my watch, it had just gone three: two hours left.
Back in the study, Alice was perched on the edge of Drummond s executive leather chair, mobile phone clamped to her ear. The flat-screen monitor in front of her displayed the Windows log-in screen. Uh-huh No I tried that OK, hold on She dragged around her satchel, pulled out her laptop and stuck it on the desk. Pressed the power button. Yes, it s booting up now.
No joy?
She jerked around, one hand on her chest. Don t sneak up on me like that! You know I m nervous enough as it A frown. She shifted her grip on the phone.
No, not you, Sabir, it s my aunt. Right, my machine s ready. Alice poked at the keyboard.
I took a tour of the bookshelves. A large SLR digital camera sat between a set of P.D. James novels and a copy of Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives. I took the camera down and played with the switches until the thing beeped and the screen on the back lit up.
Uh-huh That s it downloaded. Connecting it with the USB cable OK, here we go. She drummed her fingers on the desk. It s running.
Looked as if Drummond had a thing for photographing people walking their dogs. I flicked through them. Kings Park, Montgomery Park, Camburn Woods.
We re in! Sabir you re a genius Alice grinned. The flat-screen monitor changed to an almost empty desktop with icons along the bottom. No, I don t know how Aunty Jan managed to forget her log-in details Yes, I ll make sure she writes them down this time, thanks, Sabir.
Alice hung up and went to work with the computer mouse, clicking on things filling the screen with folders and documents.
I kept going through the photos. More dog walkers: Moncuir Woods, the Bellows.
What if Drummond wasn t the Birthday Boy? What if he was just like Steven Wallace?
Two hours left; it had to be him. Because if it wasn t, Katie was dead.
Alice cleared her throat. Ash?
A woman walking a Dalmatian through the rain, her yellow umbrella glowing like a slice of the sun. Next photo
Ash?
The camera trembled in my hands as I stared at the little screen.
Jesus.
Ash, you have to see this.
A little girl couldn t have been more than three or four naked, lying on top of a double bed, crying. A man wearing nothing but a Homer Simpson mask stood next to the bed, playing with himself. The next picture was worse.
Ash, Assistant Chief Constable Drummond s computer is full of child pornography. There has to be thousands of images here, videos too.
I switched the camera off. Put it back on the shelf. Pulled out my phone and dialled the station.
Ash? What are we
I held up a hand. Shh
Assistant Chief Constable Drummond s office, how can I help you?
Nicola, it s Ash. Ash Henderson. Is he in?
Her voice cooled. Officer Henderson, I m sorry about your daughter, but I don t think it s really
I want to apologize for my behaviour yesterday. I It s been difficult for us. I wanted to say sorry.
A pause. One moment, I ll see if he s free.
Bland, innocuous hold music, then, I ve cut you a lot of slack, Detective Constable, given your situation, but this is unacceptable. Steven Wallace claims you broke into his home last night and subjected him to
I know.
So you re not denying it? Have you any idea how much trouble
No. I mean I know about you.
A pause.
He put a little metal in his voice. And exactly what do you know?
Everything.
More silence.
I have no idea what you re talking about.
No? Is that a friend of yours in the Homer Simpson mask, or did you put the camera on a timer?
Alice raised her eyebrows and mouthed, Homer Simpson? at me.
I waved a hand at her.
ACC Drummond cleared his throat. I see And what do you want?
Guess.
Muffled scrunching noises came from the other end of the phone
Drummond putting his hand over the mouthpiece. Nicola, clear my schedule for the afternoon. I have to go out. Then he was back. Neutral territory: Moncuir Woods, the parking area by the sculpture trail. Half four. He didn t wait for confirmation, just hung up.
ACC Drummond s blue beamer turned onto the gravel driveway and crunched to a halt in front of the garage. He climbed out and scurried over to the front door.
I stepped back from the bedroom window.
The sounds of keys and locks echoed up from below, then the front door slammed shut.
OK. Alice took a deep breath, keeping her voice low. What s the plan, I mean we do have a plan don t we, he s going to
We ve got a plan I reached into my pocket and pulled out the gun.
Footsteps on the stairs: Drummond taking them two at a time.
She stared. Ash, is that Well, of course it is. Alice shrank back against the wardrobe. Is that what happened to your foot, you accidentally shot yourself with your own
I did not shoot myself. I blinked. It s complicated. And it wasn t this gun. I tucked it into my belt, at the side on the left, where my borrowed jacket would cover it. And it wasn t an accident.
You did it on purpose?
My gloves squeaked on the door handle. Are you coming or not?
Through in the study, ACC Drummond was on his knees in front of the desk, hauling CDs out of a black zip-up case and dumping them into a carrier-bag while the computers powered up.
I knocked on the doorframe. Problem?
He jumped, spun around, eyes and mouth wide. His lips twitched, then he scrambled to his feet. You have no right coming in here! This is private property. He cleared his throat.
I m I m placing you under arrest.
Where is she?
I don t know what you re talking about. He squinted over my shoulder. Dr McDonald? I I want you to phone the police: Constable Henderson has become a danger to himself and others.
The walking stick was a good sturdy model. I jerked it up into the air, caught it by the bottom and swung it like a crowbar, smashing the head into one of Drummond s pictures. The glass shattered the ACC and some bloke off the television crashed into the carpet. WHERE IS SHE?
He flinched. Opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Then put on his sergeant major s voice: Officer Henderson, I insist
Another picture exploded off the wall.
Where is she, Drummond?
Alice squeezed past me into the room. You should really tell him, Assistant Chief Constable, he s been under a lot of stress recently, and I don t think Ash is too worried about the consequences of battering your brains out right now. She settled into the office chair. Where s Katie?
I don t know anything about
The cane s head battered into his cheek, hard enough to make my arm shake. He staggered against a shelf, sending law books thumping to the ground. Stood there with a hand pressed against his face, groaning.
