Charlotte Little. There were two messages on the Voicemail service. One was from Susan Givens saying that she had the new DNA fingerprint; he could pick it up at his convenience or she could mail it to him electronically. He should let her know. The other was from Peter McClintock asking that he call him back as soon as possible. Steven called.
‘ You’re not going to like this,’ said McClintock. ‘Santini got cold feet over the raid tomorrow. He decided to bring in Tracy Manson for questioning today instead.’
‘ But that will just alert Verdi to the fact that we know something about the source of the porn film!’ protested Steven.
‘ You know that: I know that, but apparently the great Santini couldn’t work it out,’ said McClintock.
‘ Shit for brains,’ murmured Steven. ‘Did you get anything from her?’
‘ You were right. It was her who featured in the stuff on Little’s computer. She didn’t deny it — seemed quite proud of it in fact, like she was some kind of film star. I guess everybody wants to be in show business these days. But we couldn’t get her to finger Verdi. She maintains that she had no idea who was behind the video business. She just did what she was told.’
‘ Believe her?’ asked Steven.
‘ She’s a smack-head. You can’t believe anything they say.’
Steven’s blood ran cold and he didn’t speak for a few moments as a nightmare was born inside his head. ‘A smack-head?’ he repeated slowly. ‘Tracy Manson’s a heroin addict?
‘ Oh Christ, I never thought,’ said McClintock, suddenly understanding Steven’s concern. ‘Look, I know what I just said but she did happen to tell me that she was registered and on a methadone programme so she’s not injecting and sharing needles.’
‘ Doesn’t mean to say she didn’t in the past,’ said Steven.
‘ No,’ agreed McClintock. ‘It doesn’t.’ There was an awkward pause before he said, ‘Better get yourself a blood test.’ Then he asked, ‘Where are you at the moment?’
‘ Norfolk.’ Steven felt as if he was now on autopilot but he went through the motions of telling McClintock what he’d learned. ‘You don’t suppose that utilities disk might still exist do you?’ he asked.
‘ Seems unlikely after all this time but I could ask around at Little’s old lab at the hospital,’ said McClintock.
‘ There’s one other thing,’ said Steven. ‘Could you run a DNA fingerprint check for me? I need to compare it with the ones taken from the males in Julie Summers’ village at the time of her murder. I’ll get it to you as quick as I can.’
‘ No can do,’ said McClintock, stopping Steven in his tracks.
‘ You can’t?’
‘ They don’t exist any more,’ said McClintock. It’s Force policy to destroy all DNA samples from innocent people after a case is closed. It’s part of the deal, a social contract if you like.’
‘ Shit, I should have thought of that,’ said Steven feeling annoyed with himself. ‘Maybe you could run it through the criminal database anyway?’ he asked. ‘Just in case.’
‘ Sure.’
Steven called Susan Givens and asked her to send the DNA fingerprint she’d come up with to Peter McClintock as an e-mail attachment. He gave her McClintock’s e-mail address.
‘ Everything all right?’ Susan asked.
Steven was tempted just to say ‘fine’ but he admitted, ‘I screwed up. The police destroy all DNA fingerprints taken in mass surveys as soon as the case is closed. Sorry.’
‘ Well, it was a good idea while it lasted,’ said Susan. ‘Are you sure you still want me to send the file?’
‘ They’ll run it against the known criminal DNA database anyway,’ said Steven.
‘ You sound a bit down,’ said Susan.
‘ Just fed up swimming against the tide,’ said Steven.
‘ Know the feeling,’ said Susan. ‘You’ll get a break soon.’
Steven took his time driving back to Edinburgh. He was angry with himself for having overlooked the DNA problem and he was annoyed with Santini for screwing up the chances of a more successful raid on the saunas but the thing that was uppermost in his mind was the revelation that Tracy Manson was a heroin addict. Needle sharing by drug addicts was a classic way of spreading AIDS.
If Tracy Manson had shared needles in the past, she might well be HIV positive and if she was… he had had unprotected sex with her. Ironically he might already be under the same death threat as David Little.
He rubbed his forehead nervously. He would have a blood test done as soon as he could arrange it but even if it turned out to be negative he knew he would have to go on having tests for many months before he could be sure that he was in the clear. There would be no quick answer. In the circumstances it was impossible for him not to think of Little and his skeletal appearance, and then his thoughts turned to Paul Verdi. ‘Bastard!’ he murmured, ‘I owe you, mister!’
The prospect of at least six months with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head was not a happy one. The worry was going to be there day and night. It would affect his work; his relationships, his decision making and no matter what he did to avoid thinking about it, it would still be there. In his mind’s eye he heard the clunk of Little’s tooth falling into the metal bowl at least half a dozen times on the drive home.
He was turning over some salad with his fork for the umpteenth time in a motorway service station when he saw a way around the problem. He could confront Tracy Manson about her HIV status. He could simply ask her if she was HIV positive. If the council in Edinburgh operated a tolerant policy towards working girls, it was entirely possible that they might incorporate some element of regular testing. He could ask her when she’d last been tested — maybe even see the result for himself. She would have no reason to lie about something like that. He would seek McClintock’s help in getting in touch with her when he got back.
He knew that he should really make contact with John Macmillan to tell him about his meeting with Charlotte Little when he got back but he decided to delay that until McClintock had checked to see if the utilities disk still existed.
Steven had a drink in the hotel bar and was considering an early night when McClintock rang.
‘ Thought you’d like some good news for once. My sergeant’s just rang me. He’s got the disk.’
‘ The utilities disk? You’re kidding.’
‘ Samson Utilities, a software company that went out of business five years ago but the disk was still there along with Little’s old computer and software in a cupboard in the hospital. Apparently no one wanted to take the responsibility of throwing his stuff out so no one ever did.’
‘ God bless the NHS,’ said Steven. ‘I don’t suppose he’s had time to…’
‘ He has,’ interrupted McClintock. ‘You were right.’
Steven closed his eyes and gave silent thanks.
‘ Ryman loaded the disk and ran the set-up file. It ran normally and provided all the functions of the Samson utility programme but when it was removed it left something behind on the hard disk, the Tracy Manson pictures.’
‘ God, it’s so nice to be proved right once in a while,’ sighed Steven.
‘ That was a nice piece of police work. Well done.’
‘ Thanks,’ said Steven.
‘ Incidentally, DS Ryman thought that the great Santini should know about this as soon as possible.’
‘ So?’
‘ He loaded it on to Santini’s computer so that he’ll see it first thing. It’s been programmed to run when he turns it on in the morning.’
Steven smiled for the first time that day.
‘ Santini is having a meeting with the WRVS in his office first thing tomorrow morning to discuss canteen arrangements for visitors to Saughton Prison…’
‘ Well, that’ll be a nice change from his usual screen saver,’ said Steven, his grin broadening.
‘ I’ll keep you posted,’ said McClintock.
‘ Peter, I need to contact Tracy Manson,’ said Steven, deciding to come right out with it.
‘ Are you out of your tree?’ exclaimed McClintock. ‘The Procurator Fiscal hasn’t thrown out her complaint against you yet. If you go do something like that you’ll be playing right into Verdi’s hands.’
