‘Did you ever have contact with a friend of Sami’s, Imran Wazir?’
‘Nope, don’t think so.’
‘Okay. Was Sami caught up in the trafficking of children?’
‘Paedophile stuff? You kidding me? Think I’d have given him houseroom if he was?’
‘Okay, so one other thing. Drugs. Was Sami involved selling pills?’
This time the pause was longer. ‘I don’t tolerate dealers here. Nae sympathy for them. Parasites.’
‘Tony, I’ve got three young people dead. There’s a drugs link and both knew Sami. For Sami’s sake, and all those who come after him who deserve a second chance, tell me what you know. Help me shut these networks down.’
He sighed. ‘Yeah, Sami did mention something about selling pills. Said he’d got scared and stopped. I told him he’d done the right thing. He’d wind up in jail if he was caught. No chance of asylum or anything. Jail and deportation.’
‘How did he react?’
‘Seemed to hit home, promised he was done with that game.’
‘Did he tell you anything about the operation, who he was involved with?’
‘Not my job to ask, is it? Had enough to do keeping him here t
ill I could patch him up,’ he said indignantly.
‘Yes, I know, Tony. Thank you,’ Shona soothed. ‘You’ve been very helpful.’
‘Aye well, don’t bandy that about. I’ve got my reputation to think of.’
Shona smiled. ‘Of course. We are on the same side, you know.’
‘Not always obvious though, is it?’ he said, and hung up.
Shona walked back to where Dan was scrolling through his messages.
‘Kirkland just confirmed Sami was selling pills. Now we have three deaths with the same MO. Still think this is a serial killer?’ Shona quizzed Dan.
He nodded slowly. ‘In a sense. I think we’re looking for the same perpetrator or perpetrators in all three cases. This isn’t political. Or some ritual notion about the border, although I still think people like Duncan Saltire need locking up.’ Dan shook his head. ‘This is about revenge, or a turf war. That’s the more likely motive.’
‘Revenge for what, though? If it’s a turf war over drugs, then Op Fortress would have had more intelligence on Jamie. He was bycatch. Surveillance identified him but he wasn’t scheduled for arrest. We only rounded him up because he was at his mate’s house. He literally had a couple of Valium pills in his hand when we nicked him.’ Shona looked at him, her eyebrows lifting as an idea occurred to her. ‘Do you think he did that deliberately?’
‘How do you mean?’ Dan frowned. ‘You think he stuck his hand up for a Class C offence, knowing he’d walk, and we wouldn’t look too closely at him? Yeah, I’d buy that. If he’s gone under the radar, he’s either been exceptionally clever or very, very lucky.’
Shona nodded slowly. ‘Oh, I think he was much cleverer than we gave him credit for. And I think Isla, Sami, Buckland and Wazir are connected by more than baby milk. Dumping Buckland’s body at the Carmine warehouse can’t have been an accident. It was a warning to others. I think the pills, this Quinox, is the key. I think there’s a connection to the Sweet Life group here somewhere. I should have seen it sooner.’
‘How could you?’ Dan said. ‘Everything was passed to Op Fortress.’
‘I know,’ Shona conceded. ‘But if I had seen a link, then maybe some of them would still be alive.’
Chapter 29
Shona and Dan spent the next hour preparing the conference room at Cornwall Mount CID office. It was early afternoon, but the overheated, south-east-facing room was close and dim, for the autumn sun had already left it far behind. Shona shrugged off her navy suit jacket and sent Dan to get a jug of water and two glasses.
When they were ready, the dozen officers and staff trooped in and gathered round the rectangular table stacked with files. Some sat on chairs, some perched on side tables, notebooks clasped to their chests. They shot furtive glances at the three photographs on the whiteboard and speculated quietly with their neighbours on the reason for their summons.
‘Afternoon everyone.’ Shona got up and all conversation died away. She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and turned to the board. ‘Isla Corr, Sami Raseem, Jamie Buckland.’ She stabbed the board under the headshots with her marker pen, emphasising each name. ‘Three deaths we now have reason to believe connect our baby milk case to the Sweet Life drugs group.’ There were murmurs and exchanged glances around the table. ‘All knew each other. All display injuries to their hands sustained weeks before, or at, their deaths. These are possibly punishment beatings,’ she continued. ‘All have traces of the prescription drug Quinox in their systems.’
‘Our key witness Imran Wazir was found dead this morning.’ Shona stilled the bubbling chatter with a glance. ‘A doctor has ruled it suicide, but since he was supposed to be in protective custody in Glasgow, I’ve asked the fiscal to consider any anomalies in the case and ask for a second PM if necessary.’ Shona had spoken to Professor Kitchen, who had promised to make herself available for it and would be formidable if crossed. Shona was assembling a strong team around her. They would solve these cases.