Death Of An Addict

practically got labels round their necks screaming prostitute. I meet the girl of my dreams and then she says, 'Leave the money on the table as you go out.' '

'Pieter did say she was a happy amateur, but she won't be happy for long.'

'She told me she was a student.'

'Student of what?' commented Olivia dryly. 'A lot of these silly girls just drift into it. It can start with a simple date with an older man. He gets the wrong end of the stick and pays up. Girl is mortified, then she giggles about it a bit with her friends, and the money comes in handy. Who knows? Maybe Anna was a student, and recently, too. It seems a harmless way of making a bit of money on the side. Some pimp starts to sit up and take notice. He acts as the John, introduces her to dope, gets her hooked and then puts her on the street.'

'Perhaps she'll just stop.'

'I doubt it. Are you so lonely, Hamish, that you should want to marry some girl you had just met?'

'I suppose I'm a romantic.'

'You're in the wrong job. A lot of the men down in Glasgow consider me cold and harsh, but I have found that any sign of softness is taken as a come-on.'

'I'm glad I'm not a woman,' said Hamish, negotiating a hairpin bend.

There was a companionable silence and then he said, 'I wasn't making a pass at you in the bed at the Grand. I really wasn't.'

'I believe you, but I'll get us a room with twin beds this time so there will be no… awkwardness.'

'You were saying you had a bad feeling about this job,' said Hamish. 'You know something? I cannae help worrying that too many people at headquarters know about it.'

'Only the top brass, surely.'

It's the top brass I'm worried about, thought Hamish.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Our fears do make us traitors.

– William Shakespeare

The following day, Hamish and Olivia held a secret meeting with Chief Superintendent Daviot and Kevin and Barry on the moors high above Strathbane.

'We have decided on a further cunning plan,' began Daviot. Hamish suppressed a groan. 'We have a yacht registered to you, Hamish, the Marie~Claire, a ketch. She will only be carrying one kilo of heroin. This, you will say, is to prove the quality of the stuff and to make sure the landing place is safe. We will let that deal go through. Then you will promise the rest of the shipment. They will be lulled into a false sense of security. On the second delivery, that is when we will pounce.'

'I don't like the delay,' said Hamish. 'I'm always frightened that the longer we wait, the more chance there is of word leaking out that the whole thing is a scam.'

'Chief Inspector Chater?' asked Daviot.

'It sounds all right to me,' said Olivia. 'With so few people knowing about it, I can't see anything going wrong. We're going to Lachie's tonight. When will we say the first shipment is due to arrive?'

'Say two days' time. That should speed things up enough for you, Macbeth.' Not 'Hamish' this time. The super was obviously disappointed in what he saw as Hamish's sad lack of enthusiasm.

'Very well, sir,' said Olivia. 'We will do what we can.'

'Let's hope the weathers all right,' said Hamish. 'Who will be skippering the ketch?'

'A police officer from Inverness. And the crew are policemen as well.'

'Will they be armed?' asked Hamish.

Daviot looked at him impatiently. 'There will be no need for that. Jimmy White will not be expecting them to be around.'

'On the contrary, sir. I would think that any drug baron would expect a crew bringing in heroin to be armed.'

'I don't believe in guns,' said Daviot severely. 'Guile is the answer. Just do your part, Macbeth, and leave the rest to Chief Inspector Chater.'

'Won't it look odd my wife going along as well?' asked Hamish.

'You'll think of something,' said Daviot crossly. Why couldn't Macbeth show some enthusiasm! 'You can hardly leave the senior officer on the case behind.'

What was that American phrase? thought Hamish. Amateur night in Dixie, this was it.

'And what do we do when we know the landing place?' asked Hamish.

'Olivia will contact us. The first shipment, we will have men observing. The second shipment, we'll seize them.'

'Very good, sir,' said Hamish in a hollow voice.

'Well, I'll be on my way.' Daviot cast a stagy look around the moors. 'Coast's clear.'

Hamish watched his retreating figure. 'Now I know why so many top policemen are Freemasons,' he said. 'They like playing games.'

'Show respect,' snapped Olivia.

'I don't like it at all,' said Hamish wearily.

Olivia suppressed a qualm of unease. She had, she remembered, considered the whole business at the beginning quite mad. 'We've got our orders,' she said briskly. 'We'll go to Lachie's tonight.'

They entered Lachie's that evening, flanked by Kevin and Barry. 'I see Bob over there,' said Hamish. 'I wonder why he didn't demand payment for the introduction.'

'He did,' said Olivia. 'Kevin paid him out of the kitty when you were in with Jimmy White.'

They asked at the bar for Lachie, and after a short wait, the Undertaker appeared.

'Enjoy your stay in Amsterdam?' asked Hamish.

The Undertaker gave a thin smile. 'We always check up. Lachie's waiting.'

Lachie rose to meet them when they walked into the office.

'Great to see you, Hamish, my man. I think we should have a wee talk in private. Your lady and friends can wait at the bar.'

'My wife is my business partner,' said Hamish. 'She stays.'

Hamish slung his coat from his shoulders and sat down after pulling out a chair for Olivia. 'I think the time has come when we prove our good faith to each other. My boat will land a kilo of heroin. You name the place, you check the quality. If all goes well, we'll land the rest of the stuff at a second meet.'

'Right you are,' said Lachie. 'Jimmy'll be up from Glasgow tomorrow. Meet him here about the same time. Let's have a drink. On the house.'

'Verra kind,' said Hamish, his accent becoming more Highland with nerves. 'But we haff urgent business to attend to.'

He stood up and slung his coat over his shoulders.

'Aye, see you,' said Lachie, although his eyes slid curiously to Olivia.

Back in the hotel room, Hamish said, 'You should have kept your tarty image, Olivia. Lachie found it odd that you should be my business partner.'

Olivia was wearing a tailored suit and subdued makeup. 'Also,' Hamish went on, 'you got to act the part from the inside put. You were emanating an atmosphere of senior police officer, Olivia. It's a wonder he didn't look down to see if you had big boots on.'

'You're the one who has to act the part,' said Olivia.

'He's right,' said Kevin. 'I thought myself you were looking a bit severe.'

Olivia capitulated. 'Oh, well, I'll do better tomorrow night.'

'Fancy a drink in the bar downstairs, Hamish?' said