Click - a cutting from the Aberdeen Examiner appeared. 'MARCUS MAKES MERRY': a story about how Marcus Young had written a comedy play that was going to be performed on Radio Scotland. 'This article was published three and a half weeks ago. Just like all the others.' Bain pointed at the screen. 'The MO fits, the butchery fits, the description fits, the victim selection fits.' The DCS smiled into Alec's television camera lens. 'We have a living witness, backed up by an experienced police officer. We have a crime scene that was abandoned before the Flesher could finish. This represents a very real breakthrough in the investigation - we're one step closer to catching this bastard.' 'Aye,' Steel said in a smoky whisper,'and I'm sure that's a great fucking comfort to Marcus and Vicky Young's families.' Bain stared at her. 'Did you have something to add, Inspector?' 'Aye, I'd like to widen the door-to-door radius round the Youngs' house - the bastard knows there's police everywhere, he's going to keep running till he's nowhere near the scene. Might even have abandoned his vehicle.' The DCS nodded. 'Good point: get right on it.' 'Come on, Laz,' she stood,'you heard the man--' 'Actually,' said Faulds,'I was hoping to take DS McRae with me to interview our surviving victim.' He smiled at the inspector. 'Hope you don't mind?' 'Mind? Me? Why would I mind?' She grabbed Rennie by the collar. 'Come on Boozy Boy, the fresh air will do you good.' 'I meant to ask' said Faulds as they drove out of Aberdeen on the A947, heading north,'How's David doing?' It took Logan a second to realize he was talking about Insch. 'Not so good. They need to operate, but ...' He shrugged and put his foot down, overtaking a Renault Espace full of ugly children and assorted dogs. 'I don't know ... it sort of feels like he's given up.' Faulds was quiet for a while, looking out of the car window as the countryside went by. 'It's actually quite pretty, in a never-ending-green-and-brown-slog-of-muddy-fields kind of way ... Ooh, look: sheep. Just to break up the monotony.' He smiled. 'Do you like it here?' 'Never really thought about it. Lived here most of my life, so ... well, you know.' 'Have you thought about what you're going to do next?' 'Go through the abattoir security tapes again?' 'I meant in the slightly longer term. I've got a couple of openings coming up in Birmingham. Detective Inspectors - of course you'd be on secondment to start with, and you'd have to forget all this haggis-munching Criminal Justice Scotland Act nonsense: learn PACE, like a proper police officer. But I think you'd make a good addition to my team.' Logan turned and stared at his passenger. 'A DI in Birmingham?' 'Come on: you're intuitive; determined; good attention to detail; you jump to conclusions, but you're not afraid to listen to alternatives; open minded; loyal; and do you think you could keep your eyes on the road?' 'I ... yes ... sorry.' Logan gripped the steering wheel and pulled them back into their own lane. 'I run a fast-track programme for real coppers, not just jumped-up overachievers with law degrees. Up here you could be a DS till you're drawing your pension. With me, if you keep on the way you're going, you could be looking at a Chief Inspector's job in four or five years.'
