‘I would really appreciate some sort of breakthrough on this one, Logan. A morsel of chum to throw to the sharks?’
Suppose this was her officially shouting ‘frog’.
OK.
Logan dug out his notebook. ‘We need door-to-doors on the road where Shaw’s car was found – canvass the whole area. Maybe he was thick enough to park near where they’re hiding Agapova?’
‘Couldbe worth a try.’ Though she didn’t sound convinced. ‘But why—’
‘SARGE!’
Everyone turned, and there was Tufty scampering across the quad like an excited squirrel, while Steel sashayed along behind him – playing it cool, pulling on a pair of massive sunglasses that looked suspiciously like the ones Rennie had ‘lost’.
‘Sarge, Sarge, Sarge, Sarge, Sarge!’ The wee loon skidded to a halt, ogled at Pine for a second, then tugged his forelock. ‘Oh, andBoss, of course.’
Steel caught up with him, waggling her eyebrows at the Chief Super. ‘Hey, Sexy.’
Pine stiffened. ‘Are you going to be like this till you retire?’
‘Probably worse, if anything.’ Big smile. ‘But I’m sweetly pretty and come bearing good news, so I’m sure you’ll indulge me.’ Wink. She turned to Logan. ‘Remember that bollocks you were on about: “Shaw worked in a hairdresser, Agapova has hair”? Well—’
‘We did find an connection!’ Tufty bounced on the spot. ‘She was one of his clients! Got a trim and her roots done, last week.’
Steel thumped him one for spoiling her big surprise. ‘We’re on our way to check the place out, if anyone’s interested?’
‘Go.’ Pine gave Logan the nod. ‘See who else is on Shaw’s books. And if anyone knows about an accomplice.’
Which sounded like a massive waste of time, but a wise frog did what he was told. ‘Boss.’
Steel sidled closer. ‘Why don’tyoucome, Roslyn? Be a bit crowded in the car, but you could sit on my lap? Wink, wink.’ Dropping her voice to a saucy whisper. ‘If you like, I can get the wee loon to drive over all the potholes. Bump-bump, jiggle-jiggle...?’
‘You do know I can have you suspended?’
‘Aye: on full pay.’ Adopting a damsel-in-distress pose: one arm out and down, the back of her other hand to her forehead. ‘Lawd havemercy– howeverwill ah cope?’
Sweeny showed everyone his watch. ‘Twelve minutes. Look, it reallywouldhelp to meet the reporter and crew first. Establish a rapport before they start filming?Please?’
Right: it was time for someone to take charge.
Logan poked a finger at Steel. ‘You: put your wrinkly libido back in its box.’ Then Tufty. ‘You: get a car.’ Then Sweeny. ‘You: you’re apoliceofficer! Stop whining and grow a truncheon.’ Then Pine. ‘And you...’ He lowered his pointing finger. Cleared his throat. ‘We’ll get right on that. Boss.’
Biohazard’s voice whined out of Logan’s phone, as the pool car drifted up Union Street.‘Oh, in the name of pish!How?I’ve got three more work-shy bastards signed off on the sick since yesterday – barely coping as it is...’
To be honest, Aberdeen’s main street was a bit depressing these days, dressed in all its boarded-up-and-To-Let-/-May-Sell finery, where charity shops and mobile phone places rubbed shoulders with vape stores, bookies, and the occasional chain outlet. A few local businesses had bucked the trend, but it was nothing like it used to be.
Tufty – doing the driving – was probably too young and teuchtery to remember it in its glory days, and Steel – parked in the back, like Lady Muck – was too demob-happy to care.
‘Come on, Guv: where am I supposed to find extra bodies for door-to-doors?’
‘That’s why they pay you the big bucks, Acting Detective Inspector Marshall. And you’d better PNC check everyone living in a two-street radius as well. Never know your luck...?’
The Doric-columned pomp of the Music Hall went by on the right, draped with banners for the Aberdeen International Book Festival.
On the other side of the road, a busker wanged away on her guitar outside Burger King, singing about how meat is murder and the monarchy are all a bunch of chinless parasites anyway.
‘Still there?’
Biohazard groaned.‘Being a DI sucks balls.’He hissed out a long breath, then:‘I’ll see what I can do.’
