McGuire was taken aback. ‘Do you mean that, boss? Paula as well?’
‘Of course I fucking mean it. She’s your regular partner, isn’t she?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, enough said.’
McGuire was touched by Skinner’s rough and ready blessing on his new relationship. He was about to say so, when the DCC moved on. ‘Since we’ve started talking about you, that brings me to the real reason I wanted to see you today. Tell me, do you love the Borders? Has your territory carved out an indelible place in your heart?’
‘Are you taking the piss, sir?’
‘That’s what I thought you’d say. You’ve done a good job down there, Mario, carrying on what Dan Pringle started in bringing that division into this century, after all those years under dear old John McGrigor. But you’re a city copper; I know that. So to cut to the chase, there’s some stuff happening at a senior level, movement.’
‘Dan Pringle?’
Skinner smiled and shook his head. ‘I know there’s been speculation about him retiring, but it’s not that. He’s going to soldier on till sixty. No, it’s Manny English, the uniformed commander of western division, who’s taking early retirement. And that’s led to some healthy debate between Willie Haggerty and me. He’s been looking round for a while for Manny’s successor. He’s identified half a dozen candidates, but I’ve pulled rank and made the final choice. .’ He saw the superintendent’s sudden frown. ‘. . and it’s not you, so you can get that worried look off your face. You’d be no more comfortable in a uniform than I am.’
He shook his head. ‘No, the new commander in Torphichen Place will be Chief Superintendent. . Margaret Rose.’
McGuire smiled, then suddenly his frown returned, deeper still. ‘You’re not. .’
Skinner laughed out loud. ‘Of course I’m bloody not! I couldn’t possibly move you into her job. I don’t care how amicable your separation is, I’m not going to test it. No, I’m transferring you to command CID in the coastal division, based in Leith. Your territory will stretch from South Queensferry all the way to Portobello. You fancy it?’
Mario could not hide his delight. ‘Too right I do, boss. I’ll even be able to walk to work.’
‘Only if you keep the streets safe,’ Skinner grunted.
‘Can I take Sammy with me?’
‘DS Pye? I reckon so. It’ll do you no harm to have someone familiar around, and besides, my secretary, his wife, would kill me if I left him down there.’
‘What about Greg Jay? Is he going to Western Division?’
‘No, Greg needs a bigger shift that that. He’s going to East and Midlothian, Alastair Grant’s moving from there to Borders and Mary Chambers is moving from the Drugs Squad into Maggie’s job, on promotion.’
‘Two women commanders in the same station? That’ll be a f irst.’
‘Sure, and it’ll be a good example to set.’
‘As long as it works.’
‘It will, don’t you worry. They get on, and just as important they’re two of the most professional senior officers I have.’ The DCC paused. ‘I won’t kid you, Mario. Willie Haggerty wanted to move Brian Mackie in there, but I overruled him. The reason I gave was that Brian’s too new in his present post, and ideally suited for it as well. I’m right on both counts, but it’s not the whole truth. Strictly between the two of us, I wanted to position Maggie as a candidate to succeed Haggerty when he moves on. . as he will, to be a chief constable somewhere. . but also I wanted to avoid the prospect of having you two as rivals for Pringle’s job when he does go. I’m thinking of myself, you see. It’ll make that decision easier. Not that I’m saying you’ll get that job, you understand: Grant’s a strong runner, so is Lowe in Central Division, and Mary Chambers might well force her way into the picture too. I’m watching all of you from now on.’ He hesitated again. ‘That’s always assuming, of course, that you’re still committed to the force and that you’re not going off to run the Viareggio family businesses with Paula.’
McGuire shook his head. ‘Clearly, sir,’ he said, ‘your daughter does not discuss her business with you. Paula and I are in the process of restructuring the family trust. We’re looking at incorporating: turning it into a limited company with shareholders instead of beneficiaries. That would let me back off. Your Alex is doing all the legal work for us.’
Pride showed through in Skinner’s grin. ‘You’re right, she is tight-lipped. She’s turned into a real lawyer, God help me. I’m glad to hear you’re doing that, though. It might well make things easier for me in the future.’
‘I thought it might. How about McIlhenney?’ McGuire asked him suddenly.
‘Neil’s staying in Special Branch. He’s too valuable to me in that job to move, and anyway he’s got a promotion to chief inspector coming up, plus Lou’s pregnancy to occupy his mind.’
‘When do the changes take effect?’
‘Manny retires tomorrow. I want you all in post on Monday, hence the need for this meeting.’ He rose to his feet, smiling. ‘With that in mind, Superintendent, I suggest that you bugger off home, and catch up on your sleep.’
McGuire’s head was spinning as a panda car drove him away from the headquarters building. By moving him and promoting Maggie, Skinner had satisfied the top two items on his professional wish list. More than that, he had painted a picture of a future that, if it was not his for the taking, then at least was there to be won.
Fifteen minutes later, as he undressed, throwing his clothes into a corner of the bedroom, and slipped under the duvet beside the quietly snoring Paula. . his note lay undisturbed on the table. . he thought that he would never find sleep as he pondered the future. Less than two minutes later, he was proved completely wrong.
23
Stevie Steele ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Jeez,’ he murmured, ‘this is my day for surprises.’ He was taken aback yet again, when he realised that his voice had been loud enough to carry across the desk.
‘Oh, yes? What others have you had?’
He thought quickly: being kissed by the DCC’s wife was not something he cared to discuss. It had gone no further than that, but at another time. . Sarah had been right, there could be no more pretending, and he was like any other man in that his libido could overcome his common sense. George Regan would have put it another way, but he would have meant the same thing.
‘Whetstone’s dislocated shoulder. The homicide theory being put back on the table. I wasn’t expecting that.’
‘Maybe it hasn’t been,’ said Rose. ‘It’s not like Sarah to go headlong after one side of an argument, but. . Since you called me, I’ve been thinking about it. Just suppose Whetstone had decided to top himself. Let’s say he saw the fog and he decided that it was the perfect opportunity to go away and do himself in, undisturbed. Who knows why people choose the methods they do when they’re in that state of mind? Let’s just say he buys his belt, he nicks a wee ladder from the office and he heads off into the night. He’s chosen his spot and everything. When he gets there, he gets up on the steps, makes the noose and ties the other end of the belt to the branch of the tree. And then he slips. Simple as that; he’s nervous, probably shaking with cold and fear, the ground is frosty and he slips, comes off the step-ladder and lands on his shoulder, dislocating it. Sarah’s right, in that he couldn’t have secured the belt one-handed, but suppose he’d done it before the dislocation happened. He could have climbed back up the steps, albeit in great pain, slipped the noose over his head with his one usable hand then kicked his support out from under him. Yes?’