‘Bloom knew of their relationship to Brand — he was the one who warned Ness.’
Clarke nodded slowly. ‘Maybe Fox will find something in the archives.’
‘Something that would earn him a drink?’
Clarke glanced towards Crowther. ‘What are you saying?’
‘Just the way you talk about him — you’ve obviously been close in the past.’
‘Not that close.’ Clarke paused. ‘And when did I even talk about him?’ Then she remembered. ‘The briefing I gave Tess?’
‘So I can tell her, then?’
‘Tell her what?’
Crowther waved her phone from side to side. ‘Tess sent me a text from Poretoun Woods. She’s there with Fox. I get the feeling she likes him.’
‘She’s free to jump him any time she likes.’ Clarke saw that Crowther had started composing a text. ‘Maybe put it more diplomatically than that, though, eh?’ She released the handbrake, watching Hazard’s figure recede in the rear-view mirror. ‘That was a good line about the aphids, by the way. You’re into gardening?’
‘You changing the subject?’
‘Absolutely not. I was just wondering.’
‘In truth, I probably wouldn’t know an aphid if I saw one. But I reckon it’ll have got him wondering.’
‘Wondering and maybe even worrying,’ Clarke agreed. The two detectives were chuckling as the gates opened automatically in front of them.
11
DCI Sutherland had gathered his team for a meeting. Fox stood by the door, waiting to be told to scram, but Sutherland seemed relaxed about his presence in the room.
‘We need fresh interviews with everyone who was part of the inquiry last time round,’ Sutherland said. ‘We know that they might not always be willing. Some of Stuart Bloom’s friends and associates felt they were treated with a lack of proper respect. So there may need to be an apology or two, a bit of mea culpa, but also some benign insistence.’ He scanned the faces around them. ‘We want to speak to every single one of them. It’s been twelve years, so contact details will almost certainly have changed. I’ve requested extra staff to ease the burden, but we need to make a start as of right now.’ He broke off. ‘Are you listening, Siobhan?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Fox noticed that half Clarke’s attention was on her computer. She had plugged in a pair of earbuds but left one dangling. He slid around the periphery towards her. A film seemed to be playing on her screen.
‘Tess,’ Sutherland continued. ‘News from the professor?’
‘She can’t be sure as yet how long the car was in the woods, but she doubts it was there all along.’
‘Pathology tells us Stuart Bloom probably died ten or more years back, so where does that leave us?’
‘It’s definitely his car?’ George Gamble asked.
‘Serial number on the engine block confirms it. Doubtful he was murdered in situ — not enough blood and brain matter on the floor of the boot, according to Forensics. It’s a miracle they can be so confident after all these years, but there you are. The two professors seem to agree — the way the body was positioned in the boot, the injured section of skull was towards the floor. Almost physically impossible to have hit someone while they were lying in that position and damage that particular section. Besides, putting someone in a boot and then hitting them? More probably it was done while he was standing up. Whacked from behind with an object as yet undecided.
‘And the handcuffs?’ Phil Yeats asked.
‘Standard issue for police officers in Scotland up until the millennium. Two metal links joining one cuff to its neighbour. By 2006 they’d been replaced by the Hiatt model — solid plastic moulding instead of the links. The Hiatts were stamped with serial numbers, meaning there’s a record of who owned them. Alas, that wasn’t true of the older model. Bear in mind, they could have been acquired from other sources. We’re not saying these were definitively police handcuffs.’
‘This place Rogues that Bloom used to go to.’ Callum Reid nodded towards Clarke, who had reported on the meetings with Ness and Brand. ‘Didn’t happen to have a dungeon or anything, did it?’
‘Doubtful, but worth checking,’ Sutherland said. ‘In fact, that’s a good point: were there any S and M clubs operating in Edinburgh at the time? Or prostitutes specialising in bondage? Something to add to the list. DCS Mollison is keen for a press conference sooner rather than later; it’d be nice to have a bit of progress to report.’ He noted that Gamble had his hand up. ‘Yes, George?’
‘We’re not making the handcuffs public yet?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘When it gets out — and it will get out — the family will start yelling police cover-up again.’
‘In which case, we’d best try to find evidence one way or the other.’ Sutherland scanned the room to ensure his words had sunk in. ‘Now get busy.’
Clarke had noticed Fox standing behind her. She paused the film and turned to him.
‘One of Jackie Ness’s?’ Fox guessed.
‘Apparently Bloom and his boyfriend had walk-ons.’
Fox nodded towards the screen. ‘Looks familiar.’
‘It’s Poretoun Woods. And filmed not long before Stuart’s death.’
‘Interesting. Good film?’
‘As wooden as its setting.’
‘Plot?’
‘Scots and English readying to do battle, but up pop the undead. The enemies either join forces or get wiped out.’
‘I quite like the sound of that.’
‘It probably looked good on paper,’ Clarke agreed. She noticed that both Crowther and Leighton were taking an interest in the conversation, so sent a quick scowl towards them. ‘Any great revelations from the woods? You and Tess getting along okay?’
Fox gave her a quizzical look before replying. ‘Professor Hamilton thinks car and body might have been elsewhere for the first few years. If we can pin down where and why.’
‘Why it was moved, you mean?’ Clarke nodded her agreement. ‘But meantime, the focus is on a retread of the original inquiry.’
‘Meaning officers as well as witnesses.’
‘So we’ll be questioning John?’
‘Needs to be thorough, Siobhan.’
She nodded again. One of the admin staff was standing in the doorway.
‘DI Fox?’ she enquired. Fox turned to her.
‘That’s me.’
‘You’ve a visitor downstairs.’
Fox thanked her and headed for the reception area. He didn’t see anyone, but the desk officer pointed towards the door. ‘They’re out there,’ he said. Fox stepped outside and looked to left and right. The TV cameras and reporters had gone. Standing at the corner, smoking a cigarette, was a figure he recognised. He drew in a sharp breath before heading towards the man.
‘Hiya, Malc,’ DS Brian Steele said. ‘How’s tricks?’
‘We’ve not been properly introduced,’ Fox responded.
‘Maybe not, but you’ve seen me around Gartcosh and I’ve seen you. Major Crimes’ gain is ACU’s loss, if you ask me. Man of your experience, we could have made better use of you.’ Steele was blowing smoke from his nose while studying the tip of the cigarette.
‘What brings you here?’ Fox demanded to know.
‘Ach, I was just in the neighbourhood. I heard you’d been attached to the Bloom case, so I thought I’d say hello.’
‘Without actually coming in?’
‘That’ll be happening soon, though, eh? A wee invitation to tell my side of the story. Me and Grant and everybody else who worked the case.’
‘We can start right now if you like. Team’s upstairs, and I’m sure I could lay my hands on some recording equipment.’