Skinner's ghosts

29

'Does it take you any further?'

Skinner shook his head. 'Not real y, Pam. I had hoped that we'd come up with a description of the guy, but not a double dose. That's worse than useless. We can hardly announce that we're looking for someone who's either tall and fair or stocky and dark, or issue two photofits.'

'Which one do you think is most likely to be accurate?' she asked.

'Hah! Take your pick on that one. The Graysons were both pissed as rats. The only thing she was certain about was the direction he took away from the scene.'

'And does that help?'

Skinner knitted his brows. 'Maybe it does. It tells me that if he does have the boy hidden, it isn't in Gullane itself. As I said to Big Neil, most of the holiday houses are to the west of the village. The eastern part was built much later. The houses are closer together, on smaller plots, and nearly all of them are occupied.'

'So what do you do next?'

'I've spoken to Andy. We've pretty well decided to tell the press tomorrow that we're widening the search to East Lothian. We can't knock on every door in the county, but there are quite a few empty properties in North Berwick. We can check them, at least.'

She looked at him doubtfully. 'Is there much chance of a result?'

He smiled, sadly. 'Next to bugger al,' he admitted. 'But what else can we do? Andy'11 set the ball rol ing at his press briefing tomorrow.'

He leaned back on the couch, the remnants of his late supper still on a tray in his lap, and sighed. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.

'Cheer up, love,' she said. 'At least the investigation's still doing something'.

'Yes, but to what purpose? It's been three days since that phone cal: three days since the guy said that we'd hear from him again.

Three days with that wee boy at this nutter's mercy. "At my disposition," he said. It chills my blood, to think what might be happening to him.'

She stood up, took the tray from him, laid it on the floor, and tugged at his arm. 'Bob, enough,' she said. 'You look knackered and you sound depressed. It's almost eleven. Let's go to bed, even if it's only to sleep.'

He nodded. 'Yes, okay.' He rose, wearily, taking her hand as she led him through to the bedroom.

The bedside lamp was stil on as she slipped in beside him, naked.

'Of course,' she said. 'We don't have to sleep.' He reached across, without a word, and switched the light off. They made love silently.

Pamela, inventive as always, took the initiative, allowing him time to settle his mind and drawing his attention towards her. And yet, even as he climaxed, with his lover bucking and writhing astride him, there was a part of his mind that was somewhere else.

She knew it, too. She was barely finished, before she rolled away and lay with her back to him in the dark. 'That was a new twist,' she said. 'It's usually the woman who fakes it!'

He was moved by the hurt in her voice. 'No, Pam, I didn't, honest.

It was good, great, like always. I just wasn't real y in the mood. I'm sorry, honey.' He put a hand on her hip, and leaned over her, kissing her neck. She turned on to her back, and looked up at him.

'What is it, then?' she asked. 'Second thoughts?'

He shook his head. 'Nothing to do with you and me,' he promised.

'I just can't get this man out of my mind. He's singled me out to be contacted. He kil ed Leona, and she was my friend. He kidnapped her son, the wee boy I rescued last year. It's as if he's speaking directly to me, and there's a taunt in it. He even came to my home village to call me.

'It's as if he's chal enging me to guess where he's hiding the kid.'

He stopped short, and she could see his eyes, gleaming in the light from the window. 'Can you imagine how angry that makes me?

And how frustrated?'

Pamela propped herself up on her elbows, the edge of the duvet fal ing around her waist. 'Yes,' she said softly, 'I can imagine. I'm sorry I'm such a petulant bitch.'

He laid a hand on the flat of her stomach, rubbing it gently. 'You're not,' he murmured. 'Not at al. You're under pressure too, with the Spotlight article, and those appal ing photos. With one thing and another, it's as if we're drowning, you and I.'

She laid her hand on his, half a second before it suddenly clenched, tightening on her belly. 'Drowning!' he hissed, suddenly.