A Rush of Blood

Thirty-three

‘We don’t like to drop the guy in it, Chief,’ Mario McGuire insisted, ‘but I agree with Neil. We may have lost hours in this investigation because Alan Royston took the easy way out last night. If he’d done what he was asked by Alice Cowan when she asked him we’d have got some media exposure, on air and online, straight away.’

‘So deal with it,’ said Skinner.

The head of CID was taken aback by Skinner’s reluctance; his dark eyebrows twitched slightly. ‘If he was police staff, I would have. But he’s not, he’s a civilian and as such he’s not subject to my discipline.’

‘Exactly. He’s a specialist, an adviser.’

‘And in this case his advice has been crap.’

‘But still, that’s what he is; he doesn’t have the executive power to override the wishes of any police officer. Cowan could have insisted on the release going out last night, but she didn’t.’

‘She’s a DC, boss. Even if she knew she could have called his bluff, she’d have thought twice about doing it.’

‘In which case she should have gone to Sammy Pye. . OK, he’s on a course. . to Ray Wilding. It’s down to her.’

McGuire shook his head. ‘With respect, sir. .’ he began.

The chief constable laughed. ‘With respect,’ he repeated. ‘The polite way of telling a senior officer that he’s talking bollocks. Go on, chum, spit it out.’

‘OK, Alice is a good soldier, as you well know. But she got herself in a hole in Special Branch a wee while ago, and I for one will forgive her reluctance to take the chance of digging another one. If she’d leaned on Royston, he’d taken umbrage and come to me, and I’d taken his side. . No, it’s my view that at best the man’s judgement was off the mark; at worst, his staff had all gone home for the evening and he just couldn’t be arsed staying on to issue Alice’s release himself. Either way, it’s my view that he should be chinned about it. If you tell me to do the chinning myself, I will, but. .’

Skinner raised a hand, as if in surrender. ‘Yes, I get the drift. That would leave him open to be on any line manager’s carpet when there was a disagreement, but his contract says that he reports to me or my deputy.’ He paused, considering. ‘I could give this to Brian Mackie to deal with, but I won’t. It’s down to me.’ He looked the head of CID in the eye. ‘You know why I’m reluctant, Mario, don’t you?’

‘I think so, but I’m not going to say it, in case I’m wrong.’

‘’Ckin’ hell, you’re turning into a diplomat. OK, a few years ago, there were professional issues between me and Royston, when I was deputy chief. I thought about bulleting him then, but there were personal issues between us as well, so I backed off, in case my motives were called into question. After that, any judgement calls involving him I always passed upstairs to Sir James Proud. But I’m in his chair now, so I don’t have that option. I’ll deal with it; I’ll call him in right now in fact.’

‘Thanks, boss. It’s not as if it’s a sacking offence. .’

‘Hell, no, not even an official warning, just a slightly awkward conversation, that’s all. As it happens, I need to talk to him about something else, an interesting idea that Maggie’s had and passed on to me.’

‘My breath is bated,’ McGuire chuckled. ‘I’ll clear off, then. By the way,’ he asked as he stood, ‘how is the old chief doing? Have you heard from him lately?’

Skinner nodded. ‘I sure have. He’s bought a house in Gullane, less than a mile away from mine. He’s even talking about taking up golf. He tells me that the Marquis of Kinture has offered him honorary membership at Witches’ Hill. The two of them sit on a company board together.’

‘Maybe somebody will offer him cheap golf clubs, if he hangs around the right pub.’

‘I don’t see Jimmy Proud hanging around any pubs, although when he moves out our way, I may introduce him to a couple. Speaking of Witches’ Hill, are we set to go on that operation Maggie cleared with me?’

‘Sure. You never know, we might even get a result.’

Skinner frowned. ‘It’s not often I get pessimistic, Mario,’ he said, ‘but these are well-organised bastards. We’ll do well to keep pace with them, far less be one step ahead.’