Skinner's festival

29

Heading for home. Skinner was in the act of closing the door of his office behind him when another thought occurred. He went back to his desk and picked up his scrambled telephone, keying in one of forty pre-programmed numbers.

The call was answered brusquely on the first ring. 'Hullo.'

Willie. Skinner here. How are you lot getting on with our pal?'

'No' bad, sir.'

'How are my guys doing?'

'First class. That's a hard big bastard, that Mcllhenney. And the boy Macgregor, he's so sharp he'll cut himself.'

'Well just you keep an eye on him and see that he doesn't. Now, what about Macdairmid?'

'He's spent most of the day at the Constituency Labour Party offices. Ah had a tap put on them too. Is that OK wi' you?'

'Yes, for now, but just make sure you remember to take it off as soon as Macdairmid's eliminated as a suspect.'

'Shame! But yes, sir. That's understood. No' that it's produced anything yet that would interest you, other than the guy haranguin' lassies in the Housin' Department, threatenin' them that their jobs '11 no be safe if they don't do as he says.'

'He's not saying he'll use his political clout to have them sacked, is he?'

'Not straight out. Naw. Well it isn't enough for a charge, if that's what ye're thinking; it's nothing that the Crown Office needs to taste hear. Mind you,' Haggerty mused, 'if someone dropped a copy of the transcript taste the Sun, it might finish him as anMP.', 'Don't bother yourself, Willie. Nice thought as it is, it would cause too many problems. Anyway, we've got enough on the guy now to make sure that he's quietly de-selected, and we'll do that at the right time. For now just keep tabs on him and see if he leads us anywhere.'

Haggerty grunted. 'Understood. There is one thing, sir. The boy does have a funny habit. Twice, he left the offices and went fur a pint in a pub on Greenlands Road. Mcllhenney and Macgregor took turns tailing him. Apparently, each time, he only had a half-pint, and hardly touched that. But each time, he used the pub pay-phone. 'S'that no interesting?'

'It's funny, for sure. It could be anything, though, that he didn't want heard in the office. Calling the girlfriend for example.

Still, we'll take a punt on it. As soon as you see him heading for the CLP offices again, put a tap on that pub phone, and let's see what we get.'