Skinner nodded. ‘Aye, and as a bonus, our man Hamburger winds up shagging the barmaid, and finds out in the process that her boy-friend works in a jeweller’s. See pillow talk, lads, and what can come of it! In this case, Nick Williams tells Arlene about the Russian diamond buyer, and she lets it slip to her bit on the side.
‘Andy, you could just about write your report to the Fiscal now.’
‘Except for one thing. We haven’t a fucking clue who Hamburger is.’
‘I don’t suppose there’s any chance that could be his real name could it, sir?’ McIlhenney asked, tentatively.
Martin shook his head. ‘We’ve checked that impossibility. Believe it or not, there is one man called Hamburger in the UK. He lives in Staffordshire, he’s in his late sixties and he’s a parish priest.’
‘Ah,’ said the sergeant. ‘So he’s unlikely to be planning armed robberies in Edinburgh, or shaggin’ a bar stewardess.’ He paused, and rolled his eyes. ‘Mind you . . .’
Skinner let out a short sharp burst of laughter. ‘We’ll pull him in, if you like, Neil, and stick him in a line-up for Herr to look at.’ He turned to Martin.
‘Andy, do you have anything else, or can we all go home?’
‘Oh yes,’ said the Head of CID, with a gleam in his green eyes. ‘I have something else. We’ve had a result out at West Linton. Neville and Steele tore Saunders’ cottage apart. They found nothing there, but when they started on his van, a wee white Citroen job, they found, hidden behind the body panels in the luggage compartment, over a hundred grand in cash and a single-barrelled, short-stock, pump-action shotgun, loaded with heavy gauge, the same ammo that killed Harry Riach and Annie Brown.
‘I’ve sent it to Ballistics for testing against the ejected cartridges that were found at the scene in Galashiels.’
‘Well done your team!’ said Skinner enthusiastically.
‘When I get a positive match, I’m planning to issue another press statement through Royston, if the Fiscal’s happy.’
‘You do that. ’The DCC leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. ‘I can see all this coming together now. I’d guess that all the targets were identified before the first robbery and all the team was in place. When Bennett dropped his credit card and got lifted, the rest of the operation was put on hold, to review the planning, and to make sure that he wouldn’t talk.
‘With O’Donnell on the payroll, the leader could keep a close eye on him while he was in the nick. Once he was happy that he was secure, the rest of the operation got underway.’
‘Who’s the Boss?’ asked Martin, quietly.
‘Hamburger. I’m sure of it. He was at the first meeting, and he’s the only one who’s protected his identity.’
‘Who killed the Bennetts?’
‘Hamburger, when McDonnell told him he thought Big Red was going to talk. Hannah obviously knew who he was, because she had to go.’
‘Who killed Saunders and Collins?’
‘It has to be Hamburger, doesn’t it? He’s wiping them out. With Newton and Clark gone, he thinks he’s safe. He’s got enough cash to keep him in luxury for the rest of his days, and he’s probably got all the diamonds as well. He may have vanished too, for all we know.’
The Head of CID sighed. ‘If that’s the case, will we ever identify him?’
‘The Devil alone knows,’ said Skinner, ‘. . . but I’m in touch with him.’
His companions stared at him as he stood. ‘Out of here, you two,’ he shouted, suddenly. ‘It’s gone six o’clock. Off you go to Olive and Alex. I’m going home too.’ He glanced at the pile on his desk. ‘I think I’ll only take half that lot with me. If I took it all, Sarah would kill me, for sure.’
73
‘Where have you been?’ asked Alex. ‘Did you stop off for a beer with my old man?’
‘Your old man went home knackered, honey. He was out all last night.’
‘Oh?’ she said. ‘Doing what?’
‘An exhumation, followed by a post-mortem on the body.’
She winced, then shuddered. ‘How horrible.’
Andy nodded. ‘Rather him than me. I can think of better things to do in the dark.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me before? Where was it? Who was it?’
‘Question one: I decided not to mention it before the event. Two: it was in Aberlady churchyard. Three: it was an old judge, Lord Orlach.’
Her eyes became even bigger and more round than usual. ‘Another judge? What did the autopsy show? Was it murder?’
‘Joe Hutchison says that it was. Someone broke into his house and smothered him. Now we’re trying to work out whether it was connected to the other two deaths, and if so, how. Bob’s turned up a possible answer already.
‘He’s taken some paperwork home with him. Mind you, it’s touch and go whether he stays awake to read it.’
‘Exciting,’ said Alex. She smiled at her fiance. ‘And how was your day, my love? Considering today’s press, I’d have thought you’d be well chuffed with yourself.’
‘I don’t have any right to be,’ he answered, with a frown. ‘We’re putting all the pieces together on the armed robberies, true, but it isn’t good old-fashioned police work that’s got us there. It’s good old-fashioned luck.’
‘This morning’s papers were giving you all the credit. Don’t knock it.’
‘I won’t . . . not in public anyway . . . for the sake of the team. But I can see the truth, and so, sweetheart, can you. We don’t have anyone locked up for this. Of the gang, we have three bodies in the mortuary, and the other three have escaped, for now, at least.’ He shook his head. ‘Then there’s the other guy.’
‘What other guy?’
‘The brains behind it all, the planner. Hamburger, the others called him. Our thinking is that he killed Bennett, Saunders and Collins and sent the other three into hiding. The only trouble is . . .’ He sounded more exasperated than she had ever heard him. ‘. . . we haven’t a fu . . . We haven’t a clue who he is.
‘With everyone taken care of, one way or another, I’d say he’ll do a runner too. Wouldn’t you?’
She looked at him, smiling no more. ‘I suppose I would.’ She put her arms around his waist, and hugged him. ‘At least the city’s a safe place again. So cheer up.’
He forced a grin. ‘Aye, okay. So how was your day?’
‘Routine for once,’ she said. ‘The insurers confirmed that they’re not appealing the Grimley award.’
‘So that case is history, is it?’
‘Apart from what the Law Society do to Jones, but that won’t be much. Next year’s professional indemnity premium for his firm, though: that’s another matter.’
She reached up and kissed him. ‘Now, even though we’ve still to eat, can we discuss something other than work, please?’
‘Okay,’ he agreed, running his hands down her back and cupping them round her firm bottom. ‘Such as?’
‘You and me for a start. Remember earlier on this year, before other things got in the way, we were talking about getting married.’
He smiled. ‘Remember? You think I’d forget? Do you want to set a date? Is that it?’
As she looked up at him, he saw her expression become a little uncertain. All of a sudden, she dropped her gaze.
‘What?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you?’
‘Yes, of course I do. But there’s something we have to sort out first.’
‘Such as?’
‘Such as babies, Andy, babies.’
He chuckled at her awkwardness. ‘You’re not having one, are you?’
‘Don’t be silly. That’s just it. I don’t want to, not for a long time. I’ve been thinking about my career. You
