Fatal Last Words

Fifty

‘I don’t want to put pressure on you, Inspector,’ Denzel Chandler began, ‘but Randy’s having a really hard time. The pod she’s using as a makeshift author reception centre really isn’t big enough. She’d kill me if she knew I was asking, but can you give me an idea of when she might be getting her yurt back?’

‘I reckon we’ll clear out this afternoon,’ Pye told the tall, dark-haired author, noting that he had shaved since their last encounter. ‘We’ve done all we can here. I’d like to have the carpeting removed from the area where Mr Glover died, and the bench he was lying on, and taken to our lab, just as a precaution, in case the forensic people need to take another look at any of it. Once we’ve done that, we’re out of here.’

‘Thanks,’ said the director’s partner, his face brightening, ‘you’ve made my morning.’ Then his smiled disappeared. ‘God, that sounds terrible; poor Ainsley died here and I’m going on about our inconvenience. How’s your investigation going? Can you talk about it?’

‘I don’t have a lot to tell you. We’ve done a lot of elimination, so much that there’s nothing positive left standing.’

‘There was a rumour doing the rounds yesterday that you were searching Bruce Anderson’s place.’

‘No rumour, only it isn’t his place, as such, it’s his girlfriend’s. We recovered a quantity of drugs; she’s been charged with possession.’

‘So Bruce is in the clear?’

‘I didn’t say that, but I won’t say different. Mind you, he didn’t make it easy for himself with that carry-on at the opening night party.’

‘Bruce doesn’t seem to have a gift for making things easy for himself. But I’m glad he’s not in trouble. . not least because Randy’s asked him to appear on an extra panel next Monday, discussing the fictional approach to the drugs question.’

‘Ouch!’ Pye chuckled. ‘She may find that he’s less keen to do that, given that Lady Anthea’s up in court this morning. The connection between them’s bound to be reported.’

‘Oh hell,’ Chandler sighed. ‘Maybe I should tell her to draw up a plan B.’

‘The way things have gone in the last couple of days, if I were her I’d have C as well.’

‘I don’t envy Dr Mosley,’ said Ray Wilding as Chandler left. ‘This event must be a real bugger to run in an ordinary year, so what it’s been like with this going on all around her. .’

‘And not just that,’ Alice Cowan added. ‘It’s her first year in charge.’

‘Where was she before?’ asked Pye.

‘She was with the European Commission in Brussels, in the culture directorate.’

‘Bet she wishes she was back there.’ Pye clapped his hands. ‘OK, team,’ he called out. ‘I’m due up at Fettes before ten, to hear what Dr Anderson has to say for himself. Let’s have a summary of where we’ve got to.’ His three colleagues gave a collective sigh, and shifted in their seats. ‘I know, this isn’t one of the easy ones; it’s going to be a hard slog, but we have to go on. As far as the family are concerned, I’ve checked their story myself. Yes, Carol and Wilkie were in Deacon Brodie’s on Saturday night as they said. Wilkie was pissed as the proverbial, according to the manager. He remembered him when I showed him a photo; he stopped serving him drink before midnight. Carol was OK though; she took charge of him.’

‘What about Collins?’ Wilding asked.

‘The staff don’t remember seeing him before twelve thirty, but I’ve checked with the Saltire and he did file a review of the show in the Bedlam Theatre that Carol said he went to.’

‘Have you checked with the theatre company that he was actually there? I know that might seem like overkill, but. .’

‘Of course I have,’ Pye declared. ‘I’m seeing the boss soon, and I don’t want to be sitting there looking like Homer bloody Simpson when he starts asking me questions. I haven’t confirmed it, though. I spoke to the director, they didn’t have a performance last night, so he couldn’t speak to his front of house staff, but there’s a matinee on today. Have one of the DCs check with them.’

‘Will do,’ said the sergeant. ‘I might as well have been at the theatre last night. Becky brought that computer home with her. She was at it until after ten, and from the effing and blinding that was going on, I could tell she wasn’t having any joy.’

‘There may be nothing for her to find,’ Pye conceded, ‘but it has to be covered.’ He reached into his pocket and drew out the envelope she had given him the day before. ‘Thanks to her, we’ve got this. . which I confess I forgot to read until now.’ He opened it and scanned its contents, a single sheet, frowned, then handed it to Wilding.

‘Looks like five email addresses,’ he said as he peered at it. ‘Two of them are dot com, two are dot yu and one’s dot ba. What the hell’s dot yu and dot ba?’

‘Dot yu used to be Yugoslavia,’ Haddock volunteered. ‘Serbia still uses it. I don’t know about the other one.’

‘Then check it, Sauce,’ Pye ordered, ‘and trace these addressees, without approaching them or alerting them if you can avoid it.’

‘Yes, boss.’

‘Fast as you can. I’d like some answers by the time I get back from seeing Dr Anderson.’

‘Providing he’s not heading for the hills again,’ Alice Cowan chuckled.

The DI whistled. ‘I don’t think even he would be that reckless.’