In Dark Water (Detective Shona Oliver 1)

it’s about helping to pass exams or relax afterwards, cope with anxiety.’

Shona thought about the Sweet Life group and the haul of prescription drugs she’d found at the warehouse. ‘Have you been offered anything else? Pills?’ She’d ask Ravi to check with the campus officers and his contacts at the hospital if there had been any more incidents.

Becca shook her head slowly. ‘No. Oh God, you’re not coming in to school to do a talk, are you?’ Becca was so horrified Shona realised this might be the greatest punishment she could inflict.

‘These pills are really dangerous, Becca. You’ve no idea what you’re taking. Promise you’ll tell me if you’re offered, or even see, anything like that? It’s important.’

‘Okay, Mum. Chill out,’ Becca agreed. ‘One more thing.’ She bit her lip. ‘Dad doesn’t have to know, does he? I mean, I haven’t actually done anything wrong.’

‘You kidding?’ Shona almost laughed. ‘It will be all round Kirkness by this evening.’

Becca looked so alarmed that Shona thought she might start crying again. ‘Fess up, girl,’ Shona advised. ‘Right, let’s go home. You need to tell him before he hears from someone else. And you can also tell him you’re grounded for a month. School and home, that’s it.’ Shona held up her hand when it looked like Becca would protest. ‘And if you argue, I’m having your new phone as well.’

Chapter 14

At Monday’s case conference, Shona nodded to her team, ‘Morning everyone,’ then took a sip from her water bottle. It would be all round the station about Becca, but no one would dare say anything to her face. ‘Murdo, let’s get this briefing started.’

‘Couple of weekend incidents…’

‘Skip to the main event,’ Shona interrupted. ‘We’ll take the other updates later.’

‘Boss,’ Murdo acknowledged. A few clicks on his laptop keyboard and a clip from a motorway surveillance camera, frozen in grainy black and orange, appeared on the screen behind him. ‘Last night, the body of a young man was found on the hard shoulder of the A74(M) motorway. He appears to have fallen or been pushed from the back of a moving vehicle.’

Murdo picked up a small remote, the image on the screen sprang to life. A white van travelling north swerved and one of the back doors flew open. There was a sharp intake of collective breath as a man tumbled out, his head striking the tarmac, limbs tangled and lifeless as the momentum took him thirty metres along the carriageway, coming to rest beneath a large blue sign.

‘Is that the Welcome to Scotland sign?’ asked Ravi.

‘Aye, it is,’ Murdo replied.

Ravi frowned. ‘What do we know about the victim?’

Murdo opened his notebook. ‘The doctor who pronounced him dead said he’d received a cranial fracture resulting in traumatic brain injury, but he also had multiple facial injuries and broken bones consistent with the fall from the van. He estimated he was under thirty, lightly built and dark skinned. No ID.’

‘Is the siting significant? Could be a racially or politically motivated attack?’ Ravi said.

‘Murdo.’ Shona held out her hand for the remote. ‘Let’s keep an open mind at this point.’ She ran the CCTV again, pausing at the moment when the victim left the moving vehicle. ‘It does looks like there was someone else in the back.’ A dark shape appeared as the door swung closed. ‘He may have been pushed, fell out by accident or was trying to escape. Either way the driver didn’t stop. The post-mortem will tell us more.’ Her eyes met Ravi’s. ‘But yes, I’m not ruling out that he was dumped there on purpose.’ A murmur ran around the table.

‘Priorities,’ Shona said, calling their attention back. She crossed to the map pinned on the wall. ‘We need to find the van. It was stolen in the Newtown area of Carlisle last night. We tracked it leaving the motorway at the next junction, Gretna Green Services.’ She tapped the map with her pen. ‘The B7076 leads off from the services and into a network of smaller roads not covered by cameras. I’ve asked for uniform support to check businesses and farms along potential routes, Murdo will co-ordinate our efforts.’ She looked around the table. ‘Is Vincent still not back?’

‘Op Fortress want Vinny Visuals a bit longer,’ said Kate with a sigh. ‘I gave him a call about the baby milk case, he reckons another week or so.’

‘Okay, well image enhancement is our other priority. Kate, ask Vinny nicely which of his mates will do us a favour. Turn this around quick. I’ve got a date with Slasher Sue down the mortuary.’ Shona began gathering her papers. ‘Any questions?’

‘The van was stolen in Carlisle,’ said Murdo. ‘Shall I give Dan Ridley a call? See if he can dig anything up for us down south?’

‘Good idea, Murdo. We’ve access to the cross-border CCTV, but he has local knowledge. Right everyone, let’s get cracking.’

As she picked up her notepad, Ravi came over and tapped her elbow. ‘You asked for an update on that Sweet Life business?’ he said quietly into her ear. ‘A drop-off in the OD cases at the Royal Infirmary, and only a few confiscations of pills by the campus officers. I know it’s Op Fortress’s remit, but I’ll keep my eye on it.’

‘Thanks, Ravi.’ Shona smiled. If Baird and Op Fortress did their job properly, Becca and her friends would be protected, and that was one less thing to worry about.

* * *

Pathologist Sue Kitchen was waiting for Shona when she arrived at Dumfries Royal Infirmary, having travelled down from Glasgow University where she taught forensic medicine. Tall and broad with tightly curled short blonde hair, her green eyes studied you from behind thick square glasses. Her nickname referred to the speed with which she conducted a post-mortem and also her ten-year tenure as Scottish National Fencing Champion (Epee). Having given up competition, she now judged at international level and remained a passionate advocate for the sport.

Shona greeted her warmly. ‘I was hoping it would be you. I missed you the other night at the STAC launch.’ They set off down the corridor to change into scrubs.

‘Had a Royal College of Pathologists meeting in London, didn’t get back until late, so I managed to dodge that particular trial. How was it?’