Autographs In The Rain Part 8

'No!' the young detective said sharply. 'Don't do that, please.'

'Why not?'

'Because it wouldn't be helpful. Listen, Ruthie, like I told you on Sat.u.r.day, when someone dies alone under any circ.u.mstances, technically the police have to be called, and they have to make a report to the Fiscal.

Quite often that's overlooked; if the local GP is sympathetic and wants to spare a bereaved wife or husband from any more distress, he'll just certify death as if he's been there. We know that, and we don't bother about it.

'But when someone's died and lain undiscovered for a few days, that's a different matter. The police will be called and they will make a report.

What they're doing now is probably just routine.'

'Then why won't they let me into the house?'

Pye chewed his lip. 'That I don't understand, I admit. Possibly the local inspector's just an officious b.a.s.t.a.r.d. No, probably, he is; chances are that's the only reason. But if you go up to the golf club, you'll be doing something that the police may have done already, or worse, may still have to do.

'Give it up for today. Just go home.'

He heard her sigh. 'Okay,' she conceded. T will. Come and see me after work?'

'Sure.' He paused, and chuckled. 'Can I bring my toothbrush?'

There was a silence on the line. 'Okay,' said Ruth, eventually. 'But only if you bring your shaving kit as well. I'm funny about morning stubble.'

'Mmm,' he said, replacing the phone quickly; it took a conscious effort to force his mind back to the job, and to the minute of the morning's meeting.

Nevertheless, he succeeded; he deciphered his notes quickly and had almost finished transcribing them, when the phone rang once again. 'DS Pye.' That flash of pride again.

'Sammy? This is Superintendent Rose. Are you alone?'

'Christ,' he thought. 'My lucky day.'AUTOGRAPHS IN THE RAIN.

'I mean are you free to speak?'

'Yes, ma'am. Why?'

'Because something very odd has happened, and I thought I'd talk to you about it before I did anything. My duty CID team here in Torphichen Place has just had a call from the CID in N Division of Strathclyde Police, c.u.mbernauld Office. Fortunately Ray Wilding took the call himself; someone else might not have twigged to the name.

'Sam, the Strathclyde boys have asked that we pick up Ruth McConnell and deliver her to them for questioning about a suspicious death. Do you know what this is about?'

'Jesus!' Pye exploded. 'Some b.a.s.t.a.r.d's going really over the top now.

The so-called suspicious death is Ruthie's uncle; we found him on Sat.u.r.day when we went to visit him. Mr Chase knows about it; he was in the Ops Room on Sat.u.r.day and he called out the local police for me.

'The old gaffer took a heart attack, or something similar, in his bath.

That's all there was to it. The Strathclyde lot are being really heavy-handed, Ma'am. They wouldn't let Ruthie into the house when she went through this morning.'

'She's not at work?'

'No. The boss gave her the day off to make funeral arrangements and start tidying up the old boy's affairs. Leave it to me, ma'am, I'll speak to Mr Martin or Mr Skinner. One of them'll squash Strathclyde.'

'No, Sergeant, they won't. This is my divisional responsibility, and I'm not beginning my tenure of office by showing favouritism, or by getting a name in a neighbouring force of some weak woman who pa.s.ses tough decisions up the ladder. If the c.u.mbernauld CID want to interview Ruth, that's their right in the circ.u.mstances, whether they're being officious or not.

'Where is she right now? Do you know?'

'I hope she's driving back through to Edinburgh.'

'Does she have a mobile?'

'Yes.'

'Okay, here's what I'll do. I will call N Division back and tell them that I don't have the resources to spare officers to act as delivery boys.

I'll tell them that they can interview Ruth at this office at five o'clock.

You call her and tell her to report here in time. Make sure that she does, mind.'

Pye felt anger rumbling up in him, but he suppressed it. He knew enough

Jlnot to shout at Maggie Rose. 'Very good, ma'am. Can I sit in on the interview?'

'I shouldn't think so for one minute. But you can be here. From what you say, they should really be interviewing you as well.'38.'You did the right thing, Maggie; don't worry about it. I appreciate your phoning to tell me about it, but the decision was yours all the way, and your a.s.sessment of the situation is spot on. You can rest a.s.sured that I won't go snarling at anyone through in Lanarkshire, either; I promise you, I'll keep my hands off this one, completely.

'All the same,' Bob Skinner continued, 'when the Strathclyde officers get to your place, I want them to be b.l.o.o.d.y clear as to who it is they've come to interview. I can't fault anybody for just doing their job, even if they are insensitive enough to ask for a bereaved relative to be brought to them for interview, but if I find out afterwards that they've been discourteous or aggressive to Ruth in any way, then I will have their tripes for supper, and no mistake.'

The superintendent smiled gently. Til explain the background just as you say, sir, don't worry.'

'You do that. Who knows, they might even invite you to sit in on their interview. Don't let Pye anywhere near it, though. In fact, once he's dropped Ruthie off, send him packing. Tell him you'll give her a lift home once they're finished with her; you don't want him pacing the corridor outside the interview room.'

'You're right: I don't. I remember how Mario was when I got hurt, and I remember thinking that it was just as well Brian Mackie had the bloke who did it locked up in a cell. By the same token, the idea of having a serving officer in the building while his girlfriend's being interviewed... even if it is a formality... does not appeal to me: too many potential complications.'

She paused. 'I suppose it is a formality,' she said tentatively.

'Of course it is,' the DCC responded at once, then he too hesitated.

'They're being heavy-handed about it, right enough, but I'm sure that's all it is.'

'Still, it's unusual

'For someone to be brought in for interview in a run-of-the-mill sudden40.AUTOGRAPHS IN THE RAIN.death investigation? Yes, it is. You know, Mags, with every minute that pa.s.ses this is becoming more difficult for me. As Ruth's boss, and more than that, as her friend, I want to pick up the phone, call the officer in charge of this investigation, and ask him what the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l he's playing at. Yet as the DCC I can't be seen to be leaning on another force, especially not at this time.'

She caught his veiled meaning.

'If Jock Govan was still in the Chief's chair in Glasgow,' he continued, 'it would be okay. I could just have called him; or even Willie Haggerty, if he hadn't been moved back into uniform as a divisional gaffer. But I don't know the new guy yet, so I have to be careful not to provoke any diplomatic incidents. I've already had to defuse one bomb today; I don't fancy handling another.'

'Why don't you ask Mr Chase to make enquiries?'

'Are you being mischievous, Detective Superintendent Rose?' Skinner snorted. 'I don't believe in introducing foxes to chicken coops, and that's all I'm saying. No, we'll just have to be patient, if we want to find out whether there's anything sinister behind this request. It does help having them on our turf, though.'

'In what way?'

'Well, not interfering in advance of the interview is one thing. But afterwards .. .'

'Don't worry, sir. These people won't leave this office without me knowing what all this is about.'

'Good for you. Keep me in touch.'

The DCC hung up the phone and returned to the pile of papers through which he had been wading when Rose had called. There was nothing there of any drama or import; over the previous few months the force had gone through a period of calm almost unprecedented in recent years. It had been so quiet that Skinner had even taken to reviewing old and unsolved investigations, reading the notes to see if anything caught his eye in a way that might offer a new line of inquiry.