Rush to Judgement

by John Carson

  They got out of the car and walked over. Ewan Gibson was there again, dressed in his forensics suit.

  ‘Again with fucking up the crime scene,’ he said by way of welcome.

  ‘Tell us what you have here,’ Dunbar said, pulling a hat on.

  ‘I’ll give you a fiver if you can guess.’ Gibson nodded towards the open coffin and the body inside.

  ‘How about you just tell me and I don’t get upset?’ Dunbar said.

  ‘Jesus. I bet you’re fun at games night.’

  ‘Put it this way, he always wins,’ Harry said.

  ‘Anyway, Sherlock, the body in the coffin is old. Really old. It’s skeletonised, with just some of the skin stuck on the bones. There’s dirt inside, stuck to the skull and other bones.’

  ‘It was dug up?’ Harry said.

  ‘You can come round to games night, my friend. My wife would love to have you on her team, because unlike the great DCI Dunbar there, I am not a loser. She needs a winner on her team.’

  ‘The coffin doesn’t look that old,’ Dunbar said, itching to skelp the forensics man but ignoring his dig instead.

  ‘It isn’t. In my professional opinion, that woman was dug up and put into this newer coffin and was being taken somewhere.’

  Harry looked around and saw some uniforms standing around. He called one of them over.

  ‘Who called this in?’

  ‘Me and Stan, I mean PC Winston, were out on patrol,’ Alan Davidson said, ‘when we stopped to turn around at the car park along the road. This hearse came booting, I mean speeding, round the corner and we gave chase.’

  ‘Did you see who was driving it?’

  ‘No, sir. It was going too fast. When we caught up with it, it was like this, as you see it. The driver was gone.’

  ‘Assuming he hadn’t lost control, where would he have ended up – where does this road lead to?’

  ‘Nowhere. It’s just a small road that leads to a hiking trail. It goes round in a loop and there are houses at the top, but that’s all. That’s why the gritters come round and salt the road. Not very often, like, but they do manage now and again.’

  ‘Thanks. I’ll read your full report tomorrow.’

  Davidson walked away and Harry looked round for Alex, but she was nowhere to be seen. He started looking for her and saw her standing in the graveyard next to a tall gravestone. He could see the vomit at the side of the marker.

  ‘Christ, Harry, I never thought being pregnant was going to be like this.’

  ‘If I’d known, I would never have had you come up here with me. You need to be in bed.’

  ‘I need to be here. A woman was murdered and we’ve got to give it a hundred per cent to try to catch whoever did it.’

  He walked over to Alex and put a hand on her shoulder, averting his eyes from the yellow snow. ‘You need to go back to the hotel.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ she said.

  ‘You don’t get to be a hero, not when you’re carrying my baby,’ he said, but then Alex was falling into his arms, a dead weight.

  ‘Jimmy! I need help! Over here!’ he shouted, and Dunbar ran over, along with the uniforms.

  ‘She passed out. We need to get her to a hospital.’

  ‘Say no more, chief.’ Dunbar turned to the uniforms. ‘Get this woman into the Land Rover. We need to get her help as soon as.’

  Harry helped carry Alex, and once she was in the back with the female officer who had shown them the way, they were off.

  Harry couldn’t help thinking that Alex looked like she was dead.

  Fifteen

  It was getting late, but Robbie Evans had no intention of going back to the hotel just yet. Muckle was walking about with Sparky and Shug, which left him alone with Vern.

  ‘Martin hasn’t left the stall all night,’ he said, looking over at Martin Blair, who was busy talking with the owner of the stall.

  Vern was stamping her feet. ‘He’s been there every day. Erica doesn’t seem to mind him hanging around. She’s one of the regular stall-holders apparently.’ She looked at her watch. ‘They’ll start closing up shortly and then the stalls will shut down for the night. Then we’re finished. If you fancy coming into the house for a coffee?’

  ‘That would be great.’

  They walked round more of the stalls, but there were few people left looking at all the goods for sale. Santa’s grotto was closed now, its last day Christmas Eve.

  ‘Christmas Land has been going for thirty years,’ Vern said. ‘I was looking at some of the photos hanging in one of the hallways. The skiers love coming here. I don’t see the attraction myself, but it’s got bigger over the years.’

  ‘But it only opens in December, doesn’t it?’ Evans said.

  ‘Technically, the end of November, but its last day is Hogmanay.’

  ‘Where do you go from here?’

  ‘Back home. To Glasgow. I’m an old friend of Shug’s and he said they needed a new security member this year, so I joined the team.’

  They walked near to Erica’s stall. It sold imported, handcrafted goods from Europe. Or tat, as Evans called it.

  ‘Evening, Miss Vern,’ Martin said.

  ‘Good evening, Martin,’ Vern said, smiling at the young man.

  Martin didn’t look as if he was having mental health issues. Maybe spending all that time in the psychiatric hospital had helped him get a handle on things. It couldn’t be easy finding your friend hanging from a tree.

  ‘Hello, Erica,’ Vern said as the young woman popped back up from bending down behind the counter.

  ‘Oh, hello, Vern. How’re things going?’

  ‘Same as usual. We’re here in case scallies like you start any nonsense.’ Vern laughed. ‘Erica Sibbald, this is DS Robbie Evans.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Robbie Evans.’

  ‘Likewise,’ Evans said.

  ‘I have to admit, things have been quite good this year. And I got me a new helper. I’ll be sad to see this place close down again. It’s my favourite spot.’

  ‘Do you travel around?’ Evans asked.

  ‘Oh, no. I own a shop in town, selling skiing gear. You wouldn’t believe the numpties who come up here and they’ve forgotten to pack something. Or they break something, lose something. You name it, I have that something in my shop. But I do this for fun. My manager runs the shop for me. It’s like having a break, coming here.’

  ‘I like helping out too. Miss Sibbald says I can help out in her shop later, when I get some training.’

  ‘That’s terrific, Martin,’ Vern said.

  Evans’s phone rang. He answered it.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘It’s Dunbar, Robbie. We’re over at the hospital. Alex collapsed. I just wanted you to know where we’re at, in case you need to get hold of us.’

  ‘I’ll be right over.’ He hung up and turned to Vern and explained what had happened.

  ‘Give her my best,’ Vern said and watched as Evans walked away.

  Martin was looking at her.

  And he wasn’t smiling anymore.

  Sixteen

  ‘You’ve nothing to worry about,’ doctor Carter said, smiling down at Alex. He turned to Harry, who was standing anxiously behind him. ‘It’s extreme morning sickness. Called hyperemesis gravidarum. It happens to some mothers-to-be. We just need to give her some medicine and that will take care of things. Plus she’ll be on the IV, because she was starting to get dehydrated. It’s nothing to worry about. Some women get it when they’re pregnant.’

  ‘Thanks, Doctor,’ Harry said.

  ‘However,’ Carter said to Alex, ‘you’ll need some bed rest. At least a few days. Then you’ll be up and about again. But I’d rather keep you in, just to keep an eye on things.’ He smiled at her.

  ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was weak and she felt tired.

  ‘I’ll leave you both alone now. If you need anything, just press the button and a nurse will come.’

  Carter left the room and Harry sat down on the bed n
ext to her.

  ‘Knock, knock,’ Dunbar said, opening the door a fraction. ‘Everybody decent?’

  ‘Come in, Jimmy,’ Harry said. ‘Did you expect me to be running about in my skids or something?’

  ‘You never know with you. Look at you; the poor lassie’s knackered and you’re trying to worm your way under the covers.’

  Harry laughed.

  ‘Come in, Jimmy,’ Alex said as Dunbar closed the door. ‘Thank you for putting up with me.’

  ‘Och, don’t be daft. Shit happens to all of us.’

  Just then there was a rapid knocking at the door. Dunbar stood up and opened it. Evans was standing there, out of breath.

  ‘Get in here. Did you run all the way?’

  ‘Just up the stairs.’

  ‘Look at the state of him. Too many bloody bacon rolls. You need to eat more yoghurt, son.’

  But Evans walked past Dunbar and stood at the end of the bed. ‘Is everything okay?’

  ‘She’s fine, pal,’ Harry said. ‘Extreme sickness.’

  ‘Thank God. I drove here as fast as I could. Muckle wanted to come over, but they wouldn’t have let Sparky in, so I promised I’d let him know.’

  ‘Good man.’

  ‘Thanks for coming in, Robbie,’ said Alex, ‘but I’ll be up and about in a couple of days. I feel like a fool.’

  ‘She passed out in the graveyard and we got her here,’ said Harry. ‘Luckily, there were plenty of bodies on hand. If you see what I mean.’

  ‘It’s nice you’re concerned for me, but it’s just sickness. I’ll be right as rain. I don’t want to let the team down.’

  ‘What?’ Dunbar said. ‘Away with yourself. You’re not letting anybody down. Besides, we have Muckle and the others to give us backup if we need it. I wouldn’t put too much hope in the uniforms around here.’

  ‘Good,’ Evans said. ‘Call me if you need anything.’

  ‘Thanks, Robbie.’

  ‘Right, laddie, let’s give this couple some peace,’ said Dunbar. ‘Although I think this one here has already done the damage.’

  ‘He’s an animal right enough,’ Alex said.

  ‘You’re just encouraging him,’ Harry said.

  ‘Catch you later this morning.’ Dunbar and Evans left Harry alone with his wife.

  ‘Christ, you scared me,’ Harry said.

  ‘I scared myself. One minute I was throwing up against some poor person’s headstone, the next I was in here.’

  ‘I don’t think the dead person will mind.’

  ‘Not the point. Anyway, what’s the latest on the body in the coffin?’

  ‘It’s old.’

  ‘I don’t understand what it was doing in a hearse.’

  ‘Nobody does. Yet. We’re having a meeting first thing in the morning.’ He looked at the clock on the wall. ‘Later this morning.’

  She put a hand on his. ‘Go get some rest. I can’t afford to have you knackered as well.’

  ‘I will. I’m feeling it now. I’ll be drinking coffee like it’s going out of fashion tomorrow.’ He looked at her for a moment, questions rolling around inside his head. ‘Are you going to tell your parents you’re pregnant?’

  ‘No. They washed their hands of me.’

  ‘It’s their grandchild. It might be a way of building bridges.’

  Alex looked away from him for a moment. ‘I’ll think about it, okay? Just give me some time.’

  ‘Okay. I won’t pressure you. I just wanted you to know that I’ll stick by whatever you decide.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Harry leaned down and gave her a kiss. ‘Promise me you won’t come back to work until you feel fit?’

  ‘I promise.’

  He stopped at the door and smiled at her, and then walked along the quiet hallway. One half of him wanted nothing more to do with Alex’s parents after the way they had treated her, but he was willing to start with a clean slate.

  Seventeen

  The two men sat in the dark room, only the light from the log fire illuminating their faces.

  ‘He crashed the hearse,’ the first one said matter-of-factly. ‘That was deliberate.’

  ‘Jesus. He’s drawing attention to the body. He wanted to get the police to look into it. We’re screwed.’

  ‘Maybe we should just go to the police and tell them everything.’

  ‘That wouldn’t get us anywhere, except prison,’ the second man said. ‘I have no intention of going into a big house where spin the bottle means not being able to sit for a week.’

  ‘Why now? Why is he doing this?’ The first man got up out of his chair and went to the window. It was snowing outside, which used to look good, but now it was just a pain. He turned back to the other man. ‘If they catch him, then it will all come crashing down anyway.’

  ‘I’d rather take the risk.’ The second man looked at his friend. ‘He’s hiding in plain sight. He’ll leave and go to new hunting ground. Now, go and pour us a drink.’

  Eighteen

  Jimmy Dunbar and Robbie Evans were eating breakfast when Harry came down.

  ‘Did you call the hospital?’ Dunbar said.

  ‘I did. She’s fine. They’ll keep an eye on her today, then they’ll release her this afternoon.’

  ‘Take whatever time you need, friend. The young toerag here and I have got things in hand.’ Dunbar bit into a slice of toast and washed it down with some coffee as Harry grabbed something to eat.

  ‘I want to go and talk to Shug’s husband, David,’ said Dunbar. ‘He writes real-life crime books. He’s interested in this case, since it’s happening while he’s here. I thought maybe you could go to the mortuary –’

  ‘Listen, Jimmy,’ Harry cut in, ‘there’s something you should know about me. I hate the bloody mortuary. Yes, yes, I’ve been hundreds of times, but it gets my guts rolling every single time. It’s the smell of the place.’

  ‘Okay, Robbie and I will go along. We’ll keep you in the loop.’

  ‘If that was me,’ said Evans, ‘you’d call me a fanny.’

  ‘You are a fanny. Harry’s earned his keep on the force, son. When you’ve got the same service as he has, you can delegate who goes to the mortuary. Meantime, get your breakfast finished so we can go and find out about that skeleton. And find out when the hearse was nicked.’ Dunbar turned to Harry. ‘The old boy at the funeral director’s place didn’t even know somebody had choried his hearse.’

  ‘Does he have cameras?’

  ‘We’ll find out later.’ Dunbar held up his cup, waving it about in front of Evans.

  ‘What?’ Evans said.

  ‘I think I can hear a plane coming over.’

  Evans shook his head. ‘Give me your cup then.’

  Dunbar grinned as Evans went to top up the coffees.

  ‘He was shagging Linda Fry, wasn’t he?’ Harry said in a low voice. ‘And now you’re blackmailing him.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ Dunbar said, smiling.

  ‘Are you going to put him out of his misery?’

  ‘Let me have some fun first.’

  Nineteen

  Harry had asked for a pool car from the station and a uniform brought him a Vauxhall. He drove over to the hospital. When he stepped out of the lift, he saw Alex’s doctor standing talking to Dudley Matthews, the therapist.

  Harry walked along to Alex’s room and found her sitting up in bed.

  ‘Morning, honey,’ he said to her. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Better. But I can’t even look at food. Jesus, just the thought –’

  ‘Don’t talk about it. Focus on something else. Like me?’ He beamed a smile at her.

  ‘Come over here and give your wife a kiss, dafty.’

  He kissed her gently, not wanting to put any weight on her.

  ‘I’m not made of porcelain.’ She smiled and Harry didn’t want to say that the colour of her skin was like porcelain.

  ‘I saw the doc outside talking to Dudley Matthews,’ he said.

&n
bsp; ‘Have you managed to speak with Martin Blair yet?’

  ‘Jimmy and Robbie talked with his grandfather and mother last night. I think they’re shielding him. Apparently, he has the mental age of a ten year old, so nobody’s looking at him to be the killer. He has alibis, according to his mother, but we need to tread lightly. This could be a PR nightmare if we go in heavy-handed and the press get wind of it.’

  ‘Nobody’s saying to go in heavy-handed, but we have to make sure he didn’t kill anybody. He’s a ten year old trapped in the body of a thirty year old, a man who looks like he could wrestle a bus to the ground.’

  ‘We really can’t talk to him without his mother being there. He was cleared the last time when he found his friend. A lot of people think he was guilty because he was a twenty-four-year-old man who had a friend who was only fifteen.’

  ‘It’s hard. He could be innocent enough. But if he’s been staying at Christmas Land, then people will have seen him. My instinct says it wasn’t him, but I’ve been known to be wrong before.’

  ‘You said it.’

  ‘Cheeky. But seriously, there’s no point in chasing our tails.’

  ‘I understand. We have to work out why Martin was released from the hospital and then, soon after, the one girl who almost got caught by the killer was murdered.’

  There was a knock on the door and the doctor who was treating Alex stepped into the room.

  ‘How are you feeling, Mrs McNeil?’

  ‘Still a little queasy. But much better than I felt yesterday.’

  ‘Good. It will take a little while for the medicine to kick, maybe a day or so – everybody’s different. Make sure you drink plenty of water; stay hydrated. Later this morning, I think we can let you go, but first I want you to have an ultrasound, just to make sure everything is okay. If nothing’s amiss, I’ll release you. As long as you promise to spend the next couple of days in bed, resting. We want you getting better for Hogmanay, don’t we?’

  ‘I will. I promise.’

  ‘Good. I’ll have a nurse come in later on and give you a prescription. You can have it filled in the chemist’s in town.’