Thanking him, I gave Tierney a reassuring smile, which did nothing to ease the concern wrinkling her brow. Quinn prodded me forward, and I turned away as he guided me across Main Street to our cars. It took us less than a minute to drive to the police station.
DC Alice was there with PC William. After I provided them with another statement about yesterday’s attack, DC Alice questioned Quinn about Eoghan.
I found myself reaching to squeeze Quinn’s thigh as he reminded her of the boating incident with Liam. The detective constable shrewdly took in the gesture but ever the professional, she made no comment on it.
Instead, she sat back in her chair with a sigh. “After Oban Police contacted us, we drove down to Glenbuie to speak with him. He was belligerent and generally uncooperative. But he denies his involvement in the incidents that took place here, and he has an alibi for yesterday’s assault. He was in the pub in Glenbuie from its opening at 10 a.m. until we found him there in the afternoon.”
“We know it wasn’t him in Oban yesterday,” Quinn reminded her. “I knew it wasn’t him from the build of the bloke. But that doesn’t mean he’s not involved.”
“There’s nothing we can do to prove Eoghan’s involvement, Quinn.” Alice considered him. “Perhaps your own trauma from that incident is clouding your judgment.”
“He was aggressive toward Taran in her store.”
“I know, and he was given a warning about that.”
“What about the spray paint across Cammie’s Defender? I’m the only thing that connects Cammie and Taran.”
“Are you?” She frowned. “I’m not being deliberately argumentative, Quinn, or telling you that you’re for sure barking up the wrong tree. But I can’t have tunnel vision in an investigation. I need to look at all possible avenues. Cammie andTaran grew up together, and they’re friends independent of you. We don’t know that the vandalism against Cammie’s vehicle is connected to Taran. Oban Police have run out of leads, so we need you both to be extra vigilant going forward. If anything happens, even something small, I want to know about it. The more we know, the faster I can get to the bottom of this.”
Frustrated at the situation and not at DC Alice, we thanked her and left the station. We both needed to return home to change. Quinn wanted to be at the Lantern when I met with Ramsay. Since I was feeling confusingly clingy after our night together, I told him I’d meet him there. He looked like he wanted to say something as we stood by my car, but whatever it was, he squelched it with a quiet “See you soon.”
34.Quinn
“It all looks good.” Ramsay strode out of the Keatons’ house to stand with me as we looked up at it.
I tossed the keys into the air, studying our handiwork and feeling proud. “It’s crackin’.”
“It is. All signed off?”
Building control had been this morning, followed quickly by the building warranty officer, who had just left, leaving me and Ramsay to lock up.
“All signed off. The Keatons arrive this weekend to pick up the keys and see it for the first time.”
“One thing off your plate.” Ramsay rubbed the nape of his neck. “Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”
I shook my head.
Yesterday, Taran and I had met Ramsay in the Lantern. While he had been able to trace where the call came from using phone mast trilateration there had been only one call made on the phone and that was to Taran. It was clearly a burner phone and there were no other call or text records. And while Ramsay had traced the call, he couldn’t trace the phone, which meant it had been switched off or destroyed.
Strangely, the call had come from Glasgow.
Which had Taran racking her brain, thinking of any confrontations she’d had in recent history when she lived there. I reminded her that Eoghan McCall had moved to Glasgow with his wife, so he surely had contacts there too.
Ramsay had his own contacts search the CCTV in Oban. Taran had many questions about how he’d managed it, but Ramsay evaded and Tierney distracted. Unfortunately, they’d lost Taran’s attacker too.
“You’re doing what you can.” I winced. “Taran might be onto you, though.”
Ramsay frowned. “How so?”
“She kept asking me how you could get access to the camera footage from Oban. Why you knew about phone trilateration and tracing. I told her you were in the military and had some connections who could help. But … your ringtone is the Austin Powers theme song. It’s made her suspicious.”
To my shock, Ramsay let out a bark of laughter.
Eyebrows raised, I was incredulous as he grinned at me. “I thought you’d be pissed off.”
“So, Taran’s a bit suspicious. As long as you don’t tell her, we’re good. But Austin Powers?” He shoulder-checked me as he passed. “Cheeky bastard.”
I chuckled, calling after him. “Tierney’s changed you!”
