Close to the Bone

Hissing Sid pulled the cheque from the envelope. Held it up. ‘As you will see, the payee section has been left blank. Mr Mowat has no interest in bribing you, he merely wishes you to select a worthy cause you’d like to support.’ The lawyer went back into the envelope and pulled out a Post-it note covered in cramped handwriting. ‘As you would have known if you’d bothered to read my message. All you have to do is fill in the missing details.’

Logan stared at the note. Bloody thing must’ve been stuck to the inside of the envelope. . Still, that wasn’t the point, was it? ‘So you’ll have my handwriting on a huge cheque from Wee Hamish Mowat? Do you think I’m stupid.’

Hissing Sid puckered his lips and raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m certainly coming to that conclusion.’ He laid the cheque on the table. ‘It’s really not that complicated. Name the cause you wish to support and I’ll have someone complete the relevant details for you.’

‘I’d. . it’s thirty thousand pounds!’

‘With keen observational skills like that, it’s no wonder you made detective inspector. Now, is there anything else? Or can I get back to my client? ’

‘It. . What’s with this power of attorney bollocks? ’

Hissing Sid did the sighing and nose-pinching thing again. ‘We could have discussed all this when I came to see you at the station, but instead you had to play your little power games and keep me waiting in that room without so much as a glass of water.’

Heat spread out across Logan’s cheeks. ‘I didn’t even know you were there.’ He sank down into the nearest chair. ‘Someone was playing silly buggers.’

‘Mr Mowat has recently updated his will, and has named you as sole executor. That means on the sad event of his demise you will be responsible for disposing of his assets and ensuring the distribution of behests according to his wishes. If, on the other hand, he becomes incapacitated due to illness he has granted you continuing and welfare power of attorney. That means you are authorized to look after his property and assets, and if necessary make end-of-life decisions.’

‘And by “assets” you mean “criminal empire”. What am I supposed to do with it: divvy the drugs operation up between Wee Hamish’s lieutenants? Give the prostitutes and people-trafficking to someone else? Devolve power to the loan sharks? ’

A sniff. ‘I really couldn’t comment. And you should be careful about making accusations of legal impropriety about Mr Mowat if you don’t want to be on the receiving end of a suit for slander.’

‘I can’t do it. I’m a police officer.’

Hissing Sid slipped the cheque back into the envelope. ‘Then there is the matter of his bequest to you: six hundred and sixty-six thousand, six hundred and sixty-six pounds. And sixty-six pence.’

Oh God. . thirty grand was bad enough.

‘I’ll admit the amount of the bequest is unusual, but I’m sure Mr Mowat has his reasons for giving you two- thirds of a million pounds.’

Logan’s bowels churned. ‘He can’t do that.’

‘My dear Mr McRae, Mr Mowat can leave whatever he wants to whomever he wants. And for some unfathomable reason he’s seen fit to leave you a rather large sum of money.’

‘But. .’

‘Of course, it doesn’t have to be deposited straight into a UK bank account, or handed over in cash. In order to avoid questions of impropriety it can be discreetly placed in a trust to await such time as you cease being a police officer. Think of it as a nest egg to support you in your retirement.’

‘But if someone finds out-’

‘Mr Mowat has left provision in his will for my firm to represent you.’ The lawyer stood. ‘Now, I really must return to Mr Harris.’

Logan stared up at him. ‘How am I supposed to-’

‘You can see yourself out.’

20

The sun burns like a glowing cigarette end pressed into pale skin. Rowan closes the bathroom window and leans on the sink, head down, blood-red hair hanging like a curtain in front of her face. Don’t be sick. She’s stronger than that. She did what had to be done.

‘The Kirk. .’ The words stick in her throat. She takes a deep breath and forces them out. ‘The Kirk is my mother and father. It is my rod and my staff. My shield and my sword. What I. .’ She closes her eyes. ‘What I do in its service lights. . lights a fire in God’s name.’

Don’t be sick.

‘Lights a fire in God’s name, lights a fire in God’s name, lights a fire in God’s name. .’

The churning fizz inside her settles, leaving a hollow shell behind. Like a chrysalis after the moth has gone. Empty and brittle.

Her black leather gloves leave scarlet smudges on the porcelain.

Tenet Three: ‘Leave nothing of thyself behind: lest thine enemies use it against thee.’ Rowan turns the hot tap on and lets it run until it steams, then washes her hands. The water runs pink, soaking through the gloves’ stitching, leaving the leather shiny like fresh liver.

‘What I do in its service lights a fire in God’s name.’

She pulls a towel from the rail by the door and wipes the sink clean.

There. That’s better, isn’t it?

Did what needed to be done.

She raises her head and looks at the woman in the mirror. Empty and brittle. Tendrils of dark red and black make wings across her shoulders, jagged with barbs and thorns and claws.

She bares her teeth. ‘What I do in its service lights a fire in god’s name!’ Spittle flecks the mirror.

And slowly the red fades to pale blue, then gold.

A little smile pulls at the corner of her lips.

All better.

‘. .or not? Guv? ’

Logan blinked.

‘Guv!’ Sitting in the visitor’s chair, Rennie crossed his arms and stuck his bottom lip out. ‘Least you could do is pretend to be interested.’

Logan frowned, then checked his watch. ‘What are you doing in here anyway? Not even half-seven yet.’

Rennie screwed his face up. ‘Aaaaaargh! I just told you. I’m in because bloody DS bloody Chalmers phoned me — while I was in bloody bed, by the way — wanting to know where all the hate crime files were. And-’

‘Did you tell her? ’

‘Yes, but-’

‘Then what’s the problem? ’

‘What’s the. .’ Rennie screamed at the ceiling again. ‘Why did you tell her to check up on me? We used to be a team. But now it’s all: Chalmers this, and Chalmers that.’

‘Oh for God’s sake.’ Logan moved onto the next budget requisition form: DI Bell wanting DNA analysis for a series of housebreakings. It went on the ‘possibly’ pile along with a request to set up a surveillance operation in Blackburn, looking for a cannabis farm, and one for a forensic archaeologist to consult on what might or might not be a body deposition site outside Fraserburgh.

‘What, I’m not good enough for you any more? I used to be the Robin to your Batman. The Rodney to your Del Boy. The Branston Pickle to your cheese on toast!’

Silence.

Logan stared at him. ‘Seriously? ’

‘The hate crimes aren’t Chalmers’s, they’re mine!’

‘The Robin to my Batman? ’