Hold Hands in the Dark (14 page)

Chapter 33

W
ith Phil gone, Dani did her best to remain focused on the papers in front of her. But it was tough. She kept glancing out of the glass partition at his empty workstation. The sight brought a huge lump to her throat and made her eyes sting.

              She tried to remember what her friend, the psychologist Rhodri Morgan, always said; that people did what they did for a reason, however inexplicable their actions seemed to be. Phil clearly wanted a new start. He’d had enough of the police force, yet his conservative nature made it hard for him to make that decision unaided. Somehow, his subconscious had done the work for him, letting events take their course. At no point had he done anything to encourage Hemingways to give him the bribe, nor had he actively tried to prevent the money coming his way either.

              Typical Phil. She laughed back a sob. Passive aggressive till the end.

              The papers that had caught Dani’s eye were notes that John McNeil was clearly producing for a book on the history of his family. She’d already seen mentions of Portencross and Seamill amongst the notations in the man’s sloping script. This had encouraged her to bring the pile upstairs.

              He’d sketched out a family tree that closely resembled the one Ian McNeil had compiled here in Scotland. Dani had Andy’s rolled up copy of it leaning against the wall in the corner of her office. She leant across and slipped the document out of its container, laying both items across the desk.

              The American’s research seemed to go back further than Ian McNeil’s had. His rough diagrams and notes indicated that the family had resided in the West Kilbride area for many generations, but before that, had moved down from the Highlands.

              Dani rubbed her eyes as she scanned the births, deaths and marriages listed before her. Her vision lingered on an entry from the late 18
th
Century, when a branch of the McNeils had bought and established their first boarding house in Portencross. The eldest son of the proprietor, Andrew Duncan McNeil, had married a young woman by the name of Catriona Faulkner in 1793. They had four children between them, who went on to continue the McNeil line for many generations to come.

              Dani sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. A member of the Faulkner family had married into the McNeils. John McNeil had discovered this fact.

              She looked back at the notes the man had made. Beside this section of the tree John had drawn an arrow leading away from Catriona’s name and written,
Faulkner?
To Dani’s great surprise, next to this he had scrawled,
any connection to Dale?
 

             
The DCI picked up the phone and dialled. It took a short while before she heard it ring at the other end.

              ‘Hi, Dani? Is everything okay?’

              ‘Sorry if I woke you, Sam.’

              ‘No, I haven’t gone to bed yet. Do you wanna talk?’

              ‘I’ve found John McNeil’s notes for his family research.’ She explained how the McNeils and the Faulkners had inter-married.

              ‘Okay, so that’s our link between the two families. John must have come into contact with Dale because of his genealogy research.’

              ‘Yes, but I think John
already
knew Dale. He’s written the detective’s name down in the notes, next to his discovery about Catriona Faulkner. He wrote, ‘
connection to Dale?’
– as if he knew him, was on first name terms. Is there
any
way John and Dale’s paths could have crossed?’

              Sam was silent for a moment or two. ‘Five years back, Dale did some outreach work in a few of the city schools. His talks were about staying off drugs and out of gangs. Dale was very passionate about it. He may have visited the high school where McNeil taught.’

              ‘Could you look into that for me?’

              ‘Sure, I’ll pull up the records first thing tomorrow morning.’

              ‘Thanks.’

              ‘Okay, well, we can talk properly another time, yeah?’

              ‘Yes, I’d like that.’

              ‘Goodnight.’

Chapter 34

D
C Dan Clifton had decided to get a takeout coffee before heading into work. He slipped into one of the tiny cafés along Pitt Street and waited in line.

              As he carried his cup towards the main entrance, the detective sensed a presence close behind him. He’d been aware of it in the café too, but only vaguely. He quickened his step before a hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder, causing Dan to curse as hot coffee spilled out over his wrist, scalding the skin.

              ‘Shit!’

              ‘Sorry, detective. Did I make you spill your drink?’ The tone wasn’t in the least bit sympathetic.

              Dan turned and faced his stalker. ‘Mrs McRae. You startled me. What are you doing here?’

              Nancy McRae was dressed smartly, in a suit and dark green woollen coat. ‘I heard that Mr Hemingway has been bribing someone in your department. The officer involved has been thrown off the force.’

              ‘How did you hear that?’

              ‘It was on page two of yesterday’s Herald, for pity’s sake. Hoping to keep it quiet were you?’

              ‘Not at all. It’s just that I was going to call and let you know in person, only someone must have leaked it to the press before I had a chance.’

              ‘Someone who doesn’t believe that police corruption should be swept under the carpet.’ Nancy’s expression was steely.

              ‘I wouldn’t use the word
corruption
, exactly. It was one individual officer who never touched the money and owned up in the end. I truly don’t believe the unfortunate incident had any bearing on the way we investigated your husband’s accident.’

              ‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’ Nancy looked incredulous. ‘I was coming here today to volunteer my assistance now that you were surely reopening the case.’

              Dan’s expression was blank. ‘There are no plans to do that, Mrs McRae.’

              She narrowed her eyes. ‘Whose decision is that?’

              Dan shrugged his shoulders. He was very intimidated by this woman. ‘My boss, DCI Bevan, concluded that there was not enough evidence to pursue an investigation into corporate manslaughter in the death of your husband. But it would be DCS Douglas who took the ultimate decision to halt the process.’

              ‘And neither of those two were taking bribes from Hemingway Shipyards?’

              ‘No! Of course not! That officer is no longer on the police force, I can assure you.’

              Nancy threw her arms up in the air. ‘But how can you be so sure? If Hemingway had one man in his employ there must be others. You people are so naïve!’

              Dan took a step towards her. ‘I’m sorry, we did our best. DCI Bevan took the investigation further than our DCS was keen to. She wanted to make the shipyard accountable, but we have to follow the evidence. There wasn’t enough to prove that Hemingways breached their duty of care.’

              Nancy shook her head sadly. ‘I suppose there have to be more deaths before any action is taken. That’s what my father always used to say. What does my husband matter in the grand scheme of things? He’s just collateral damage.’

              Dan didn’t quite know how to reply to this. ‘I’ve really got to get to work now.’

              ‘Aye, of course. Your coffee will be getting cold.’

              Dan left the woman on the pavement. When he reached his desk on the serious crime floor he went across to look down from the window.

              Nancy McRae was still standing there, her vision seemingly fixed on the morning traffic, busily coming and going along Pitt Street.

*

‘Great. That’s all we need.’ Dani perched on the edge of what use to be Phil’s desk. ‘Someone in the building has leaked the information about Phil’s dismissal to the press,
and
we’ve got Tony McRae’s widow on the warpath.’

              ‘It’s understandable, Ma’am,’ Dan added. ‘About Nancy McRae, I mean. You only bribe a member of the police force if you’ve got something to hide, don’t you?’

              Dani took a breath. She was struggling to disagree.

              ‘I’m totally on Mrs McRae’s side in this,’ Andy weighed in, ‘but I reckon Raymond Hemingway makes bribery a part of his business plan. It’s just his way of dealing with a tricky situation and making it go away. It doesn’t actually point to culpability.’

              ‘I think she’s going to take it further.’ Dan glanced towards the windows, wondering if she was still down there. ‘After what happened to her father, and now her husband, I reckon she’ll be on some kind of crusade. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nancy goes back to the newspapers or even files a civil action against Hemingways.’

              ‘Well, let’s hope she does take out a private prosecution against the shipyard. It’ll get the woman out of our hair.’ Dani addressed her detective constable directly. ‘You seem to be the person that Nancy has connected best with, Dan. Make sure you check on her in a few days from now. Let her know we’ve not forgotten about her or her husband.’

              ‘I won’t have anything new to say.’ Dan wasn’t particularly happy about the prospect of this.

              ‘No, but at least she’ll feel we haven’t rejected her concerns completely. Mrs McRae may just need a little longer to accept that her husband’s death was simply a tragic accident.’

              ‘Fine,’ Dan said sulkily. ‘I’ll drop in on her next week.’

Chapter 35

D
ani slid a bottle of wine out of the rack and began opening it. ‘Are you okay with a Malbec?’

              ‘Aye, whatever you’re having.’ Andy examined the notes that his boss had left out on the kitchen table.

              ‘How was Phil when you dropped him off at home?’ She found space for their two glasses amongst the files and papers.

              ‘Very subdued. I suppose he was thinking about having to tell Fiona, and then Jane. Note to self, don’t get divorced and end up with
two
wives.’

              ‘He’ll be okay. Phil was ready to do something new with his life.’

              ‘But they’re soon to have all three girls at university. It’s not really the best moment to chuck away your career.’

              Dani creased her forehead. ‘You’ve got a point there.’

              Andy picked up his wine and glanced around him. ‘I thought James was due back from Edinburgh this week?’

              ‘He was, but then I got called away to the States and his mum took a turn for the worst.’ Dani sipped the wine. ‘Linda’s got breast cancer, stage three. She had a scare a few years back and the docs thought they’d sorted it. But she found another lump last month.’

              ‘Shit, I’m sorry. What’s the prognosis?’

              Dani nodded cautiously. ‘Good, actually. She’s on chemo right now and then they’ll operate. Linda is being very brave. I always thought that Jim was the frailer of the two.’

              ‘I suppose James will want to stay with her the whole time. I know I would. He can work from over in the east can’t he?’

              ‘Yes, he can. There’s plenty of room at his parents’ place.’ She took another slug of Malbec.

              ‘Is there something else?’ Andy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

              ‘Sam Sharpe wants me to marry him – or so he said when we were in Richmond. He’s prepared to come and live here in Scotland if I say yes.’

              ‘Bloody hell.’ Andy took a few moments to absorb this information. ‘I’m certain he’s serious. He was asking me about what happened in Norway, during the Maisie Riddell case. He wanted to know why you suddenly changed your mind about the relationship.’

              ‘Did you tell him?’ Dani was alarmed.

              ‘No, of course not. You wouldn’t give up my secrets and I sure as hell wouldn’t give up yours either. I just knew it meant he still had feelings for you. That’s all.’

              Dani looked him in the eye. ‘For the first time in my life, I genuinely don’t know what to do, Andy.’

              ‘Do you love James?’

              ‘Yes, but I’m not the person he wants me to be. My lifestyle frustrates him.’

              ‘I don’t think that’s fair. I’ve noticed how much you’ve changed since you’ve been with him. I’d say you’re becoming the person he wants you to be.’

              ‘Is that a good thing? Since being overlooked for the superintendent job, I’ve just laid down and taken it. It’s like I’ve given up on my ambition.’ She flicked her longer, thicker locks. ‘I’ve turned myself into a pretty wee wifie for his benefit.’

              ‘It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.’ Andy finished his glass, reaching for the bottle to top them both up. ‘For what it’s worth, I think the guy’s made you happier.’

              ‘The last thing Phil said to me was to stop taking your advice.’

              Andy laughed. ‘Fair enough.’ He tilted his head to one side. ‘I suppose my definition of happier is that you’re becoming more like my type of lassie – curvier, more homely, with less of an edge – a bit like Carol, in fact. The question is whether or not that’s what
you
want. My instinct is that you love them both. Sam has quite possibly come along at the right time. He understands what it’s like to live as a cop. If that’s what you truly are, then you need to choose him. If you’re ready to lessen your role as a police detective and play housie with James, stick with the status quo.’

              ‘I’ve reached a cross-roads, is that what you’re saying?’

              ‘Aye, I probably am. But then my advice isn’t worth shit, apparently.’

              Dani chuckled. ‘Actually, I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.’

              Andy glanced down at the papers spread between them, sensing it was time to change the subject. ‘So the Faulkner family were related to the McNeils?’

              ‘Yes, if we put together John’s research with Ian’s we get pretty much the full picture. It was the descendants of Andrew and Catriona who ended up emigrating to the United States in the 1840s.’

              ‘So John McNeil and Dale Faulkner were related?’

              ‘Only in an incredibly distant way. They might have shared great-great-great grandparents, that’s all.’

              ‘But this would have been an exciting discovery for someone like John, who spent a lot of his time researching the family heritage.’

              Dani’s phone began to ring. ‘Hi, Sam. Have you got something for me? Hang on, Andy’s here. I’ll put you on speakerphone.’

              ‘Hi Andy, how’s it going?’

              ‘Good, aye. Dani’s just filling me in on the John McNeil angle.’

              ‘Well, I may have some information to add. I spoke with McNeil’s principal again. According to the school records, Dale visited the high school on three occasions between May 2010 and June 2011. During those years, John was the head of student welfare for the middle grades. The principal was convinced that John would have coordinated the talks that Dale gave to the students.’

              ‘So that’s how they met.’

              ‘The current principal only started the job in 2013. He pieced this together from the computer system. The link was there all along. We just needed to ask the right questions. I’m sorry I didn’t recall the outreach work Dale did earlier. It was something that he volunteered for. He gave those talks pretty much in his own time. I’d almost forgotten he’d ever done it.’

              ‘Well, we know the connection between the two men now,’ Dani replied levelly. ‘They must have met in 2009, when Dale came to speak to John’s students about drugs and gang culture. I wonder what drew them to one another.’

              ‘They were related,’ Andy chipped in. ‘However distantly, and that can create a sense of affinity. I had a great pal back at training college who it turned out was one of my second cousins. Neither of us had the slightest idea. I know it isn’t scientific, but I reckon we had enough shared characteristics to be drawn to each other as friends.’

              Dani was sceptical about this theory, but she didn’t contradict him. ‘The relationship between Dale and John may only have been fleeting, simply two professionals whose paths crossed at the high school occasionally. Then, when John was completing his genealogy research, the name Faulkner happened to come up.’

              ‘He decided to look Dale up again, to ask if his family were also from Portencross in Ayrshire,’ Sam continued.

              ‘Dale didn’t want that particular connection to become public knowledge,’ Dani said steadily. ‘He hadn’t even told his own wife and children about his childhood, let alone some guy he barely knew who happened to be constructing a family tree.’

              ‘Not just a family tree,’ Andy pitched in. ‘Maybe he told Dale there was going to be a book too - a whole entire history of the McNeils and the Faulkners, available for sale in the bookshops of Richmond.’

              The crackly line was silent for several moments. Dani worried they may have lost the connection.               Finally Sam said, ‘Then maybe John told Dale he and Rita were heading back to West Kilbride to live out their retirement, to finally put all the pieces of the family puzzle together, to complete his book where the story had first begun.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about where this investigation is leading us. A
really
bad feeling.’