'Mr Arthur? This is Detective Sergeant--' 'Don't you people have anything better to do? I told your colleague everything, OK? Now if you don't mind, I've got a golf game at--' 'Who did you speak to?' 'A woman. What's her name ...' There was some rustling at the other end.'Michelle? No, Munro. Wanted to know about someone who used to work here. Elizabeth Nichol' 'Used to?' 'We had to let her go a couple of months ago. Shame: been with us eight years ... Look I've been through all this already and--' 'What did she do?' 'Driver. Trucks and vans. Used to do a lot of Eastern Europe drops for us, before we lost the bloody contract.' Which explained the collection of unpronounceable snow globes. 'What else did you tell PC Munro?' 'She wanted a list of all Elizabeth's trips: destinations, clients, dates and stuff. As if we haven't got anything better to do than--' 'You do understand she's missing, don't you? She's been abducted, her house trashed, there's a policewoman missing too: both their lives are at risk. I think that's a little more important than a round of bloody golf, don't you?' There was an embarrassed silence, and then,'What do you need?' 'Everything PC Munro asked for, and a list of all your employees too. One last thing: Do you know Ms Nichol well?' 'She's OK. Bit soft at times, you know, all that charity work and stuff. Forever doing sponsored this and fund-raising that.' Pause.'She really been abducted?' 'Yes.' Logan dug a notepad out of his piles of paperwork and started asking questions.
By the time Faulds put in an appearance, Logan was scribbling things up on the whiteboard. 'Cup of tea?' asked the Chief Constable. 'I got packet of custard creams.' He dumped a Markie's plastic bag on his desk and peeled off his jacket. 'Bloody chucking it down out there.' Logan stepped back and looked at his handiwork - a list of Elizabeth Nichol's friends and acquaintances. It wasn't exactly comprehensive, but it was all he could get out of the combined personnel at Garioch United International Distribution. At least now they had somewhere to start putting together a timeline of Elizabeth's last movements. He'd put another two columns on the side: one headed 'BROTHER [?] JIMMY' the other, 'SISTER [?] KELLEY' With a couple of question marks under each. Still no word from Rennie. 'I said, do you want a cuppa?' 'What?' Logan turned away from his scribblings. 'Oh, thanks. How did you get on with Professional Standards?' 'Thought my days of worrying about the rubber-heelers were long gone ...' Faulds peered at the board,'Who the
