‘He’s withdrawn, gone away deep inside himself. He could be putting it on, but I don’t think so. He looks as if the soul has left his body, if that’s not too melodramatic a description for you.’
‘I’ll be right along.’
She arrived ten minutes later. Before taking her into the interview room, Skinner showed her the photograph of Yobatu, and described in detail their confrontation earlier in the day.
Yobatu did not resist as Sarah carried out a swift but thorough physical examination. Blood pressure, respiration, pulse and reflexes, all were normal, indeed better than average for a man in his forties.
During the examination Sarah asked Yobatu several questions. He responded to none and his expression remained fixed.
When she was finished, Sarah motioned Skinner outside.
‘Physically he’s fine. In some ways he’s a marvel. But you’d better get the head specialists in here now. This man is definitely not open for business. All the time I was working on him he didn’t blink once. He’s in as deep a trance as I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s self-induced, but I doubt it. It’s more likely to be an extreme reaction to the shock of discovery, after what he thought was the perfect revenge. You’ve handled a few psychopaths, you must know how volatile they can be.’
Skinner nodded. ‘Yes, too true. Brian, call Kevin O’Malley at the Royal Edinburgh. Ask him to turn out, and to bring a trusted colleague. We’d better double up on this one.’
‘Very good, boss. There’s one other thing. The tip-off machine’s been at work already. The desk has had calls from the
‘Bugger it! I’d hoped to avoid that for a few hours, at least. Some day I’m going to take the time to find out who that tip-off mechanic is and disconnect him, permanently.
‘Deal with it this way. Don’t put out a general statement, but say in answer to calls that a man is helping us with enquiries into recent incidents. Don’t mention Glasgow. They’ll ask if charges are imminent. You can say “no” with a clear conscience. We can’t do that till we know he can understand us.
‘We’d better tell the Fiscal too. Give him a call and get him, or the Depute, up here. And get Maggie Rose to ask Madame Yobatu who the family lawyer is. Chances are it’ll be one of the big firms.
‘Once you’ve got that sorted out, I’ll give the Chief a call. It’s time he was brought up to date.’
32
When Mackie returned to the outer office fifteen minutes later, Sarah was about to leave. As she closed Skinner’s door behind her, Mackie could have sworn he heard her say: ‘See you later then.’
He paused, then shook his head. ‘Nah, I’m hearing things.’
‘All done, sir,’ he reported to Skinner. ‘The answer’s going to the
‘The shrinks are on their way. As far as Yobatu’s lawyer’s concerned Maggie says that Madame doesn’t want to involve him, but she’s called the Japanese Ambassador instead.’
Skinner whistled. ‘Has she indeed! We always knew this was a high-toned bastard. Now we know how high- toned. Right, now I can phone the Gaffer.’
Skinner interrupted the Proud family’s evening meal. The Chief Constable’s wife answered the telephone. All coppers were like sons to her, Skinner often thought.
‘Hello, Bob, haven’t seen you in long enough. You must be having a terrible time of it with all these murders and so on. Hold on. I’ll get Jimmy.’
The Chief Constable was still chewing something when he took the telephone. Skinner allowed him time to finish. Might choke when he hears what I’ve got to tell him, he thought.
He explained what had happened over the past few days, told of the raid on Yobatu, and of the arrest.
Relief swept down the telephone line. ‘Well done, Bob. Bloody good work. I’m happy for you, and for me, I don’t mind saying. For a while there I could see the knighthood going out the window!’ The man’s frankness was one of his best qualities.
Skinner laughed with him. ‘I hope you don’t feel I should have told you earlier, but it might have been a wild goose chase. If I brought you in on every bum lead you’d never finish a meal.’
‘That’s fine by me. Where is the man now?’
‘I’ve got him locked up at Fettes, Chief. But there’s a problem. Maybe two.’
He told Proud of Yobatu’s collapse, and of his wife’s subsequent telephone call to the Japanese Ambassador.
‘I see. When are the shrinks due?’
‘Any minute now.’
‘Well let’s see what they say. Do you want me to come in?’
‘No, better not. There’s just a chance that the papers might have this place staked out. If you arrive on a Sunday night, they’ll know it’s something big.’
‘Fair enough. Well look, keep me in touch. Do you think you’ll get a confession tonight?’
‘Not unless someone’s come up with a miracle cure for catatonic withdrawal. This bugger’s not kidding. There is nothing going on in his head ... nothing at all.’
‘What about the press side of it?’
‘I’ll play that by ear. I’m not issuing any further statement till I have something to say. If I feel that I need to have a press conference, I’ll consult you first.’
‘No, just do what you think best. But let me know if you hear from this Ambassador fella.’
‘Okay, boss.’
Skinner had just replaced the receiver when Willie Haggerty arrived, with another detective. The two shook hands, and Haggerty introduced his colleague. ‘This is Detective Sergeant David Bell.’ The other man was much taller than Haggerty, taller even than Skinner.
‘Where’s our man then, Mr Skinner?’ Haggerty was breezy and ebullient, typically Glaswegian.
‘He’s in a room of his own, with two big polismen, but for all he knows he could be on a South Sea island, or back in Japan in a rice-paper house.
‘You see, Willie, our man Yobatu has gone quietly out of his tree.
‘I’m just waiting for two eminent practitioners to arrive, to take a look inside his head. I’ll be bloody surprised if they find anything, though. So I don’t think you should see him right at this moment.’ Skinner’s face split into an untypically mischievous grin. ‘I’ll show you Shun Lee’s nuts, though, if you like!’
The stocky detective grimaced, throwing up his hands in mock horror. ‘Aw yous’re all fuckin’ heart and generosity through here in Edinburgh!’
When the laughter had subsided, Skinner told Haggerty, from the beginning, the story of the Yobatu connection, taking it through to the confrontation in the Balerno conservatory, to the discoveries in the garage, and to the abortive interview.
‘Christ,’ said Haggerty, ‘it all fits, but it’s all so bloody bizarre. He does Shun Lee, then Mortimer, then the girl. But along the way, after Mortimer, he does in three innocent punters here in Edinburgh, one of them a copper, to blind you to the link between those three murders. We think that the Triads did Shun, and that the girl was a jumper. You’re supposed to think that Burke and fuckin’ Hare are back in business.’
‘That’s how it looks, Willie.’
‘Jesus, it would chill you to the fuckin’ marrow, would it no’? And you didnae even know he was at Queen Street till he told you?’
‘No we did not. I don’t know how I kept a straight face when he came out with that one.’
As Haggerty shook his head in wonderment, there was a quick soft knock on the door. Mackie stepped into the room.
‘Two things, sir. ’ Things often came in pairs with Mackie, Skinner had noticed. ‘One, Mr O’Malley and the other nutcracker have arrived. Two, Mr Martin’s on the phone.’
