Baird cut the call. For a moment Shona stared at the empty screen. Then she slammed her hands repeatedly on the desk. This sleekit, sanctimonious bastard excuse for a DCI. All he cared about was his solve-rate, his budgets and his own career. When she was finished, she lifted her head, straightened her shoulders and went to do her job.
Chapter 16
DC Kate Irving pulled off her headphones and flopped back in her chair. In the far corner of the office Murdo was reviewing motorway CCTV footage with Dan Ridley. Ravi sat opposite her, beating out a rhythm with his pen on the desk. She caught his eye.
‘What?’ He smirked and resumed his tapping. But for once Ravi was not the target of her ire.
She leaned forward and hissed, ‘What’s he doing here again?’ She jerked her head towards Dan.
Ravi dismissed her question with a shrug. ‘Don’t know what your problem is with him.’
‘Suppose you fancy him too.’ Kate pouted.
Ravi looked up at her, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. ‘He is quite cute. What’s the matter, girlfriend? Can’t take the competition?’ When Kate coloured, he knew he’d hit the mark and chuckled to himself. He was about to continue baiting her when the boss’s door flew open.
‘Murdo, Kate, Ravi. In here now.’
‘Brace yourselves,’ said Murdo under his breath. Dan slid into Murdo’s now vacant seat and kept his head down.
Shona stood, palms flat on her desk. ‘Updates?’ She looked at each of them in turn, her gaze finally resting on Kate.
‘I’ve collated the witness statements from the baby milk case,’ Kate began. ‘The CCTV from Cumbria is a match for two of our suspects but no reports of further thefts there. I’m still waiting for more image enhancement. Posters have gone out to the stores. Hannah and Ed are following up the calls. I pulled the mugshots of previous shoplifters. The witnesses couldn’t give us a positive ID, but I’ve conducted three interviews and eliminated the individuals concerned.’
‘So, as of now, we have nothing,’ said Shona curtly. ‘Ravi, can you do any better? Anything from Isla’s family?’ Kate, her face scarlet, dipped her head to her notebook and drew a line so heavy that the end of her pencil snapped.
‘Do you want Dan in on this?’ Ravi queried.
‘I’ll deal with DC Ridley in a minute. Get on with it,’ Shona snapped.
‘Okay,’ said Ravi calmly. ‘Isla’s mother can’t confirm Saltire as Ryan’s father, but she isn’t offering up any alternatives either. Isla was absent for six weeks before her estimated time of death. She contacted her mother only twice during that period to ask about Ryan. Said she was staying with a friend.’
‘Any cell siting info on the phone?’
‘Both calls made by Isla were from the Gretna area. Pay-as-you-go phone. Those masts cover a wide area. We’ve no associated address for Isla in the town.’ Ravi closed his notebook.
‘Okay. What are the family saying?’
‘She was a nice kid, before the drugs. Smart. Good at maths. Her mother wanted her to be a bookkeeper. But the father, Paddy Corr,’ Ravi shook his head, ‘he’s a deeply destabilising influence on the whole family. Still keeps Marie under the thumb. Drove a wedge between her and Isla. Dotes on the grandson, in a mini-me kind of way. Paddy hasn’t got long. Probably a blessing.’
‘Do you think Paddy had a hand in Isla’s death?’
‘I can’t see any reason that he’d be involved. Isla was never there and she posed no threat to him.’
‘So, no real progress.’ Shona remained standing, glaring at her constables.
‘I really don’t think the family knew what she was up to, boss.’ Ravi shifted in his seat, his customary bounce temporarily flattened. ‘Marie’s sister, Margaret, reckons Isla was an addict and her death is good riddance. She blames Isla for her own daughter Siobhan getting hooked and pissing off, leaving her kid behind. Marie’s the only one upset about Isla, the rest of them couldn’t care less.’
‘Even more reason to get justice for her,’ Shona exclaimed. ‘One person, one agency after another, let this young woman down. I won’t have her death swept under the carpet like she didn’t matter.’
‘It’s okay, boss,’ Murdo cut in. ‘We want a result on this too.’
‘Well, where is her social worker’s input? Where’s the timeline of her movements? Kate, I asked you to check with the multi-agency hub. Have you done it?’
DC Irving stopped doodling and sat bolt upright. ‘I’ll chase that up.’
‘See that you do,’ Shona ordered. ‘All of you,’ she pointed a finger at each of them in turn, ‘want to keep the best cases from going to MITs? Then bring me something useful on Isla Corr, the baby milk thefts or the motorway victim by the end of the day, or Traffic will be gaining three new officers. Murdo, get Dan Ridley in here.’
They shuffled out, Murdo signalling to Dan that he was wanted. As Dan passed the subdued group Murdo whispered, ‘Wee Shona’s on the warpath. What do you English fellas use for protection? A cricket box is it?’ He squeezed Dan’s shoulder. ‘Better get yourself one quick.’