. Your mother is a loyal colleague.’
‘But she’s not any more, is she. She’s retired.’
‘You don’t get it, Viv. Once in the “family” . . .’
She interrupted him, ‘I know, “always in the ‘Family’”.’
Mand said, ‘What exactly is it that you do for them?’ She gestured with her head to Ruddy and Mac, her face contorted with confusion.
Ruddy stared at Viv and made a tiny movement with his head.
She said to Mand, ‘Not much, and nothing that you need to know about.’
‘You’ve said that before. Surely I deserve some idea.’
With perfect timing Mac’s phone rang and he strolled off to answer it. The moment passed and Mand made for the stairs, stroking James’s head.
Ruddy said, ‘You’re doing a good job. We’ll find them. But no one is going anywhere in this weather.’
Viv was about to object when he continued, ‘I’ve got some film footage for you to go through.’
She was going to object again, but he put his hand up. ‘It’s CCTV footage from farmers in the area.’
She said, ‘Since when did farmers have cameras in their yards?’
‘Since a spate of agri thefts. Machines, tractors and for one guy a whole flock of sheep. Lifted in the night. So now lots of them have CCTV, some of it hooked up to police. Not all of it very good quality, but if you see anything that’s useful we’ll have it enhanced if need be. That should keep you busy for a bit.’
She wasn’t convinced and walked over to the window to check what was going on with the snow. It was nowhere near as heavy, but still fluttering down. ‘It’s not so bad out there.’ She turned and he handed her a USB stick.
‘Get a look at that. He thinks he’s invisible, but he’s not. It might save you going up another blind alley.’
It made sense, but she still didn’t want to stay put. He didn’t move and kept his eyes on her. It wasn’t an order, but she knew she was on the edge of being insubordinate. She sighed, ‘Okay. I’ll do it.’
‘Good decision.’
Mac came back and stood with his hands on his hips. Ruddy tipped his head slightly to one side, questioningly.
Mac said, ‘There’s a situation at Fettes.’
Ruddy raised his wayward brows. ‘What kind of situation?’
Mac glanced from Ruddy to Viv.
She said, ‘For fuck sake! What is wrong with you guys?’
‘The officer that we thought was going quietly has changed his mind. He’s turned up at HQ armed.’
Ruddy said quickly, ‘My driver is waiting on Main Street. Let’s go.’ He turned at the door. ‘I know you’ll be meticulous with the CCTV, I wouldn’t expect anything less.’
Mac looked at her. ‘Don’t try anything. This incident at HQ might be over before we get there. I’ll be back as soon as.’ He stepped out into the silent night and closed the door.
Molly skirted round Viv’s legs and nosed her hand, demanding attention. Viv kneeled down, snuggled into her neck and rubbed her ears. ‘Poor baby, you could do with some TLC. Come.’ She patted her thigh and Moll trotted at her side into the conservatory, where Viv stuck the USB in. She patted the couch and Moll hesitated, but jumped up and curled in beside her, pushing her head between Viv’s stomach and the laptop.
‘Oh, it’s like that, is it?’
Moll didn’t shift, so Viv stroked her head then got down to her search. The footage went back five days. That was a lot of footage. She knew 99.9 per cent of it would be mind-numbingly dull, but that was the nature of the work, for the 0.1per cent that could be gold. Fingers crossed. After the first few minutes of searching she had a whole new view of what farmers did. She had no idea that they were up and out in what was the middle of the night for the rest of the country. Good grief, four am was no time in the winter to have to get out of a cosy bed day after day to feed your cows, but these farmers did. They were also still working at ten and eleven o’clock at night, checking livestock or whatever else needed locking up. She guessed that since the thefts the rhythm of their days would be spoiled by the tension of not knowing whether your herd would still be there in the morning. Eventually, as she was losing the will to live, she spotted a black pick-up, too shiny to be a farm vehicle. She stopped the tape and enlarged the frame. There were two people in the front and one of them was not her mum. She went back online to check Kurt Hahn’s concert dates and saw that they had been cancelled. ‘Shit! So they are in it together.’ She wrote down the time and exact frame the pick-up appeared in then rubbed her face before continuing the minute by minute search. The next time the vehicle showed up was earlier that afternoon. It seemed that she and Mac had missed him on the back road to Crieff. She needed more footage closer to the camp. She heard James crying upstairs, but kept her head down and began a new search. She didn’t hear Mand approaching until she spoke.
‘I made a veggie bake earlier. You must be starving.’
Viv wanted to get on with what she was doing, but knew her sister was swallowing her pride. ‘Okay, great.’ She snapped the laptop shut and wandered behind Mand to the kitchen.
‘No news of Sal?’ Mand asked.
Viv shook her head, ‘Only the first day she arrived. I guess they’re getting their money’s worth.’
‘What exactly is it she does?’
Viv shrugged. ‘Good question. Sometimes it beats me. She does psychological profiling, but seems to have other strings to her bow. She helped to design facial recognition software and now she’s hanging out with FBI for a “sabbatical”.’
‘D’you think she’ll be all right with us being here for so long?’
‘Of course. You couldn’t find a more generous woman. In fact, she’d be offended if we didn’t, so we’re totally covered.’
Mand pulled out the bake from the Aga, and as soon as the smell hit Viv she realised just how hungry she was. ‘Smells fantastic, what’s in it?’
‘Oh, this and that. Courgettes, aubergines, onions, tomatoes and a few herby things
that I found in the larder.’
‘Is James asleep?’
Mand nodded. ‘Poor wee chap is out of his routine.’
It hadn’t occurred to Viv that her sister now lived by a toddler’s routine, but why wouldn’t she?
They sat opposite each other and ate in silence for the first few bites, then Mand said, ‘She is strong. I know she is, but I still think all of this will push her to, or beyond her limits.’
Viv said, ‘It is so weird, you know, thinking that you’ve had one kind of mum, then finding out she wasn’t that person at all. The thing is I’ve always thought she was a great mum. We were disciplined and guided, fed well. I’ve got good family memories of holidays, family gatherings with you, mum and dad and grannie. There was nothing odd about it. No whispers in the street or from our pals’ parents at the school gate. She’s brilliant to have juggled all that without us feeling deprived of her.’
‘Dad was the one I wanted more of, but I don’t know many people who, if they’d had a dad like ours, wouldn’t say the same thing.’
Viv pointed at her plate with her fork. ‘Where did you learn to cook like this? It’s delicious.’ She couldn’t make eye contact with Mand for fear of welling up. They’d never talked about their dad. The family, what was left of them, had a tacit agreement not to go there, but one day they’d have to. Viv was conscious of how much the pain of losing her dad affected her every day, especially how it influenced the special jobs that Ruddy provided her with. At some level her determination to bring others to justice meant she would gain justice for what happened to him. At another level she knew that this wasn’t true at all, but was consoled by the lie. They finished their food.
Mand said, ‘I feel useless. I can’t do anything. I’ve got to be with James.’
‘Of course you do. No one expects you to go out hunting for her. Just think how delighted she’ll be when she gets home and sees James’ glorious wee face.’
‘You think she’ll come home?’
Viv nodded. ‘Yes I do. I can’t pretend I’m not worried about what state she’ll be in, but his trick with the doll makes me think he’s not a killer. He’s a desperate man and they are unpredictable, but he knows that without her alive there’s no deal with the dosh. His only chance of seeing it is if she is returned alive.’ She screwed up her eyes. ‘Actually it’s odd that he hasn’t given us a drop point. Maybe now that the weather is bad he’ll change his mind about prolonging the game. Fingers crossed, but don’t you worry about not being able to help. I’m telling you that nosh was brilliant. When I’m wound up I forget to eat.’