Ian Rankin - The Complaints

‘You see what we’re getting at?’ Breck persisted.

‘Not really.’

‘If the two of them knew one another… well, you add Vince Faulkner’s death to anything else happening in Mr Brogan’s life…’

‘And he goes and tops himself?’ Hendry seemed to consider this. He offered a shrug, his arms still folded.

‘Last time we spoke,’ Breck continued, ‘you said you sometimes went out for the evening – a meal and some drinks at the Oliver casino.’

‘Right.’

‘You knew it was owned by Mr Brogan’s wife?’

‘Sure.’

‘Ever see him there?’

‘Probably.’

‘You can’t be sure?’

Hendry had unfolded his arms and was pressing his palms against his thighs, preparing to stand up.

‘I’ve got to get back to work,’ he said.

‘What’s the rush?’

‘There’s nothing I can tell you about Charlie Brogan or why he decided to end it all.’ He was on his feet now, and readying to put his yellow hard hat back on. Breck got up from the table too.

‘Maybe we’re not finished,’ he said.

‘You’re clutching at straws,’ Hendry stated. ‘You’ve hit a wall with Vince, so you’re focusing on Brogan instead. But there’s no connection between the two.’

‘You’re sure of that?’

‘Definitely.’

‘What makes you such an expert, Mr Hendry?’

Hendry glared at him. He seemed to try half a dozen answers for size, dismissing each of them in turn. With a cold smile, he opened the door and exited the Portakabin. Fox closed the door and rested his weight against it, eyes on Breck.

‘Well?’ Breck asked him.

‘About three quarters of the way through…’

Breck was nodding. ‘He’d been cagey enough before that.’

‘But he started holding back. I wonder why.’

‘Might be different if we were talking to him at Torphichen. Maybe having cautioned him first… But we can’t do that, can we?’

Fox shrugged his agreement. They moved out of the room and on to the wooden walkway. Hendry was clambering over foundations and lengths of pipe and ducting, heading back to the football game. The sun had come out, and a few of the men were now topless.

‘Makes you proud,’ Fox commented. ‘Temperature’s halfway to double figures, but at the slightest glimmer of sunshine…’

‘The Scotsman in his prime,’ Breck agreed, as he started back down the ladder.

They were leaving the site when a car pulled up, two men climbing out. Breck cursed under his breath.

‘Dickson and Hall,’ he muttered.

‘I know the faces,’ Fox confirmed. They were Torphichen CID; Bad Billy Giles’s men. Both were smiling, without a trace of humour between them.

‘Well, well,’ Dickson said. He was the older and heavier of the two. His partner was, as Fox’s father would have put it, ‘twa ply o’ reek’, but with a shaven head and Ray-Bans.

‘What brings you here?’ Breck asked, hinting to Fox at their strategy here – namely, brazen it out.

Dickson managed a chuckle as he slid his hands into his trouser pockets. ‘That’s more than a bit rich, Jamie. But since you ask…’

Hall took his cue. ‘Billy Giles has got us retracing your steps. He’s worried you might have left gaps in the paperwork or maybe tweaked your reports.’ He angled his head slightly to take in Malcolm Fox. ‘With a bit of help from Inspector Fox here…’

‘You’re wasting your time,’ Breck stated.

‘And yet here you are, Jamie – the pair of you,’ Dickson said, leaning forward a little from the waist and reminding Fox of one of those toddlers’ toys that you could rock to and fro without them ever falling over.

‘And you’ll be reporting all of this back, of course,’ Breck was saying.

‘You think we shouldn’t?’ Hall asked, feigning amazement. ‘Last I heard, you two were suspended from duty.’

‘So?’

‘So it begs the question what could you possibly be doing here?’

‘I’m in the market for a flat,’ Fox interrupted. ‘And if you ever watch those property shows on TV, you’ll know it’s advisable to bring a friend to the viewing – they can spot things you might miss.’

‘Billy Giles told us you were a smart-arse.’

Dickson leaned a little further forward without shifting his stance. ‘Remember me, Fox? You had a few questions for me about Glen Heaton…’

‘And you thought you were doing him a favour, not answering any of them.’

A grin spread across Dickson’s face. ‘That’s right,’ he said.

‘Thing is, though,’ Fox confided, ‘as soon as we sussed he had friends like you, we knew he had to be dirty.’ He turned towards Breck. ‘We’re done here.’ But as he made to move past Dickson, the man stuck a hand out into his chest. Fox grabbed the hand and yanked it sharply downwards, the rest of the body following. He watched as Dickson dropped to the ground. The mud was crusted on the surface, but wet just beneath. Hall was helping his colleague to his feet, Dickson swearing and spluttering and wiping his face clean.

‘We’re done,’ Fox repeated. Without bothering to look at Breck, knowing he’d be following, he made his way to the waiting car.

They drove in silence for the first half-mile or so. Fox was behind the steering wheel, Breck in the passenger seat. Eventually, Breck found the right form of words for what he wanted to say.

‘What was that all about?’

‘What?’

‘Back there – you and Dickson.’

‘Just wanted to check his centre of gravity, Jamie. Didn’t think he’d go down so easily.’ Fox made eye contact, then gave a wink.

Breck smiled, but he was shaking his head. ‘It’s not the way to play Dickson and Hall. That’s two enemies for life, right there.’

‘It was worth it,’ Fox stated.

‘Suddenly you’re Action Man…’

‘Some of us don’t have avatars to fall back on.’

Breck turned his attention to the world outside the car. ‘Where are we going?’

‘My sister’s.’

‘Does she live in an underground bunker?’

‘She lives in Saughtonhall.’

‘Might not be protection enough. Billy Giles is going to want to talk to us.’

‘Talk at us, you mean.’

‘Okay, but he’s going to haul us in if we don’t go to him first.’

‘You’re the guy who likes to take risks and show initiative…’

‘And that’s what you were doing back there?’

‘Was I being passive?’

‘Not really.’ Breck managed a short-lived laugh. ‘So why are we going to see your sister?’

‘You’ll see.’

But when they got there, Jude wasn’t at home. Fox rang the bell next door and Alison Pettifer answered. She had an apron tied around her and was wiping her hands on a towel.

‘Sorry,’ Fox said. ‘Is Jude with you?’

‘She went to the shops.’ Pettifer looked up and down the road. ‘Here she comes now…’

Jude had seen them but couldn’t wave, with one arm still in plaster and the other holding a full shopping bag. Fox thanked Pettifer and went to meet his sister, taking the bag from her.

‘What have you got in here?’ he asked. ‘Coal?’

‘Just some food.’ She smiled at him. ‘Reckoned it was time I learned to fetch for myself.’

Fox thought of something. ‘How are you doing for money?’

She gave him a look. ‘You’re already paying for Dad’s care home…’

‘There’s some to spare if you need it.’

‘I’m fine for now.’ But she leaned her head in towards his shoulder, her way of saying thanks. Then: ‘I seem to know him…’ They were walking up the path towards her front door, where Jamie Breck was waiting.

‘DS Breck,’ Fox explained. ‘He was on the inquiry team.’