Skinner's ghosts

35

Skinner picked up the nearest of the three telephones on his desk and punched in an extension number.

'Sergeant Masters,' said the bright voice on the other end.

'Hello, Sergeant. DCC Skinner here. Word from the Board meeting. The motion was not pressed.'

He heard her gasp with surprise. 'That's great. What happened?'

'The Chief read his own version of the Riot Act, and put the fear of God into the enemy. I'l tell you tonight how he did it. So long for now.'

'Bye.'

He had barely hung up, when there was a knock on the door.

'Okay!' he called. It opened and Alan Royston came into the room.

He was holding a mini-cassette.

'I thought you might like to hear this, sir,' he began. 'It's a tape of the Radio Forth news bul etin at the top of the hour. Council or Maley's on it complaining about the Chief bul ying the Chair of the Police Board, as she puts it.'

The DCC grinned. 'From what I hear, she's right about that. Does she say anything about me?'

'She says that in the circumstances she didn't press for a vote, because she knew that the Chief would ignore it anyway. She winds up complaining about his general y threatening behaviour… her words again.' The press officer paused. 'And she says she still thinks that you should be censured,' he concluded.

What about Pam?'

'Her name wasn't mentioned.'

'How will the written media report her?' asked Skinner.

'I don't think that it'l be too serious, sir. She isn't saying anything about you that she hasn't said before. As for the Chief, he's like Edinburgh's favourite uncle. No-one can really see him as a bully and a tyrant.'

The DCC laughed. 'Apart from the Police Board, that is. So, Alan, are Pam and I yesterday's news?'

Royston's mood changed in an instant. 'I hope so, sir. But I hear from a source that Salmon's still hell of a pleased with himself. He's giving everyone the impression that there's another exclusive coming out this weekend.' He hesitated. 'I'm sorry, sir, but it's my job to ask you this. You can't think of any other potential skeleton, can you?'

Skinner frowned. 'What, you mean like Pam being pregnant?'

Royston reddened.

'Don't worry, Alan, she's not. Bad-taste joke, sorry No Salmon hasn't been near Sarah… nor has anyone else from the Spotlight, or I would know about it. So it won't be anything involving her. Apart from my relationship with Pam, I can't think of anything else that Salmon could possibly have on me that would interest his readers.

'But look here, you keep in touch with your sources. Anything you can find out would be welcome.'

'Yes, sir. Equal y, if anything does occur to you…'

Skinner glowered at him. 'Alan,' he said, in a grinding tone. 'That little bastard of a journalist is not going to make me into a goldfish.

There are aspects of my life that are going to stay private, even from you.'