Skinner’s round

Sixty-eight

‘Tell you what, Maggie,' said Skinner, as he and his assistant stepped down from the mobile office. 'Before I go off to practise, I think I might take my captain's advice and see what odds the bookies are giving on his score today.

I know you're not much of a gambler — neither am I… with money at any rate — but if they're long enough, they might be too good to miss. Fancy it?'

The red-haired Inspector grinned up at him. 'OK, sir, if you're for it, so am I. I'll follow your lead.'

`Right then, let's find the bookmaker's tent.'

They turned towards the heart of the small tented village, past the big exhibition pavilion, into which Mario McGuire was disappearing, and headed past the champagne tent and the almost legendary bar which is reserved at major tournaments for golf club stewards, down towards a marquee which flew the colours of a leading gaming house.

`You're really certain you know who we're after, boss, aren't you? I assume you think all three murders are connected.'

He nodded. 'Absolutely. Everything's connected, apart from the Witch's Curse, of course.

You, incidentally, are in line for a commendation for your work on that, and Henry Wills will have a letter of thanks from the Chief Constable, and whether he likes it or not, a consultancy fee. You've worked it out, by now, haven't you?'

She looked at him, hesitant. 'Well I've worked out that James Carr framed Agnes and the other two women because they were an embarrassment to him, and he wanted them out of the way.'

`Good. I've got a document back in Gullane which will take you the rest of the way. I'll show it to you after this lot's over. In the office tomorrow, maybe.'

I can't wait.' They walked in silence for a few paces, until Rose looked up at him again. 'Sir, I know I'm being presumptuous, but I've got to say this. I'm glad that things seem to be all right again between you and Mr Martin.'

Skinner smiled. 'There's nothing presumptuous about caring for friends, Maggie. I'm just as glad about what you and Big McGuire will be doing next weekend.'

`That's good,' she gulped. 'In that case, as well as coming to the wedding, I wonder if you'd give me away. My dad's dead, as you know, and I've got no brothers or uncles, and there's no one I'd rather.. Or is that really too presumptuous?'

He stopped in his stride and looked at her, straight-faced. `Maggie, giving you away would be an honour…' he broke into a grin.. provided I get you back after the honeymoon.'

The grin became more quizzical. 'You never know, it might be a dress rehearsal.'

Before she could ask him what he meant, she was interrupted by a cry from down the walkway, beyond the bookmaker's tent. 'Miss Rose! Maggie!'

Both she and Skinner looked up in surprise. The woman who waved to them was dark-haired.

She was beaming and her eyes were shining with delight. She wore a brightly coloured top and jeans with a look of newness about them. Beside her in a buggy was a small girl, her hair in bright ribbons.

Maggie's eyes widened. 'My God. Lisa! Is that you?'

The woman rushed towards them, pushing the buggy as fast as she could. The drab, wan creature Maggie had met in Germany had vanished. In her place, the new Lisa Soutar was confident and effervescent.

`What the devil are you doing here?' Maggie asked as she reached them. 'What's happened?'

Lisa smiled. 'I've been looking for you. I rang your office and they said that you'd be here. I just wanted to find you and thank you.'

`Thank me? For what?'

`For waking me up, that's what. When you came to see me the other day, I was suddenly ashamed of the way I must have looked to you. And just talking to you about the curse and everything, I realised all at once just what my nana had done to my life. I decided there and then that I'd never do that to wee Cherry.

`Then when you phoned to tell me about the Bible, and what it was worth, the rest just fell away too. I thought to myself, "Bugger it, wumman, this is your chance to change your life!"

And so there and then I packed up; I bought a plane ticket; I took my Bible from that bank vault, and I brought my daughter, and it, back home. Cherry and me, we're here for good. The Bible's here only until I can sell the bloody thing. As for Nana's warning, ah'll take my chance wi' the Devil! And as for the Witch's Curse, it's a good story, so maybe someone will help me write a book about it.'

Maggie threw back her head and laughed with delight. 'Yes, and Lisa, I know the very man!'

She paused. 'But what about your husband?'

`That miserable bugger!' she snorted. 'I have to thank you for that too. When you looked at the way we were living, when you looked at his fancy hi-fi stuff in the house and then at me in my shabbiness, you looked so bloody angry. I realised that I was angry too, only I'd been too feart to let it out.

`So as far as Corporal Davies is concerned, he can… well, saving the presence of wee Cherry and the gentleman here, do you know the phrase, "Piss up a rope"? All I have to do now is arrange things so that when I sell the Bible, he doesn't get a single penny from it.'

`Lisa,' said Maggie, 'it's a hell of a word to use about this, but you're magic!'

She stopped. 'But listen, I'm sorry. You've been thanking me. This is the man you should thank. This is my boss, ACC Skinner. It was him who sent me to see you, and it was him who uncovered the curse, and your tape.'

Lisa looked up at him, and her mouth dropped open. She looked suddenly sad. 'Oh, you poor man. You know, I still remember your wife like yesterday. She was so nice. I remember you too. What must finding that tape have done to you?'

Skinner smiled at her. 'I'm glad I found it, Lisa, for what it's done for you, and for what it's done to uncover more wrongs than you can imagine. It's a funny thing you know, but I believe that in this world, most things do turn out all right in the end. Even if sometimes it takes a few hundred years!'