‘How much will they have told her?’
‘Only the basic truth, that he died suddenly, of a brain haemorrhage, and that he had no identification on him at the time, hence the delay in getting to her. It’s your job to fill in the rest, and find out as best you can whether she has a clue that her old man had another identity. The book’s open on that. My bet is that she doesn’t, but you reach your own conclusions, gently.’
‘Once we get past gentle, what then?’
‘You don’t,’ Skinner told him, with emphasis. ‘You ask to see her husband’s computer, to check his calendar, recent contacts, all that stuff. Kid-glove stuff, Lowell. It’s only if she doesn’t play ball that you have to make the request formal, and take it all away.
‘It should be the same with his workplace, this teleshopping outfit. It’s pretty obvious that it’s a family business, given the similarity with the wife’s maiden name, so unless you find a box of Uzis in his desk, you maintain the front that it’s a formal sudden-death inquiry, required by Scottish law, and that all we’re doing is confirming his appointments, movements, etc.’
‘Understood.’ Payne stood up. ‘When do you want me back?’ he asked.
‘When you’re done; that’s all I can say. I have no idea how this thing will go, but I do know this. An outside agency has an interest in it, and I want to head it off. So, any leads that are thrown up have to be followed up, fast. If you need to stay tomorrow night, or even beyond that, so be it.’
‘Okay, I’ll take enough clothes and stuff for a couple of days.’ He smiled. ‘There’s just one thing, though, Bob. It’s our wedding anniversary on Thursday, and I’ve got a table booked at Rogano. If it comes to it and I have to cancel, I’d appreciate it if you call Jean and tell her, and say that it was your fault.’
Skinner whistled. ‘There ought to be no absolutes in the field of human courage,’ he said, ‘but it would take an absolute fucking hero to do that. If necessary, her niece and I will take her to Rogano ourselves, and I’ll pick up the tab.’
‘That’s a deal. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Here,’ he added, ‘what will you do for an assistant while I’m away? You’re still on a learning curve here.’
‘Yes, and I’m going to rely on my ACCs to instruct me. Mr Thomas and I had a getting to know you session earlier on. I asked him to attend the post-mortem on Toni Field and to sit in on Bazza Brown’s while he was there.’
‘Oh shit,’ Payne murmured.
The chief frowned. ‘What?’
‘Maybe I should have told you, but I never thought to, because it was no more than office gossip. Not long after Field arrived, when she lived on the Riverside, a couple of PCs in a Panda car saw Michael Thomas leaving her apartment block at three in the morning. The story was all round the force inside a day. ACC Allan heard about it and put the word out that anybody who even thought of posting it on Twitter or Facebook would wind up nailed to a cross.’
‘Indeed?’ Skinner murmured, with a thin smile. ‘Typical Max; he’s too nice a guy for his own good. Yes, it sounds like I really have put Thomas on the spot. Was this a continuing relationship?’
‘I’m pretty sure it wasn’t.’
‘How sure?’
‘Not a hundred per cent, I admit. Why?’
‘Oh nothing. Between you and me, Marina Deschamps gave me a rundown on her sister’s sex life. It hadn’t occurred to me till now, but the numbers didn’t quite add up.’ He nodded, as if he had reached a conclusion, then spelled it out. ‘That’s made my mind up,’ he said. ‘I’m going to tell Marina she can come back to work. If any more Toni skeletons pop out during this investigation, it’ll be useful to have her around.’
‘Do you want me to. .’
‘No, I’ll call her myself, after I’ve told the fiscal that I want the body released tomorrow morning.’
‘The fiscal here doesn’t like to be told, Chief,’ Payne warned.
‘Then I’ll make it seem as if it was his idea all along.’
‘He’s a she.’
‘Aren’t they all these days? When my dad was in practice just after the war, there wasn’t a single female solicitor in the burgh. Now the majority of law graduates are women, like our Alex. It’s magic; it hasn’t half shaken up the establishment. What’s her name?’
‘Reba Paisley. Mrs.’
‘Get her on the phone for me, please. Then you’d better get off home, once you’ve booked your flight.’
‘Will do. By the way,’ he volunteered, ‘that bloody safe; you were right. It was installed at Chief Constable Field’s request and we do not have the technical capability in-house to open it. I’ve asked our plant and machinery people to source the supplier and get someone to deal with it.’
As Payne headed back to his own office to make the call to the procurator fiscal, the regional chief prosecutor, Skinner moved from the table to his desk. As he eased himself into his seat. . not a patch on my Edinburgh chair, he grumbled, mentally. . his mobile buzzed and vibrated in his pocket, signalling an incoming text. He dug it out and read it.
‘In Glasgow. Can I blag a lift? We came in Roshan’s car. Be about 6. Sarahx.’
He keyed in a reply, awkwardly because of the thickness of his index finger; he had never mastered using his thumbs on the mini-keyboard.
‘I know, amp; what ur doing. Sure. Take a taxi to Pitt St when ur done. L Bob.’
He had no sooner sent the message than the phone rang. ‘Chief Constable,’ he said as he picked up.
‘Procurator fiscal,’ an assertive female voice replied. ‘What can I do for you, Mr Skinner?’
‘Nothing, Mrs Paisley. I don’t ask for favours. Let’s get that clear from the start.’
‘So this is a social call?’
‘Yes, partly.’
‘Even “partly” makes a change. In the time she was here I never once heard from your late predecessor.’
‘You won’t be wanting to hang on to her then,’ Skinner chuckled.
‘To tell you the truth,’ the fiscal replied, ‘I hadn’t given that any thought.’
‘What’s your normal procedure with homicide victims?’
‘I don’t have one. I make my judgement on a case by case basis, but it’s my judgement, I stress. It’s not a call that I delegate to a deputy. In this case. . is the PM done?’
‘As we speak.’
‘Who are the immediate family?’
‘Mother and sister.’
‘Are there any prospects of further arrests?’
‘Further?’ Skinner repeated. ‘We never actually got round to arresting Smit and Botha.’
He heard a sound that might have been a chuckle. ‘You know what I mean. Because if there are, defence counsel might want access to the body.’
‘I know that, but it isn’t an automatic right. I can’t say for sure we will ever trace the people in this chain of conspiracy, let alone guessing when. We’re interviewing the brother of the man found dead in the getaway car, but I don’t believe he will be able to help us.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because he’s still alive. If Cec knew anything, he’d probably be in the cooler next to his brother.’
‘How about if I authorise release for burial only?’
‘Toni Field was born in Mauritius. What if her mother wants to take her home there?’
‘It would be a lot easier in an urn than a coffin. Is that what you’re saying?’
‘I’m not saying anything, only asking questions.’
‘But good ones,’ Paisley said. ‘Tell you what. If the post-mortem report satisfies me that there are no unresolved questions about the death, the family can have her, and do whatever they like with her.’
‘That’s fair enough,’ Skinner agreed. ‘I’ll tell them. The only unresolved questions about the death aren’t related to the autopsy. There are only two: who wanted her dead and why.’
‘Do your people have any ideas about either of those issues?’