Gallery Whispers

31

'Maggie is going to make a full recovery, isn't she?' Bob Skinner asked, anxiously. The wounded chief inspector had served for a time as his executive assistant; she was one of the group of officers whom he regarded privately as his inner circle.

Brian Mackie, another of the select group, did his best to reassure him. The surgeon told Mario that he expects her to be fine. It was a brutal cut, and her arm is full of internal sutures as well as the clips on the outside, but if she behaves herself, everything will heal up fine.'

The DCC nodded. 'Good. But when she's ready to come back to work, it's down to you to make sure she does toe the line. Office duties only until the surgeon certifies that there's no further chance of long-term damage.'

Mackie frowned. 'You tell her that, please, boss; I don't think I've got the guts. You know what Maggie's like; she'll be desperate to get back into the front line as quick as she can.'

'I'll tell her this very morning. I'm going up to the Royal when I leave here.' He looked around Mackie's office. 'I came down here for a purpose, Brian. Allocation ofCID resources is Andy's responsibility, but I don't want you to feel shy about asking him for a replacement for Mags while she's off. I know that overall, we're tight on manpower, but if he asks me for another senior body, I'll accommodate him. We have chief inspectors in uniform with CID experience; I can transfer one of them on a temporary basis.'

The superintendent nodded his appreciation. 'Thanks, sir. But let me try it on my own for a bit. I'll try and fill the gap myself, by getting out of the office more.'

Skinner laughed. 'Who does that remind me of, I wonder?'

'You,' Mackie replied, promptly. 'You've got a lot to answer for; this force is littered with reluctant delegators, made in your image.

'I'm not just indulging myself though,' he continued. 'If I brought someone else in I'd just have to bring him — or her — up to speed on the Weston investigation. No, I've got a great regard for young Steele.

I'm going to team up with him myself.'

Skinner nodded. 'I share your view of the lad. He'll get a commendation for bravery for what he did yesterday; that'll be his second in a fairly short time.' The DCC paused. 'Is that bastard Joseph still downstairs?'

'No, boss. He's off to court. He'll be charged, released without bail so that we don't run into trouble with the hundred and ten day prosecution rule, then rearrested immediately on suspicion of the Birmingham murder. He won't be coming back to this nick, though.

He'll be held in Saughton until escorting officers arrive from down south.'

'Just as well,' the DCC muttered. 'Every minute he spends here, Mario must feel like going down there and battering the shit out of him.' There was a sudden silence in the room; it lasted for one second too long, before Mackie broke it. 'Yes indeed.' Skinner looked at him, an eyebrow raised, opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again.

'Joseph's brief came up to see me before he went to court,' the superintendent continued, hastily. 'He said that his client was after a deal; he'd plead guilty to the Birmingham murder if we'd drop the attempt to murder charge, and if the DSS drop their fraud complaint over his false identity.'

'Eh? He'd plead to murder to avoid a serious assault charge, and a DSS fiddle?'

'He doesn't want to do time in Scotland, apparently.'

'So what did you tell the solicitor?'

'What the book tells me to say; that he should take it up with the Fiscal. But I added that personally I didn't give a shit about Birmingham, with one of our own wounded.'

'Quite right too. I'll have a word with Davie Pettigrew myself, just to keep his backbone stiff. Mr Joseph will do time in Scotland for cutting Mags, that's for bloody certain.'

Skinner rose to leave. 'How about the Weston investigation? With Joseph eliminated, it's dead in the water, is it not?'

Mackie smiled. 'Maybe not. I've had a report from that new orthopaedic hospital out in Dalkeith. The Head Pharmacist there wants to talk to me. And she wouldn't tell me why, over the phone. The boy Steele and I are going to see her this afternoon.'