Hour Of Darkness

Nineteen

‘You know, Ray, sometimes I feel as if my life’s been stood on its head,’ Becky Stallings declared. ‘Not that long ago, I was a DI in the Met, with a good record and high up the promotion list; then you turned up in bloody London and look at me now. Still a detective inspector, in bloody Scotland, and up the duff into the bargain.’

Her partner beamed at her. ‘Aye, isn’t it great? And you look fantastic on it.’ He reached out and ruffled her short, dark, grey-flecked hair. ‘Quite astonishing.’

‘I’m enormous,’ she grumbled. ‘I never thought I’d get this big this quick. I’ve got half a dozen dark business suits up in the wardrobe, and they’re all about seven sizes too small.’

‘You could always go back into uniform,’ he ventured, ‘then it wouldn’t be a problem.’

‘You what?’ she retorted, loudly. ‘I only came up here ’cos I got to stay in CID, remember.’

Ray Wilding nodded. The deal they had made when they realised that they were serious about each other was that if Becky could only transfer to uniform in Edinburgh, he would move south into whatever sergeant job was offered to him.

‘I remember,’ he conceded. ‘But I knew that I was on a winner,’ he added, lightly. ‘Our CID would never have turned down someone like you, just as there was no chance of the Met putting Neil McIlhenney in a chief super’s uniform when he moved down there, not with his record.’

‘I will be able to go back, won’t I?’ Becky asked. ‘The new all-Scottish force will be shedding some jobs. Otherwise, why do it?’

‘It’ll lose civilian jobs, I’m sure. But not even our fucking Justice Secretary would be daft enough to start laying off experienced detective officers. As for why do it, the majority of cops outside the Strathclyde high command couldn’t give you a single valid reason.’

‘Are you saying that Skinner’s for it?’

‘The grapevine says he isn’t, but he’s a pragmatist. He can’t stop it, he can’t pretend it doesn’t exist, so he has no choice but to accept it and carry on.’

Becky eased herself laboriously to her feet. ‘Quite a few Germans took the same position back in the thirties,’ she muttered, as she wandered off in the general direction of the downstairs toilet.

His eyes were following her, and he was smiling, ever grateful for his good fortune, when the phone rang. He reached across the table by his side and picked it up. ‘Stallings Wilding residence,’ he announced. ‘Ray speaking, I know my place.’

‘That’s good,’ Detective Chief Superintendent Mary Chambers said. ‘I won’t have to remind you of it.’

He shifted on the couch. ‘Gaffer,’ he exclaimed. ‘This is a surprise. What have I done?’

‘Nothing, Raymond, but there’s something I want you to do, and it’s delicate.’

‘When you say “do”, d’ you mean right now? I’ve only just got in.’

‘I know,’ the head of CID conceded, ‘and I wouldn’t ask, but you’re best suited for the job in question.’

Wilding scratched his head, wondering what special skills she imagined that he possessed.

‘There’s a situation,’ she continued. ‘One of our people, our senior people, has gone off the radar. That happens, I know, but the complication is that his wife appears to be missing as well.’

He straightened in his seat. ‘Who are we talking about?’

‘Detective Superintendent Mackenzie.’

If she had been able to see him she might have been irked by the depth of his sceptical frown. ‘Are you sure, ma’am? With respect to Mr Mackenzie, he used to be a bit on the. . let’s say the flamboyant side. A wee bit impulsive.’

‘I’m aware of that, but we’ve no reason to believe that Mrs Mackenzie is.’

‘And they’ve both disappeared?’

‘Yes.’

‘Since when?’

‘Neither of them showed up for work today. Mrs Mackenzie was supposed to collect her kids from her mother’s last night but she didn’t. She was supposed to pick them up this evening, but she didn’t turn up for that either. Her mother, Mrs Austin. . she’s with the chief constable as I speak. . she’s going quietly off her head with worry.’

‘Has anyone checked the National Lottery? Maybe their numbers came up and they’ve buggered off. An impromptu second honeymoon up in Gleneagles, something like that.’

‘Don’t be flippant, Ray. This is serious.’

‘Sorry, boss,’ Wilding said, reproved.

‘It’s also very delicate. Tact might not be your strong suit, but of all the people who report to David, you’re the one who knows him best, because the two of you worked together before.’

‘Exactly, and that’s why I know he’s an unpredictable bastard.’

‘But Cheryl isn’t. Her mother’s quite adamant that she wouldn’t abandon her children. Have you ever met her?’

‘Yes I have; twice, at social dos. I must admit she was a bit of a contrast to him; a sensible woman, very nice, not flash at all.’

‘What was his attitude to her?’ Chambers asked.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Was he tender towards her, or did he seem to dominate her? Did she seem under his thumb, or did she hold her own?’

‘I cannot say, boss. I’m talking about a couple of squad nights out, with drink taken.’

‘By Cheryl as well?’

‘Now you mention it, no. She was one of the few sober people in the room, both times.’ He felt himself becoming impatient. ‘Look, ma’am,’ he said, ‘will you please get to the point. What do you want me to do?’

‘Not just me; this is from the chief herself. You’re to go to their house and check it out, before any alarm bells get rung. Mackenzie has a history of alcohol abuse. It’s possible that he’s had a relapse, and that he’s on a bender.’

‘Not both of them, surely?’

‘From what you said that seems unlikely, and not according to Mrs Austin either. But why is Cheryl unobtainable too? I want you to go to their house now, Ray, and take a very quiet, very discreet look around.’ She gave him the address.

‘On my own?’ he asked, as he noted it down.

‘Yes. I don’t want to draw any attention to this situation until we have to. Just pay them a casual visit.’

‘And if nobody answers the door and the place is locked up?’

‘Then you’ll have the chief constable’s authorisation to do whatever’s necessary.’

‘As in kick the door in?’

‘Whatever’s necessary, there’ll be no comeback, I promise you.’

‘My first wife promised me too,’ he countered, ‘to love and honour me till death did us part. Then she fucked off with a car salesman.’

Chambers chuckled. ‘Maybe that’s what Mrs Mackenzie’s done, and maybe David’s out there looking for them. Whatever, we need to find out. If the door’s too solid to kick in, should you have to, call me on my mobile and I’ll send a car up with a ram.’

‘I’d be happier if there was a search warrant in it.’

‘We don’t know what we’re searching for,’ the head of CID pointed out. ‘I’m all for doing things by the book, but the book that covers this one isn’t written yet. Let me know what you find.’