Murmuring the Judges

57

There was a loud rap on Andy Martin’s door. The Head of CID glanced at his wristwatch, which was showing 5:55 p.m.

‘Come in,’ he called, ‘whoever you are.’

The door swung open and Detective Constable Sammy Pye stepped into the room. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but I’m beat. I’ve looked at those security tapes until I’m cross-eyed, but I can’t spot anyone who appears on more than one.

‘Mr Ankrah says he’ll have one last go this evening, but I’m done for. Can I chuck it?’

‘Yes, sure, son. It was a long shot anyway.’

Pye shook his head. ‘No, Boss, the theory was right, but the resolution on most of those videos is pretty crap. My girl-friend could have been on one and I wouldn’t have been able to identify her. All we’ve been trying to do was spot the same person on different tapes. But even if we’d been able to do that, identification would have been a problem.’

The Head of CID grinned at his young assistant. ‘I didn’t know you had a girl-friend on the go, Sam,’ he said.

The young detective flushed. ‘Figure of speech, sir,’ he mumbled.

Martin raised an eyebrow. ‘Karen! You still there?’ he called out. A few seconds later Detective Sergeant Neville appeared in the doorway, dressed in a close-fitting grey skirt and a navy blouse which did nothing to disguise her curves.

‘Well, sergeant, have you enjoyed your first day in the nerve centre?’ he asked.

‘Very much, sir. It makes a change from Haddington. It’s nice to be out of uniform.’

The DCS chuckled. ‘I felt exactly the same as you when I left that place.’ He glanced at his watch again. ‘Karen, as I said this morning there are no rigid start and finish times in my office. Do the job and you can keep your own hours. . within reason.

‘Take young Sammy, here, for example. Some nights he’ll be behind his desk till ten o’clock. Tonight, though, he seems dead keen to get away.’

He paused. ‘Anything else to tell me before you go?’

‘Yes, sir. Superintendent McGrigor just called. He said that he’s finding it hard to get anything on the man Saunders. There was one interesting thing though. When he questioned Mrs Sturrock again, she let slip that he gave her a very expensive diamond pendant a few days before he was killed. Two and a half thousand pounds’ worth.

‘Mr McGrigor said he thought it was a bit generous for an unemployed plumber.’

‘He was right. Did he check it against the stolen property lists?’

Karen Neville shook her head. ‘He didn’t need to, sir. Mrs Sturrock showed him an insurance certificate, issued by the shop where Saunders bought the piece. It was Raglan’s, off Princes Street.’

Andy Martin whistled. ‘Now there’s a small coincidence, ’ he said.

‘Look, before you and DC Pye disappear for the night, sergeant, I’d like you to call Mr McGrigor back and check the date of purchase with him. Then first thing tomorrow, I want you two to go and see Mrs Hall at Raglan’s. Find out as much as they can tell you about Saunders and that piece of jewellery.

‘Most important of all, find out if he paid cash for it. I smell something here.’