‘Professional,’ he said quietly.
‘What’s that?’ Breck asked.
‘The whole thing. From the abduction to the positioning to the lack of evidence. This isn’t someone playing at being organised – this is someone with real knowledge.’
‘Knowledge like a SOCO would have?’
‘Or an undertaker, considering how they were embalmed,’ Brodie said.
Cameron ended his call and rejoined them. ‘Found him. HR said he works in Asda in Dunfermline. He asked for a reference, apparently.’
‘Let’s go,’ Brodie said. ‘I want to hear his theories first-hand.’
As they prepared to leave, Breck called after them. ‘Liam? Be careful how you handle this. If Duffy is our killer, confronting him about a new victim could spook him into running. If he’s innocent…’ Breck shrugged. ‘We don’t want to destroy an innocent man twice.’
6
The Asda supermarket in Dunfermline looked like every other Asda in Scotland – fluorescent lights, wide aisles and the perpetual hum of refrigeration units. Brodie pushed through the automatic doors with Art and Cameron flanking him, scanning for their target.
The manager told them they could find David Duffy in aisle seven, stacking shelves. Duffy looked up as they approached, and his face went through a series of expressions – recognition, resignation, then something that suggested he had just stepped in something.
‘Shit,’ he said quietly, setting down the tin in his hand. ‘I was wondering when you’d show up.’ He looked at Brodie. ‘I know you. From the last time. You haven’t aged well, son.’
‘No offence taken,’ Brodie said. ‘We need to talk.’
Duffy glanced around the aisle. A few shoppers were pretending not to watch while obviously listening. ‘Here? Now?’
‘Somewhere private,’ Art said.
Duffy stripped off his Asda vest and led them towards the back of the store. ‘The manager wouldn’t be happy if I juststopped working, but I don’t suppose you’d care if I got fired from this job as well as my other one.’ He stopped for a moment. ‘Except that was my career, not a job. I got fucked, last time, Bridie.’
‘Brodie.’
‘Police Scotland would have been just as well bringing in Inspector Gadget for all you did.’ He turned and started walking again.
‘The manager told us where we could find you. We can go back and tell him why we’re really here, instead of telling him we’re here to talk about a private family matter.’
Duffy tutted. ‘Like he’s going to believe three detectives came here because my cousin Willie got banged up in Thailand.’ He looked at them. ‘And before you ask, no, I don’t really have a cousin called Willie.’
‘We can stand here and talk to you, David. Or we can go somewhere quiet. The manager already said we can use his office.’
‘Let’s go then, before Linda in the bakery sees us. We’re going out on Friday and I don’t want her to think I’m a drug dealer or something.’
‘Or a serial killer,’ Art said.
‘You’re hilarious.’ Duffy paused at the staff door. ‘I suppose this is about the body they found?’
‘You know about that?’ Cameron asked.
‘It’s been on the news all morning, dafty. Young woman found on Pathhead Sands, circumstances similar to historical cases.’ Duffy’s voice was flat. ‘Doesn’t take a genius to work out why you’re here.’
Cameron exchanged a look with Art, wondering if there was a set of stairs close by that Duffy could accidentally fall down.
The manager’s office was cramped and cluttered, dominatedby a desk covered in delivery schedules and staff rotas. Duffy sat heavily in the manager’s chair, suddenly looking every one of his fifty-three years.
‘So,’ he said. ‘Let’s get this over with. You want to know where I was when she was killed.’
‘That would be helpful,’ Brodie said, nodding for Cameron to take out his notebook. ‘The last few days and nights.’
