‘In that case,’ the lawyer ventured, tentatively, ‘would the new man consider talking to his daughter about . . .’

  Skinner held up a hand. ‘Stop!’ he barked. ‘Go no further, Rocco. You’d be well out of order if you were to suggest that I try to influence Alex’s advice to her client.’ He winked at Pye, sending a wave of pain washing round his skull. ‘You’d also embarrass Sammy as the SIO in the case, by suggesting that you might not think it’s winnable.’

  ‘Oh, we’re going to get a conviction,’ de Matteo retorted. ‘Be in no doubt about that. DCI Pye’s case is rock solid, as you must know by now. I assume you’ve read the report.’

  ‘Assume nothing, presume nothing. You can’t raise this with me, you just can’t. Thanks for the visit and for your concern, but I think you should go now. You need to get on with the process of removing the man Afonin from the country.’

  ‘True.’

  ‘You might also ask them how he was able to import a prohibited weapon, since I’m assuming that he didn’t buy it here. By the way, that was the old Bob Skinner talking.’

  The Solicitor General nodded, smiled sheepishly and left the cubicle.

  Skinner waited for a few seconds until he was sure de Matteo was out of earshot, then laughed. ‘What a fucking plonker that man is. He’s a political appointment, unlike his boss, the Lord Advocate, who can’t stand him. He used to be Labour, but he jumped ship to the Nationalists for the sake of his career. Be very wary of him, lads, and keep a record of everything you tell him and of every instruction he gives you. If the Baker prosecution does go south, he’ll be looking for someone to carry the can.’

  ‘Do you think it will, sir?’ Haddock asked, boldly. ‘We don’t.’

  ‘I’m not going to answer that, Sauce,’ Skinner told him. ‘Instead I’ll ask you a question. You guys, and you in particular, Sammy, have known my Alex for a while. You’ll be aware, and I acknowledge, that in her private life, she never gets anything right . . . just like her old man, until recently. But in her professional life, can either of you tell me something that she’s ever got wrong?’

  Pye smiled. ‘I hear what you’re saying, boss, but there’s a first time for everything. I hate to sound like Mr de Matteo, QC, but a guilty plea to culpable homicide is a pretty good offer.’

  ‘Objectively, I might agree,’ he conceded, ‘but I’m never going to tell her that. The fact is that neither you nor de Matteo can have any input to how she advises her client in a privileged situation, so don’t compromise yourself by trying to influence her through me. She’s obliged to put the offer to him, sure, and to advise him as she thinks appropriate, but the decision’s his and his alone.’

  ‘And you better believe that,’ Alex declared, sweeping the curtain open as Haddock had done and stepping up to the bed. She was not alone; Sarah followed close behind her.

  ‘Time we were off,’ Pye said, quickly. ‘Personally and professionally, given our respective roles.’

  Skinner reached out and caught his arm. ‘Agreed, but a suggestion before you go. Before you wrap up the Grigor investigation, you might want to have a word with his employer, if only to rule out the possibility that he might have put him up to it.’

  ‘Do you think he might have?’

  ‘Honestly, no. I’d just like that man’s cage rattled, that’s all.’

  ‘I’ll take the suggestion on board, sir. I’ll let you know if anything comes of it.’

  ‘Thanks. See you, gentlemen.’

  As the two left, he turned to his daughter and his partner. ‘See, I’m all in one piece,’ he chuckled.

  ‘I’ve seen you worse,’ Sarah conceded. ‘But I’ve also seen that video. What the hell did that woman Crampsey think she was doing publishing it?’

  ‘It’s her job,’ Skinner said. ‘There’s no legal reason why she shouldn’t, as charges hadn’t been laid when she did.’

  ‘But as soon as they are,’ Alex pointed out, ‘she should take it down.’

  ‘The punters who uploaded it to YouTube won’t, so why should the Saltire ? The law hasn’t caught up with social media; you know that. Anyway, contempt of court isn’t going to be an issue.’

  He explained the revelations of Grigor’s true identity and his past. ‘It doesn’t matter what the charge is, serious assault or attempt to murder. He won’t be here to face it.’ He winked at her. ‘I don’t suppose Chaz Baker has any outstanding warrants that might take precedence.’

  ‘Stop it!’ She stifled a laugh.

  ‘Only kidding. How did your meeting go?’

  ‘I saw Mamma Mia; she dropped in on a snooping mission. She wants a meeting, by the way, about Ignacio.’

  ‘I suppose,’ he murmured. ‘As long as McCullough isn’t there.’

  ‘Pops,’ Alex warned, ‘McCullough is his stepfather. You may not be able to keep him at a distance.’

  ‘Maybe not, but I’ll try. How about the purpose of your trip? How did that play out?’

  ‘Better than I’d feared,’ she admitted. ‘I know how my client’s prints came to be on the victim’s phone.’

  ‘You know how he says they came to be there,’ he corrected her.

  ‘Bloody cynic!’

  ‘Devil’s bloody advocate. You won’t simply have to offer it as an explanation. The prints are there; that’s evidence. A plausible story doesn’t always equate to reasonable doubt, unless it’s proved.’

  ‘I’ll grant you that, but that may be possible. I’ll have to send an investigator to interview the staff at One Devonshire, in Glasgow, but it could be worth it. They might not recall Chaz, but they’re bound to remember Annette Bordeaux.’ She smiled. ‘Would you do it, once you’re mobile again?’

  ‘I’ve told you, you can’t afford me.’

  ‘My client can. It needs to be done, Pops.’

  ‘Maybe,’ he sighed. ‘I’m free tomorrow, so we’ll see.’

  ‘No we won’t,’ Sarah intervened, her tone ruling out any argument. ‘You’re going nowhere tomorrow, other than home.’

  ‘I’m going there now. Gimme what you brought, there’s a love.’

  ‘Certainly.’ She smiled, sweetly, reached into her shoulder bag and produced his electric shaver, a pair of pyjamas, a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.

  ‘What the hell’s this?’ he exclaimed.

  ‘Bob, my love,’ she said, ‘they want you to stay in overnight, as a precaution.’

  ‘But I’ll have you as a carer back in Gullane,’ he protested.

  ‘Honey, I’m a pathologist, that’s my specialty. If you were dead, yes, I’d take you home. But you’re not, and since you’re not, there is no way that I’m going to countermand the recommendation of an A and E consultant, not least when he tells me that you’ve got a cracked rib and you’re pissing blood. Get used to it, big boy, you are spending the night here.’

  He sighed, and admitted defeat. ‘Okay, but I want to be gone from here first thing in the morning. Alex, can you pick me up and take me to the office, so I can collect my car?’

  ‘Your car can stay there,’ Sarah said. ‘You shouldn’t drive for a couple of days. I’ll collect you in the morning.’

  ‘What about the media crowd I’m told is waiting outside?’

  ‘They have two choices,’ Alex declared. ‘They can carry on waiting in vain or go home for the night.’

  ‘How about you talk to them for me?’ her father suggested. ‘Thank them for their concern, but tell them that I’ve been in worse scrapes with tougher guys than Grigor and walked away from them all.’

  ‘Me? Read badly from a prepared statement?’ she said. ‘I’m not sure that’s me.’

  ‘You’ll carry it off,’ he insisted.

  ‘When they see me they may be more interested in Chaz Baker than in you,’ she pointed out. ‘The word is out that I’m acting for him.’

  ‘Mmm,’ he murmured. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe you shouldn’t do it.’

  ‘No, I will. Chaz is being crucified in social media. If this gives me a platform to assert his innocence, I’d be daft not to take it. What information have the police released about the man who attacked you?’

  ‘None. Don’t get drawn into that. If you’re asked who he is, refer that straight back to Sammy Pye . . . or better still, Rocco de Matteo.’

  ‘Is he involved?’

  ‘He used it as a pretext to get to me, in the hope that I would get to you about the plea bargain. You missed him by a couple of minutes, that’s all.’

  ‘Cheeky bastard!’ Alex growled. ‘That’s misconduct. I could complain to the Lord Advocate about that.’

  ‘You could but you won’t. Rocco’s a wanker, but he isn’t your enemy. Don’t make him one.’

  ‘Did he get to you, Pops? You think Chaz is guilty, so you must believe he should take the plea on offer.’

  ‘I cut him off at the knees, love; didn’t let him get that far. As for my feelings . . . look, it’s not a matter of my belief. When I look at the case against Baker and put myself in the shoes of the average jury member I can only be honest, and say that it’s a banker conviction. If it goes to trial the best you can hope for is that the judge gives the option of a culpable homicide verdict and they go for that, but don’t build your hopes up.’

  ‘Bob,’ Sarah pleaded, ‘cut her some slack. Don’t paint such a black picture.’

  ‘What good would that do?’ he countered. ‘Black is what it is. Christ, love, you did the autopsy. You saw the state of the body and you’ll be a witness for the Crown. Do you see this as anything less than . . .’ He stopped abruptly. ‘No, don’t answer that. I shouldn’t be asking.’

  ‘That’s okay, it isn’t prejudicial to anything. No I don’t: Annette Bordeaux was murdered, brutally. Did Chaz Baker murder her? That judgement is outside my remit.’

  ‘And mine. I’ve promised to study the report carefully and I will, but beyond that . . . Look, I know a good investigator, her name’s Carrie McDaniels and she could take on your leg work at a reasonable cost.’

  ‘Is she capable of overturning the police case and proving Chaz’s innocence?’

  ‘No,’ he admitted. ‘No more than I am,’ he added. ‘I don’t believe that anyone is.’

  ‘Pops,’ Alex sighed. ‘I know that the notion of working against the police runs counter to everything you stand for, but I really need you. I need you to do more than read the paperwork, I need you to close your eyes, take a blind leap of faith and commit to proving Chaz Baker’s innocence. If that sounds like emotional blackmail, that’s exactly what it is.’

  He laughed, then winced as that simple movement strained the staples in his head again. ‘In that case, I give up. I will tilt at your windmill, but with as much chance of success as old Quixote. Now go and talk to the media but don’t even think of telling them that I’m on the case.’

  He watched her leave then reached out to take Sarah’s hand. ‘Better give me those jammies, love. I’ve got a confession to make. My head hurts like buggery, my back is sore, I feel very tired, and I need to take another painkiller and sleep it off.’

  Twenty-Eight

  ‘Did they believe you?’ Mia McCullough heard her husband ask. She gazed at him, standing in their conservatory with his mobile pressed to his ear. She gestured to him and he read her correctly, putting it on speaker mode and holding it up.

  ‘. . . course they believe me, Cameron. These are simple peoples, small-timers.’

  ‘I’m not so bloody sure I would have,’ McCullough retorted. ‘If I were you I wouldn’t be a hundred per cent certain that they did. And do not underestimate these men. Edinburgh might be a small city compared to Moscow, but its CID is better than yours. There’s no whiff of corruption about it either. As for those men you’re dismissing, they are not simple, they are serious. Trust me on that.’

  ‘They never catch you,’ Rogozin said.

  ‘Those two never tried. By the way, watch your mouth on an open phone line, Dimitri,’ he added.

  ‘You worries too much.’

  ‘You can never worry too much, pal. For example, I’m still worried that you’re lying to the cops and to me. I wouldn’t put it past you to have set that fucking baboon on Bob Skinner.’

  ‘Why I do that?’

  ‘To send a message to his daughter, perhaps. To give her an added incentive to get Chaz Baker off.’

  The phone in McCullough’s hand fell silent; there was no response. Husband and wife exchanged frowns.

  ‘If I thought you had done that,’ he continued, ‘I would be very displeased. You’re in my country now, and I expect you to obey its rules and conventions, one of those being that cops are sacrosanct.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Off limits, untouchable.’

  ‘This man Skinner, he not cop.’

  ‘He may be off the strength, Dimitri, but that means nothing. He is also not exactly a soft target, as your idiot has just found out. You know what? If that woman hadn’t been there filming and if Skinner hadn’t seen her when he did, there’s a fair chance that Grigor would have wound up in intensive care.’

  ‘You joking with me, Cameron,’ Rogozin laughed.

  ‘I’m bloody not. He would have if he’d tried that on me, and that’s if he was lucky. Listen, pal, you and I have had a mutually beneficial business relationship up to now. You need to be sensible, to make sure it stays that way. The man Grigor, or whatever his real name is, I told you he was a liability; I told you not to bring him to Scotland. You ignored me and now we’re scraping shit off the fan. It’s already played out badly, but it could get worse.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Oh but yes. You’re the chairman of Merrytown Football Club. If the Crown decide to prosecute the fella, he will be tied to you. The question of your involvement will be raised in court, and your fit and proper person status might be questioned by the football bosses.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ the Russian blustered.

  ‘They might ban you. To tell you the truth I wouldn’t be upset if they did. Just lately, Dimitri, your attitude and your manners have been annoying me. I let you import big Paco Fonter, a luxury player who is, frankly, a fish out of water in our league and I let his agent make Baker part of the package. Okay, Chaz knows what he’s doing, he’s a top manager, but Christ, will you look where we are with him now? Did you know he was shagging Fonter’s wife?’ McCullough shouted, his usual calm abandoned. ‘Was I the only guy in the club who wasn’t aware of it?’

  ‘He was not. That not true.’

  ‘So why did he kill her? Oh, never mind! I don’t want to know.’ He stopped, for breath and to regain his composure.

  ‘As it happens,’ he continued, quietly, ‘Grigor won’t be going to court. The police have discovered his real identity and the Russians want him back. I’ve reached out to our Solicitor General through an acquaintance. He assures me that the problem will be back in Moscow in a couple of days.’

  ‘So no problem. Why you so excited, Cameron?’

  ‘I was excited, but now I’m calm. So listen to me. From now on, you will come to Scotland alone, on your expensive flying company-owned toy. No more Grigors, no more minders at all. You’re under no threat here; in fact very few people have ever heard of you, and to be honest, nobody who has gives a fuck about you.’

  ‘No, no. I bring who I like.’

  ‘No, you don’t. Bring your girlfriend, bring your other girlfriend, bring both of them at the same time, no problem. But no more walking disasters.’

  ‘Cameron,’ the Russian drawled, ‘you don’ want make an enemy of Rogozin.’

  ‘Actually, Dimitri,’ McCullough replied, ‘it’s the other way around. But as long as Rogotron carries on paying me my dividends, I don’t care about you one way or the other. I’ll see you at the Motherwell game next Saturday.’

  He ended the call and pocketed his phone, and turned to Mia. ‘What do you think of that?’

  ‘Did he really tell that man to go after Bob, do you think?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Dimitri’s got a hoodlum fixation, that’s his problem. He likes to act the Mafioso, but the truth is he’s a wimp.’

  ‘Why do you tolerate him? You could buy him out of Rogotron any time you like, and take over as Merrytown chairman yourself.’

  He laughed. ‘Why would I do that? The deal I have with him includes an arrangement that if either of us dies, his shares pass to the survivor, with the condition that the heirs of the dead one continue to receive their share of the profit. It would be frustrating if I bought him out and then he stepped in front of a bus.’

  ‘Wouldn’t it just,’ his wife murmured. ‘But if he stepped in front of that bus tomorrow . . .’

  Twenty-Nine

  ‘That’s a definite refusal? Are you absolutely sure?’ There was something about Paula Benedict’s voice that pushed Alex Skinner’s hostility button, every time. The woman could have been reciting the Lord’s Prayer and her hackles would still have risen. Add to that her manner, and Alex could not think of anyone she disliked more heartily.

  ‘My client’s position is that he denies absolutely being involved in the death of Annette Bordeaux. That’s not going to change, Paula, so don’t waste your time or mine by pursuing the matter any further.’

  ‘I’ll convey that to the Solicitor General,’ the advocate purred. ‘He’ll be disappointed.’

  ‘No, he’ll be crapping himself about putting his reputation on the line by leading in such a high-profile trial. If I were you I’d be prepared for him to back out and leave you carrying the can.’

  ‘I hope he does,’ Benedict declared. ‘It’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel.’

  ‘I’ve often wondered what sort of idiot would try to do that,’ Alex murmured, then hung up.

  She was in the act of reaching into her laden filing tray when the phone rang again. Impatiently she snatched it from its cradle. ‘Yes,’ she snapped.

  ‘It’s the Lanark procurator fiscal,’ her secretary announced, ‘about the Fleming assault case. I could tell him you’ll call back.’

  ‘No,’ she said, ‘I’ll take it.’ She waited, hearing a click as the connection was made. ‘Mr Black, what can I do for you?’