‘Years ago when we took Chance to Majorca.’ Harry sat on the bed and ran a hand over his face. ‘I thought I was a goner when Biggles brought that pile of shite down.’
Alex laughed. ‘I thought it was a thrill.’
‘You said I was the only thrill you ever needed.’
‘Maybe I’m widening my horizons.’ She went over to him as he stood up and hugged him. ‘You’re the only human thrill I need, though.’
He kissed her and they stood apart.
‘I wanted to discuss where I was this morning.’ Her face took on a serious look.
‘Okay. I’m listening.’
There was a knock at the door.
‘Crap. Hold that thought. You can tell me later.’ Harry answered the door and Dunbar and Evans were waiting.
‘Ready when you are, neighbour.’
‘Ready right now,’ Harry said. Alex just smiled and they left the room.
Dunbar opened his phone and read out the directions to the Wolf estate.
It was indeed on the north island, on a road to the coast. A hill which might or might not have been part of a small mountain range rose up in the distance.
‘Just point the car towards Krakatoa,’ Dunbar said, pointing through the windscreen. ‘Then left down to the sea.’ Alex crossed the two-lane bridge and followed the road and the signs for the Wolf estate.
Fifteen minutes later, they were driving along the private road towards the big house. A parade of police cars were already there. A uniform stood on the driveway and approached the car as Alex pulled in. There was a large parking area in front of the house, with some private cars parked there.
Past the big house, they could see the ocean through the trees.
‘Not a bad spot to have a house,’ Harry remarked.
‘I could see myself retiring here,’ Dunbar said, as they got out of the car and walked into the large house.
A uniform let them through the doorway and they could hear a commotion from inside. A sergeant introduced himself and led them into a large living room.
A group of people were either standing around or sitting down. Some of them were arguing. A large man with a German Shepherd stood off to one side, a smaller man with him.
The big man walked towards them. The dog was wary, looking at the strangers, but Dunbar made a noise and held out a hand for the dog to sniff before rubbing the side of his head below the ear.
‘You’re a dog lover, I can tell,’ said the man. ‘His name’s Sparky. And I’m Muckle McInsh. Formerly known as Inspector McInsh. This is my colleague, Wee Shug as he’s known. Formerly known as Sergeant Angus Kendal.’
‘That’s enough,’ the uniform said to Muckle. ‘You’re no’ polis now.’ He turned to Dunbar. ‘Hasn’t been for a long time either.’
Sparky growled, but Dunbar kept rubbing his head.
‘That’ll do, Sergeant,’ Dunbar said. ‘Just give us the gist of what happened last night. I’m tired, been flying inside a piece of metal that rattled like a bag of spanners, and if anybody here is going to be giving a reprimand, it will be either me or DCI McNeil there. Got it?’
‘Yes, sir.’ The uniform looked at Muckle, but the big man wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
There was silence for a few moments as the Wolf family watched the tableau unfolding before them.
‘Well?’ Harry said, starting to feel irritated.
‘Oh, right,’ the sergeant said, as if his brain had just kicked into gear. ‘Right, McInsh there went creeping up to the house where young Clive Wolf was found.’
‘Keep to the facts,’ Dunbar said.
‘He went there and found Clive dead in the bedroom. There was a hole in the wall, and Old Man Murdo Wolf was in the wall.’
A young woman in the room started wailing. An older man was sitting next to her with his arm around her. Dunbar would have thought it was her father had he not known in advance that it was her husband. Twenty years her senior and he looked every inch her father.
Dunbar stopped petting the dog and looked at the family. ‘I don’t know any of you personally, so I’d like you to introduce yourselves, one at a time.’
‘I’m Brian Gibbons,’ the older bloke said. ‘This is my wife, Shona Gibbons.’
‘I’m Fenton Wolf, Oliver Wolf’s oldest son. This is my brother, Zach. Middle son.’ Fenton looked down at his shoes as he spoke again. ‘Clive was the youngest son and Shona’s twin.’
‘My name is Thomas Deal. Family solicitor. My assistant, Missy Galbraith.’
‘We’re going to need to talk to you all. I need you to stay here until we can visit the scene and talk with the pathologist.’
‘Haven’t we suffered enough?’ Shona Gibbons said.
‘Meaning what?’ Harry asked.
‘You want to keep us cooped up here. It’s intolerable. I want to go home.’
‘I can’t allow that. You all have to be formally interviewed.’
‘He’s right, love,’ Brian Gibbons said.
‘Shut up. Maybe Fenton’s right; maybe you are too old for me.’
Gibbons started to go red in the face and tried to pull her in closer, but she was having none of it.
‘Get your fucking hands off me.’ She stood up as if he were a stranger who had just tried it on with her. ‘Fenton, I want to stay with you.’ She walked across to her brother, and her husband looked at the two brothers as if weighing up his chances of taking them in a fist fight.
‘You can bunk in my room, sis. Old Brian there won’t mind. Will you, Bri?’
‘Fuck off, Fenton.’
‘Right then,’ Dunbar said, having had enough of the charades. ‘The two detective sergeants will organise the statements. You, Mr McInsh, will stay here until DCI McNeil and I get back.’
‘I know the drill,’ Muckle said. ‘Whoever finds the body is the number-one suspect. Despite what Sergeant Bollocks there says, I have run investigations before.’
The uniform looked like he wanted to ask Muckle to step outside, but Dunbar got the feeling that Muckle would have loved nothing more than to give the sergeant a
