Summoning the Dead (DI Bob Valentine #3)(24)

At King Street station Valentine checked in with Jim Prentice on the front desk. Prentice was crouched over some paperwork behind the countertop, a tightly held fist pressing into his forehead. As Valentine appeared, Prentice looked up but just as quickly returned his attention to the papers.

‘Just a minute, Bob,’ he said. ‘Bloody rota juggling again.’

‘I take it that it’s a staff shortage, not the other way around.’

He put down his pen and shoved away the rotas. ‘No, actually. There’s too many on now according to Dino. She wants numbers at the operational minimal to save on wages.’

‘It’s a false economy.’

‘It’s no bloody economy at all. It means the desk goes unmanned between two and three-thirty. Either that or muggins here has to sit with a sandwich in his lap whilst Stellard and Brandt shoot off to the canteen.’

The DI gave a consoling shake of the head. ‘She better not get any ideas about short-changing my murder investigation. That isn’t happening.’

Prentice lit up. ‘Oh, aye, the mummy – how’s that playing out?’

‘Everything’s a mystery.’

‘I hear they’ve got two now.’

‘Two boys, ten and eleven.’

‘Horrible business. Just a tragic case. I can hardly bring myself to think about it.’

‘We’re talking thirty-two years ago as well. It would be even more tragic if the trail runs cold.’

‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do,’ said Prentice. ‘But not between two and three-thirty!’

The DI thanked the desk sergeant and collected a Post-it note detailing messages that had been passed through to the incident room.

‘I think they’re for you, Sylvia.’ He handed over the note.

‘Ah, yes. Looks like Keirns’s social-security records and a return number for Columba House.’

‘Nothing from Blairgowan?’

‘Unless it went straight upstairs, boss. I’ve nothing here or on my phone.’

‘Did you ask them specifically about the offer on the farm?’

‘Yes. I didn’t mention Keirns to them though. Thought it was better to let them volunteer the information.’

Valentine moved for the stairs and the DS followed. By the time he reached the landing outside the incident room the DI had reassessed the situation. ‘If they haven’t called, call again – and don’t take any bullshit.’

‘I was going softly, sir. Phil said they weren’t the most helpful at the site. Seemed a bit of a cowboy outfit, albeit one that had moved on from being a white-van crew.’

‘I heard him. We’ll see how helpful they get when I go up there and shut the site down for them today.’

‘Is that your plan, sir?’

Valentine pushed open the swing doors to the incident room and went through. The hum of activity stalled for a second or two then resumed its previous pace.

‘Put it this way, Sylvia, if Blairgowan don’t play straight with us then we won’t be playing straight with them either.’

‘Yes, boss.’

The DI’s thoughts had already shifted to another aspect of the case – there was so much to think about in the early stages of a murder investigation. He summoned DS Donnelly to him.

‘Phil, a minute please.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘What have I missed whilst we were away?’

Donnelly rubbed his jaw. ‘Well, Wrighty’s sent through the preliminary post-mortem report, but I suppose you’ll know more about what he uncovered than the rest of us.’

The officers had settled at DS McCormack’s desk. When she had hung up her coat and stuffed her bag beneath the desk she started to remove her chair. ‘There’s some details still to be coloured in by the SOCOs,’ she said.

‘The catalogue’s in – well, the full photographer’s listings,’ said Phil.

‘Great. We’ll start there. Let’s see them,’ said Valentine.

DS Donnelly moved to the other end of the room and retrieved some folders from a set of stacking trays beneath the whiteboard. As he walked back he continued addressing the two officers who had just come in. ‘I haven’t been through all of these or stuck any up on the board. It’s been a bit mad in here, and I seem to be flying solo.’

‘Where’s Ally?’ said Valentine. DS McCormack was on the telephone now. She shrugged by way of response.

‘He’s in the bloody basement. I can’t get him out of there.’

‘He’s been in there since last night.’

‘I think he might have found some of Rossi’s old Razzle mags.’

‘Christ, if that’s the case we’ll never see him again. Or him us for that matter.’

The officers laughed at the absent DS McAlister.

‘If he’s not back soon, send in a search party, Phil.’

‘Will do, sir.’ DS Donnelly laid down the folders and they started to go through the photographs. Valentine was first to alight upon a picture of one of the boys’ footwear.

‘Heavy duty, eh?’ said Donnelly.

‘They look army issue, if the forces were hard up enough to use segs.’

‘Segs?’