In Dark Water (Detective Shona Oliver 1)

‘Er… no, ma’am.’ Kate swallowed hard. ‘Whatever’s happened I’m sure it wasn’t Vin.’

‘Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe someone could be that disloyal,’ Shona continued. ‘He’d still be flipping burgers and playing on his Xbox if I hadn’t brought him in, the ungrateful scroat.’ She pointed a finger at Kate. ‘So listen. If he starts yapping again, come straight to me. Understand?’ Kate nodded; she looked like she was about to throw up. ‘Are you okay?’ Shona asked.

‘Yes, boss. Something I ate.’

She knew Kate wasn’t a boozer, so she was probably telling the truth. Shona made a mental note to avoid anything from the office fridge until it had been properly cleaned out. It wasn’t unknown for Murdo to sniff a pint of milk ten days past its date, and declare it fit for human consumption before sloshing it into everyone’s tea. She sent Kate back to her desk with the proviso that she should go home if she didn’t feel better soon.

Shona needed space to think. Should she do what she was told, tie up the cases and move on? She was in no doubt Baird meant what he said, but he wasn’t the one who’d pulled Isla from the water or seen Sami’s shattered body laid out on a mortuary table. Her debt to the dead remained. The memory of the mortuary filled her nose with the disinfectant smell of the hospital and then an image of Becca in Casualty, strapped to the trolley, flashed into her head. The thought of losing her, seeing her laid out on the same table as Sami or Isla, was a waking nightmare that made her tremble so much that her legs went from under her and she fell into the chair behind her desk. She felt a sudden overwhelming need to check on Becca, make sure the doctors were watching her carefully enough and that nothing could harm her. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to get up. Her head pounded as she checked the wall clock. Doctors’ rounds would be over.

She picked up her bag and coat. ‘Murdo, I’m going out for a while,’ she called, and held up her phone to indicate he could call her when he had something to report.

* * *

Becca was in good spirits, some of her customary surly defiance already in evidence at her mother’s choice of reading matter. ‘What’s this?’ She held a glossy page by the edges. ‘Shout. Really? Mum, I’m not a kid. And this?’ She picked up a music magazine.

‘It’s got Fleetwood Mac on the cover. You like them. Don’t you want to read about them?’

‘I like one of their albums. Why would I want to read about anyone who’s a hundred years old? Can’t you bring my laptop in?’

‘No, the doctors say you need to rest. What about some talking books?’

‘For God’s sake. You trying to finish me off?’ Becca saw the stricken look in her mother’s eyes. ‘Sorry. Sorry, Mum. That was really stupid.’ She lay back on the pillow, blinking tears away. The dressing above her eye and the bruising to her face made her look smaller and younger, like a kid who’d toppled off a swing. Shona took her unbandaged hand and squeezed it. Becca squeezed back.

‘I’m okay. Really, I am.’ She adjusted her head on the pillow to look at her mother. ‘You know, you were amazing yesterday.’ Becca’s eyes were shining with admiration. ‘Apart from the singing bit. What was that? Some nursery rhyme?’ Becca started to laugh.

‘What? “The Wheels on the Bus”? It’s a proper song. You used to love that.’ Shona couldn’t help smiling back. ‘It was all I could think of. I had to keep you awake.’ Then the thick lump of terror that had been sitting in her stomach since yesterday welled up. Tears formed in the corners of Shona’s eyes and she found she was crying and laughing with relief that her precious girl was still her precious girl in all her awkward, prickly, defiant self. Shona leaned over and pulled Becca into a fierce embrace, until her daughter again protested. ‘Ouch! Mum, stop.’

‘Ravi was in earlier,’ Becca said, when her mother had given her a tissue and they’d both wiped their eyes. ‘To take a statement. Is that what it’s called? It’s all a bit fuzzy, but I’m sure the car came from the direction of the main road, not the farm. I didn’t recognise it as local. Don’t think I was much help.’

‘I’m sure you were,’ Shona reassured her. ‘Something more might come back to you, but don’t try to force it. We can trace the car in other ways: CCTV, paint matches, tyre pattern analysis. You just need to concentrate on getting better.’

Becca nodded. ‘Is Dad coming in later?’

‘Yes, I’m sure he’s on his way,’ said Shona with brittle brightness. Rob was probably still over the limit to drive. He should take a cab, she wasn’t going back to pick him up. No way. She knew it was stupid, but it was hard not to blame him for what had happened to Becca. Last night, Murdo had found Rob sitting in the corner of the Royal Arms pissed out of his head. There was no sign of Rob’s brother, Sandy. As soon as Tommy had left the lifeboat station in his van, news of a serious road accident on the farm road would have gone round the village like wildfire. Hadn’t Rob thought to check who the victim was? That Becca was okay? Maybe that’s why she blamed him, for being so wrapped up in himself. He didn’t care that someone, anyone, was hurt. She just couldn’t understand it.

‘You need to rest now, darlin’.’ She kissed Becca’s forehead. ‘I’m going back to the office for a bit. I’ll be back in to see you this evening.’

Chapter 24

Dan met Shona as she came up the stairs to the CID office. ‘No word on Buckie yet. I’m just on my way back to Loreburn Street for an update. Maybe uniform or the PCSOs… what do you call them here again?’ He stopped on the half-landing.

‘The special officers,’ she said.

‘Yeah, the specials…’ Outside, rain was spiting on the stairwell window. ‘Maybe they’ve heard something.’ Dan zipped up his jacket.

‘Wait, Dan,’ Shona said, as he made to continue downstairs. ‘Listen, I’ve had word from Division to drop both Isla and Sami’s cases.’

‘I know, you said before.’ His frown deepened. ‘I’ve already told you I’ll be careful. I’m not giving up on this and I don’t think you are either. If they sack us, we’ll just have to get capes and become a cross-border crime-busting duo. Gotham City comes to Dumfries. What do you say?’

Shona shook her head, but Dan was grinning at her with such unfeigned enthusiasm that she found herself suppressing a smile. It was true, she had no intention of dropping the case. But if Dan could see through her then Baird would too, and with Vinny acting as a spy in the camp, that would come sooner rather than later. There wasn’t much time.

‘Okay, but you’re gonna have to watch yourself. Understand?’ Shona said. ‘First sign of trouble you put your hands up and say you were acting under my orders.’ She waited for him to nod before continuing. ‘So, what have we overlooked? Wazir mentioned money.’

‘We checked Isla’s bank account,’ Dan confirmed. ‘Only a couple of quid in it and her card wasn’t used after she disappeared. Still no sign of a purse, mobile phone or handbag.’

‘We’re going to need help to crack this.’ Shona shook her head. ‘We need Buckland.’

‘He’s a bail absconder. Every police force in England and Scotland is looking for him now. He won’t get far.’