Shatter the Bones

‘What good’s a rep going to do? If Shuggie’s made a complaint I’m screwed anyway.’

Of course he’d complained — Urquhart was right, Shuggie Webster was a junkie… And he had every right to complain.

Logan closed his eyes. They were going to suspend him, arrest him, and lock him away for four-to-six years. Maybe by the time he was up for parole, Samantha would have woken up.

Deep breath.

He knocked on the head of CID’s door.

Finnie’s voice came from inside: ‘Enter.’

Logan marched into the office, DI Steel slouching along behind him. ‘You wanted to see me, sir?’

Finnie glanced at the clock, mounted on the wall, then sat back in his seat and steepled his fingers.

‘Sir, I-’

‘DI Bell picked up your Marley brothers last night. They came gift-wrapped with half a million pounds’ worth of drugs. It’s significant result.’

‘With all due respect, sir-’

‘I know, I know.’ Finnie held up a hand. ‘You wanted to be there when the firearms team went in, running the operation. But I couldn’t allow it, not after everything you’d been through yesterday. You needed to go home and get some rest.’

‘But, sir-’

‘Don’t worry. Even though DI Bell made the arrests, we’re all aware that it’s only because you supplied the information. Nightshift ran their prints and DNA through the system: Robert and Jacob are wanted in connection with one death in Lothian and Borders, and two in Greater Manchester. Their capture represents a considerable feather in Grampian’s police cap, at a time when we’re not exactly covering ourselves in glory with the McGregor case.’

The bastard was drawing it out, making him suffer.

Logan shifted his feet. ‘I’d like to-’

‘Then there’s this.’ He held up that morning’s Press and Journal.

And here it was: ‘POLICE DISGRACE AS FORMER HERO HOSPITALIZES ADDICT IN REVENGE ATTACK…’ only that wasn’t the headline. The front page read, ‘MOTHER ABDUCTED FROM KINCORTH STREET’. There was a photo of a smiling teenager, one eye squinted shut, a bottle of beer in her hand. It almost looked like- Finnie ruffled the paper. ‘Trisha Brown’s mother is telling everyone we’re not taking her daughter’s disappearance seriously. That while Alison McGregor gets TV tributes and the Chief Constable making statements, all her daughter gets is one lowly sergeant.’

Logan frowned at the photo again. It was her: Trisha Brown, taken before the heroin sank its manky-brown claws into her. She couldn’t have been much older than thirteen.

Finnie’s face curled down at the edges. ‘Not exactly a step in the right direction, is it?’

‘Sir, I want to explain-’

‘And then there’s Shuggie Webster. DI Bell went up to the hospital and took his statement last night.’

Too slow. No point jumping when you’ve already been pushed.

Logan raised his chin and straightened his shoulders, staring out through the window behind Finnie’s head. ‘Yes, sir.’

Goodbye career: hello suspension, arrest, prosecution, and jail time.

‘Mr Webster has been kind enough to give us the names and addresses of three of his other suppliers and half a dozen dealers, as well as coughing to nearly twenty unlawful removals.’ Finnie smiled. ‘Isn’t that nice of him?’

Logan closed his eyes, waiting for the punchline. ‘I understand Mr Webster told DI Bell that you’d convinced him to turn his life around and come clean.’

Logan risked one eye. ‘He did?’

‘Yes. Said you were very persuasive when you rescued him from the three hoodies who attacked him yesterday morning.’

Hoodies…?

‘…so remember: tempers are going to be running high today. All it’ll take is one idiot and we could have a riot on our hands.’ Acting DI Mark McDonald shuffled the papers in his hands, and shifted from foot to foot at the front of the crowded briefing room — every single member of day-shift CID, and more than two-dozen uniformed constables staring at him. ‘The media are out in force, waiting for something to kick off, so please make sure you keep your eyes and ears open.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Thank you.’ Then sat down.

Someone had updated the countdown on the whiteboard behind him. Now it read, ‘DEADLINE: TOMORROW!!!’

Finnie got to his feet. ‘As Acting Detective Inspector MacDonald says, the media are wetting themselves with anticipation. But that does not excuse this.’ He clicked the remote and the front page of today’s Aberdeen Examiner filled the projection screen. ‘DID MISSING PAEDOPHILE KIDNAP ALISON AND JENNY?’ above a photo of Frank Baker.

Finnie glowered around the room. ‘When I find out which unprofessional, unscrupulous bastard talked to the press I will make Hannibal Lecter look like Tinky-Bloody-Winky. Do I make myself clear?’

Uncomfortable silence.

He curled his top lip. ‘Need I remind you boys and girls that we have less than twenty-four hours to find Alison and Jenny McGregor? Let’s try to concentrate on doing our jobs.’

Rennie stuck his hand up. ‘What if the kidnappers decide we haven’t raised enough cash?’

‘Mr Maguire from Blue-Fish-Two-Fish informs me that the official freedom fund now stands at just over six million pounds.’

Someone whistled.

‘If we fail to find these people it’s going to be open season on every D-list celebrity in the country. After all, if the guys who snatched Alison and Jenny can get away with six point three million pounds, maybe I can too?’

Finnie glowered at them all again. ‘Now tell me, ladies and gentlemen, do we really want to be responsible for that, because I don’t think we do. Do you?’

No one answered that.

He nodded at Superintendent Green and the man from SOCA stood. ‘As soon as Jenny and Alison McGregor are released, a report will be submitted to the Independent Police Complaints Commission asking them to review Grampian Police’s handling of the investigation, which is standard policy for high-profile cases like this.’ Green held up his hands, as if he was about to bless them all, instead of crap on them from a great height. ‘The Serious Organized Crime Agency will, at that point, move from an advisory capacity to an executive role.’

‘Let me guess,’ DI Steel hauled up her trousers, ‘that means you’re going to take over.’

Angry noises filled the briefing room.

Finnie banged his coffee mug on the nearest desk. ‘All right, that’s enough. Let’s try to behave like grown-ups and professionals.’

Superintendent Green sat back down again. ‘We have one last item of business.’ A smile spread across Finnie’s face. ‘You’ll have heard we made a significant seizure of drugs last night — thanks to DS McRae — and expect to make further inroads into the supply chain over the next few days. You’ll also have heard that DI McPherson met with an unfortunate accident yesterday. As he’s going to be out of commission for at least three weeks, I’m promoting DS McRae to the rank of Detective Inspector effective immediately. I’m sure you’ll all…’ he turned his smile on Green for a moment, then back to the rest of the room, ‘join me in wishing him every success in this challenging role.’

Logan stared. ‘What…?’