A Dark Shadow Falls (12 page)

              ‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘I only want to hold you for a while, until you’re feeling better.’

              Louise rested her head on his shoulder, finally relaxing into his arms and allowing all of her anxieties to drift away.

              She truly wished they could remain like this forever.

Chapter 20

D
CI Bevan placed down the receiver of her telephone with a clatter before re-joining Andy Calder in the kitchen of her flat. Somehow, they’d got used to working on the Fisher case from there. The process didn’t feel quite the same when they were at the Pitt Street Headquarters.

              ‘Nothing’s wrong, is it Ma’am?’ Andy enquired with genuine concern, noting her furrowed brow.

              Dani sighed. ‘Not really, I’ve just received a lecture on the clan battles of Colonsay from my father. He wants me to help him and the islanders go to war against Bryant Construction. To be honest, I could do without the distraction right now.’

              ‘Ah, the legendary clan Macfie and their rivalry with the Macdonalds.’ Andy lifted his mug of tea with a big grin on his face.

              ‘Next time Dad calls, I’ll pass the phone over to you. Seriously, what do you know about the Macfies?’

              ‘It was the only thing I was ever interested in at school,’ Andy explained. ‘The Macfies held the balance of power in Colonsay for hundreds of years, right up until the early 17
^th
Century, when the last chief of the clan was executed and the island fell into the hands of the Macdonalds. I had an illustrated book about it when I was a kid. I must dig it out for Amy.’

              ‘Apparently, Bryant Construction’s new building conversion threatens to destroy one of the ancient cairns on the island. The monument is positioned on a Macfie battle site. Dad wants me to have a word with Sally Irving-Bryant about it.’

              Andy puffed out his cheeks, looking aggrieved. ‘I’m not surprised the islanders are upset. This company can’t go around blithely destroying the heritage of Scotland in that way.’

              Dani decided she’d finally stumbled upon a cultural issue that Andy was passionate about. The DCI could see how the history of the highland clans might appeal to Calder, with its emphasis on the ordinary men of Scotland fighting to preserve their way of life against invaders, usually from the English ruling classes.

              But it wasn’t the kind of crusade she was inclined to pursue at this particular time. Bevan swiftly tried to steer the conversation back to the case. ‘I spoke with DI Tait at eastern. He sent a pair of detectives out to question the Fishers’ near neighbours, to see if they’d had any building work done in the last couple of years. He’s given me the details of two local firms.’

              ‘Was any work carried out at the Fisher property itself?’

              ‘It doesn’t sound like it. I expect that if anything needed doing, Eric would take on the job himself.’

              Andy frowned. ‘Then I don’t see the connection, Ma’am. These builders would have to be
inside
the Fishers’ place to be able to case the joint for a break-in.’

              Dani ran her fingers through her hair, thinking she had to agree. The suspect that DI Alexander had in custody made the Dundee murder appear quite different in character from what happened to Peggy Fisher and her children.

              ‘The only possible connection,’ Andy continued, ‘was if Peggy had a lover like Morna Murphy did. That’s where I could see all that anger and aggression stemming from. It would also explain why the murderer might want to frame Eric Fisher.’

              Bevan nodded, glancing at the wedding photograph on the table in front of her. ‘The case just seems to keep coming back to Peggy Fisher.’ She tapped her finger on the grainy image. ‘I don’t believe we’ve understood the woman properly yet.’

              ‘Then that should be where we start looking next.’ Andy set down his empty mug with a heavy and decisive thud, gathering up the notes and slipping them back into the file, as if the DC really meant business.

*

‘Are you interested in booking a spring break?’ Asked the attractive woman who was seated behind one of the desks. She wore a blue uniform and a full face of make-up. Her appearance reminded Dani of a stewardess on one of the more upmarket airlines.

              The DCI held up her warrant card. ‘We aren’t customers, I’m afraid.’

              The woman sighed, gesturing for them to take a seat. ‘Is this about Peggy? I thought there’d be more questions before the trial started. As if her poor family haven’t suffered enough.’

              ‘Did you know Peggy Fisher well?’ Andy enquired gently.

              The woman tipped her head towards the empty workstation to her right. ‘She sat there beside me pretty much every working day for two years so I’d say so, yes.’ She shook her bleach-blond locks. ‘Sorry, it’s just very hard not to feel bitter when such a lovely young mum gets struck down in her prime. I’m Annette, by the way.’

              ‘Did you ever see Mrs Fisher outside of work?’

              ‘Occasionally. But I’ve not got children and Peggy had three, including the wee twins, who were really hard work, God bless them. She came out for drinks with me and my mates maybe once a month.’

              ‘Did she talk to you, confide in you?’ Dani leant in closer, looking intently at the woman’s artificially tanned face.

              ‘About her marriage, do you mean? The American woman working with you lot already asked me dozens of questions about Eric, which was weird, because I’d hardly ever met the guy.’

              ‘It’s Peggy we’re interested in,’ Dani explained.

              ‘Good. Somebody bloody-well should be.’ Annette retrieved a hankie from her pocket and dabbed at non-existent tears. ‘Peggy was beautiful and kind. She loved her children more than anything in the world. When I was having trouble with blokes, she always gave me the best of advice.’

              ‘Was she happy?’ Dani ventured.

              Annette looked surprised by the question. ‘Erm, I think so. She talked about Callum a lot, and the girls. They were very close as a family.’

              ‘When she gave you advice on your relationships, did Peggy use her own marriage as an example – saying what kinds of things worked for her and Eric, I mean?’

              The woman seemed genuinely stymied by this question. ‘No, it was general stuff, about me needing to value myself and not put up with any shit.’

              ‘Okay. What about her job here at the travel agency? Was Peggy popular with the clients, or had there been any disputes?’

              Annette puffed herself up, obviously more comfortable with this topic. ‘Oh, people just
loved
Peggy. She could get folk signed up for a Caribbean cruise when all they’d come in for was a week in Torremolinos.’

              ‘Did any of the customers take a particular shine to her? Was anyone hanging around the shop a bit too much in the months leading up to her death?’

              The woman shook her head. ‘Nobody suspicious.’

              Dani stood up. ‘Well, thank you very much for your time.’

              As the detectives walked towards the door, Annette called after them. ‘When I say nobody suspicious, I mean not some weirdo that she didn’t already know. But in the weeks before Peggy was killed, her cousin was in a lot. It was something to do with discussing their grandmother’s will.’

              Andy lifted out his notebook. ‘If you could give us her name, we’ll check it out.’

              Annette looked confused. ‘Oh, it wasn’t a woman. Her cousin is a man, he’s called Mark.’ She blushed. ‘I kept badgering Peggy to bring him out to the pub with us one night. He was really dishy.’

              Dani turned sharply on her heels. ‘Would it be possible for you to provide us with a description of Peggy’s cousin?’

              She nodded. ‘I suppose so. You know, I always thought it was strange, because I could never make out any family resemblance between them at all.’

Chapter 21

‘I
know her type,’ Andy asserted confidently, flicking through his notebook as Dani drove them to the City and Borders Police Headquarters. ‘Carol’s got a couple of friends like her. They’re totally obsessed with their own disastrous love lives and never listen to a word anyone else tells them.’

              ‘I certainly don’t believe that Peggy would have confided in Annette Walker. But the woman has provided us with a very detailed description of this ‘Mark’ chap.’

              ‘It will be interesting to find out if Peggy actually
does
have a cousin of that name. How did Carmichael’s team miss this piece of information?’

              ‘The officers in charge had tunnel vision. Their investigation was entirely focussed on Eric Fisher. Not one of those witnesses was questioned closely about Peggy. It’s as if she were considered completely irrelevant to the inquiry.’

*

Annie Carmichael looked uncomfortable. She’d called an impromptu briefing for the team who worked on the Fisher case. Bevan could see DI Mike Tait, his considerable bulk perched on a desk at the back.

              ‘I’ve checked with the Wheelans. Peggy has no male cousins, let alone one called Mark. Both her grandmothers died over twenty years ago.’ The DCI pointed to a list on a flip chart behind her. ‘These are the key features of Annette’s description. I’ve sent a DC out to speak with Ms Walker again to get an E-fit created.’ She took a deep breath. ‘This man needs to be found - as soon as bloody possible.’

              Tait raised his hand and said, ‘with respect, Ma’am, it’s over a year since the murders. We could have asked around Dalkeith town centre at the time – in the cafés and pubs – to find witnesses who saw the pair of them together. But
now
, there isn’t a hope in hell.’

              His words hung heavy in the air. There wasn’t much anyone could say to dispute his logic.

              Dani stood up and moved to the front. ‘I know this evidence is coming late to the party, but I’ve known cases to be re-opened after ten years when a new lead turns up. Peggy Fisher was a mum with two very young children. She can’t have met this man far from home. He must be local. Even if he has now fled the area,
somebody
around here will know him.’ The DCI stepped forward and caught the eye of each dejected looking detective. ‘The existence of this man could mean one of two things; either
he
was the intruder that Eric claims was in the house when his family were killed, or his relationship with Peggy was discovered by Fisher and
that
was the trigger for the murders. For what it’s worth, I still think that Eric Fisher did this. But you’ll need to work this lead extremely hard if you want to prove it in court next week.’

              Dani’s speech received a few conciliatory nods and grunts. The officers began to disperse, heading back to their own desks with an air of determination.

              Andy and Dani followed Annie Carmichael to her office. ‘Thanks for that,’ she muttered. ‘It required someone from outside the investigation to give them the rocket they needed.’

              Dani took a seat but Andy remained standing, shifting his weight from one foot to the other irritably. ‘There’s one thing I can’t get my head around. If this guy Mark isn’t the person who killed Fisher’s wife and kids, then why hasn’t he come forward? You’d have thought he’d be banging down the door of the nearest cop shop to tell them he was Peggy’s lover and that’s why her husband did her in.’

              ‘Unless he’s married himself,’ Annie answered slowly. ‘That would explain why we’ve not heard a dicky bird from him.’

              ‘Even so,’ Andy pressed. ‘It must have been difficult for him to keep quiet, if he had any feelings for Peggy at all.’

              Bevan thought about this. She could appreciate the logic of both officers. If this ‘Mark’ character wanted to hold onto the life he still had, Dani could understand him disappearing off into the shadows. Some people could be extremely good at cutting their losses, mercenary as it may seem.

              During this brief moment of silence, a dark-suited man appeared at the other side of the DCI’s door. He gave it a tentative knock.

              ‘Come in, DC Webber!’ Carmichael boomed.

              Dani placed the detective in his mid-thirties at most.

              ‘I’m sorry to intrude, Ma’am.’ He swivelled round to address Bevan. ‘DI Tait told me that you’d requested information about local tradespeople who’d worked on the Fishers’ estate.’

              ‘That’s right,’ she replied, feeling a prickle of anticipation run up the back of her neck. ‘Have you got something for us?’

              ‘I’m not sure. It’s just that when Mike mentioned a possible link to these house-breakings on the east coast it put me in mind of an old case I investigated, eight years back.’

              ‘Go on.’ Even though it wasn’t her office, Dani gestured for him to take one of the chairs.

              ‘Do you recall the case of Diane and Albert Beattie?’

              Bevan nodded, it was hard to forget.

              ‘Miss Beattie lived in an old vicarage, down in the borders, with her elderly father. Diane was working from home at the time. Two men broke into the house late one Saturday afternoon. Whilst one of them ransacked the house, the other forced Diane to go upstairs with him. He raped her at knifepoint in one of the bedrooms.’

              ‘Bastard,’ Calder hissed. ‘Did you get them?’

              ‘Aye,’ Webber continued. ‘The rapist got fourteen years, he’s still inside. The other guy was out in five.’