A Dark Shadow Falls (4 page)

              Dani snatched the document up. The letter was dated three months before the murders and appeared to contain the results of a paternity test. Bevan gawped at the words printed on the sheet for several minutes before rushing into the bathroom to get ready for her appointment.

*

It was still early and the bar was quiet. Dani ordered a glass of red wine and took a table by the window, waiting for her companion to arrive. She gazed out at the darkening street. A noisy group of students were heading for the Salsa bar, a place advertising cheap deals on pitchers of Sangria and bottles of Spanish lager. Dani saw Sally approach, her long stride un-curtailed by the high heels she wore. The lawyer pushed through the door, lowering the mobile phone held to her ear when she spotted Bevan. She pointed in the direction of the bar to indicate she’d get a drink before joining her.

              When Sally reached the table, with a glass of gin and tonic in hand, the phone was safely tucked away in her bag. ‘Thanks so much for meeting me,’ she began, crossing one elegant leg over the other. Wasting no time she added, ‘have you had a chance to review any of the case notes?’

              ‘I have. You didn’t tell me everything Sally.’

              The woman tipped her head to one side innocently. ‘What do you mean?’

              ‘DCI Carmichael gave me a copy of the ‘psychological autopsy’ file this morning.’

              ‘Ah, I see. Well, my chambers didn’t receive that information until a few days ago. My assistant is still going through it all.’ Sally put the stubby glass to her mouth, leaving a crimson imprint from her painted lips along the rim.

              ‘But you know about the hospital letter?’

              The lawyer nodded. ‘There’s an explanation for that.’

              ‘
Really
?’ Dani laid her palms flat on the table. ‘I’d love to hear it.’

              Sally took a healthy swig. ‘Eric says that he and Peggy had an argument a few months before his wife’s death. According to him, it started out as nothing serious. Peggy was accusing Eric of not doing enough to help out with the twins. She said he was always eager to take Callum to the footie or the cinema but it was the little girls that really required the hard work. Peggy became upset and tearful. In the heat of the moment, she said that he shouldn’t bother in future because the twins weren’t even his.’

              ‘Why would she say that?’

              ‘Eric doesn’t really know which is why it continued to prey on his mind. As soon as the words were out Peggy retracted them, claiming she’d only said it to get back at him. But Eric found himself thinking about it all the time. Eventually, he persuaded Peggy to allow him and the girls to take a paternity test.’

              ‘And the results showed that the twins were his,’ Dani chipped in.

              ‘Yes. Eric said that was the end of it.’

              Bevan leant forward. ‘But it hardly indicates that the Fishers had the happiest of marriages, does it?’

              Sally sighed. ‘No. Although Eric insists that they didn’t argue often, this disagreement was unusual.’

              ‘Neither of us has children, but I still don’t reckon that’s the kind of thing you’d normally say in the heat of an argument, do you?’ Dani finished off her wine.

              ‘I’m not sure. Perhaps if Peggy was exhausted looking after the twins and particularly frustrated with her husband, she might want to say something that was intended to really wound him.’

              ‘But once the words were out, Eric began to brood on them. They could have been circling around in his head for months before he persuaded Peggy to agree to the paternity test. During that time he’d been suspecting his wife of all sorts. This could be the psychological trigger for the murders that the prosecution have been looking for.’

              Sally nodded dejectedly. ‘Yes, it could well be.’

              Dani’s expression softened. ‘But three months before the killing of his wife and children, Eric Fisher
did
discover that the twins were actually his. The man’s fears were put to rest. The whole episode says more about Peggy than it does about her husband.’ 

              ‘How do you mean?’

              Bevan shuffled forward. ‘I’ve been reading through the files very carefully. What has struck me is how little information there is about Peggy. My suspicion is that she was the primary victim in this attack. In the course of a typical murder investigation,
her
life would be examined inside and out. I’m not convinced that City and Borders have done that thoroughly enough. If I were you, that’s where I’d focus my attentions.’

              Sally narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, before lifting the tumbler to toast her companion. ‘Thanks for the advice. I’ll be sure to do that.’

Chapter 6

L
ouise Keene collapsed into an armchair in the front room of her parents’ home in Falkirk. She’d just opened the patio doors and allowed her two young sons to race out into the garden to find the football.

              ‘I’ll make us a pot of tea,’ her mother called in from the kitchen.

              ‘Great, that’s just what I need.’ Louise rested her head on a cushion and closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting on their busy day spent sightseeing in Edinburgh. She couldn’t imagine how her boys had so much energy left. Louise felt a hand gently squeeze her arm, opening her eyes again to see Joy Hutchison place a cup of tea on the table beside her daughter. ‘Thanks Mum.’

              Joy gazed out at her grandsons tearing around the lawn, making no move to go and close the doors. ‘It’s rather mild today. Spring is definitely coming.’

              Louise shifted herself up and lifted the cup to her lips. ‘Where’s Dad?’

              ‘Your father is waiting in with Rita across the road. She’s having someone replace her locks today. He doesn’t think she should be left alone until the job’s been done.’

              Louise turned her large brown eyes towards her mother, a look of concern on her attractive face. ‘It’s a bit of a worry, all these burglaries taking place on your estate - especially after what happened to Dad before.’

              ‘That was another matter entirely. Richard Erskine is in prison now and he won’t be released during our lifetime.’ Joy gripped her mug resolutely, adding, ‘I’m
more
concerned that Bill will start trying to find out who is responsible for these break-ins. You know what your father’s like.’

              Louise nodded sagely, she certainly did. Ever since her older brother had died at a tragically young age, her Dad had tried to get over it by fixing every injustice he came across. Sometimes, this one-man crusade could be downright dangerous.

              Jamie Keene came dashing in from the garden, depositing a trail of muddy prints on the beige carpet. ‘Is tea ready yet?’

              ‘Give us a chance!’ His mother laughed.

              Joy sprang to her feet. ‘It’ll be ready in twenty minutes dear,’ she replied to the lad’s rapidly retreating form. ‘You sit there and finish your drink Louise. I’ll rustle something up for the boys.’

*

Bill Hutchison was home in time for dinner. He hung his jacket up in the hallway and went straight into the kitchen, where Joy was stirring a pot on the stove.               ‘Louise is upstairs bathing the boys. How is Rita?’

              ‘Still a bit shaken, but relieved that the new locks are in. I helped her to get the place tidied up. That’s why I’m late.’ Bill lowered himself into a chair at the table. ‘They didn’t take much, just a few items of jewellery – along with the television set, of course.’

              ‘It’s a shame Rita hadn’t still got that big heavy one. They’d have had a struggle shifting that beast out unnoticed.’

              ‘Aye, these slim-line models are easy pickings. Rita knows it was lucky she was at her daughter’s house when it happened. There wasn’t actually too much damage done. Her photographs were all still in place – including the big one of Christopher. Imagine how upset she’d have been if it had got broken, or the print torn?’

              ‘Goodness, I hadn’t thought of that.’ Joy turned around and looked at her husband.

              ‘Thought of what?’ Louise breezed into the room, picking up the half full wine glass she’d left on the counter and taking a healthy swig.

              ‘That the burglars may have damaged the photograph of Rita McCulloch’s grandson – the chap who was killed out in Afghanistan,’ Bill explained.

              His daughter tutted loudly and shook her head. ‘How awful, to steal the property of a pensioner.’

              ‘It makes me wonder if I shouldn’t put away that photograph of Neil,’ Joy suddenly said. ‘It’s the only copy we’ve got. I’d hate for something to happen to it.’

              ‘I could take it back to Glenrothes with me and have more copies made from it. Fergus has got a friend who’s a real whizz at that sort of thing. We should have done it years ago.’

              ‘Yes please darling, that’s a great idea.’ Joy returned to dishing up the food, seeming more contented.

              Bill remained quiet until they were all seated at the dining table and tucking into their meal. ‘I wonder why the burglars left Christopher’s picture alone. The frame is gold-plated. I might have thought they’d have taken it. They certainly targeted all the gold jewellery on Rita’s dressing table. It would have fetched a few bob for scrap.’

              ‘Perhaps they had a heart after all and realised it must be of sentimental value. It’s got pride of place on her mantelpiece.’ Joy took a sip from her glass of Cotês du Rhone.

              ‘Not many burglars have a conscience,’ Louise muttered cynically.

              ‘You’re right Louise,’ Bill added with feeling. ‘They don’t. But perhaps they were displaying a sentimentality of a different kind.’ He picked up his glass and swirled the liquid around so that it nearly touched the rim. ‘In the photo, Chris is wearing his full dress uniform. Maybe it was
that
fact which made the intruder hesitate to disturb it.’

              ‘You think there might be a military connection to these break-ins?’ Louise looked interested.

              ‘It’s certainly possible,’ her father replied.

              ‘Well, that’s a matter for the police,’ Joy cut in firmly, determined to change the subject. ‘Now, what does everyone want for dessert?’

Chapter 7

W
hen DCI Bevan returned to her hotel room she discovered another text message on her phone. Sally had informed her, just as they were parting ways outside the bar, that her brother was back living in Edinburgh. She’d promised to forward his details.

              Dani had met James Irving on a previous case. His friend had been murdered during a walking holiday in Loch Lomond. At the time, James was practising as a solicitor down in London. Sally explained that their mother had been ill recently and this prompted her younger brother to make the move back to Scotland. Dani wasn’t surprised. The man had lost his two best mates. There was nothing much left for him in London any longer. She glanced at the details, saving them to her address book. It appeared that James now had a flat in Marchmont.

              The detective kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bedclothes, staring up at the swirling patterns in the plaster work covering the high ceiling. She decided to call the reception desk and book in for another couple of nights. It seemed as if Bevan would have a fair few visits to make whilst she was through in the east and wanted to start first thing in the morning.

*

Andy Calder met his boss on the southside of Edinburgh. She climbed into the passenger seat of his car and instructed her DC to drive them to Dalkeith. Dani filled her partner in on what she’d learned so far about the Fisher case. Calder listened in silence, apparently concentrating all his attentions on the wonders of the eastbound A7.

              ‘So, Fisher is in his early forties with a working class background. The guy has a limited education and now runs his own building repair business. His wife is a good few years younger than him and very attractive,’ Andy finally summarised. ‘His background fits perfectly with a typical perpetrator of domestic homicide. I found out some fresh information about his finances back in Glasgow. Eric Fisher’s cash flow had all but dried up in the months before the murders. A long running contract he’d held with the local authority hadn’t been renewed. I’d say he’s got the textbook profile to be the killer.’

              Dani nodded. ‘It looks that way. If Eric was feeling under pressure at work then Peggy certainly didn’t help matters by suggesting to her husband that he wasn’t the father of their children.’

              Andy furrowed his brow. ‘Why would she say something like that when it wasn’t true?’ He glanced across at his boss and caught her eye, ‘unless she wasn’t totally sure herself. It might have come as a surprise to her when those tests came back showing that Eric really was the dad. It might purely have been a lucky break for the woman.’

              Bevan shifted around in her seat. ‘And if Eric suspected that too, then the result wouldn’t have taken away his fear that Peggy had been unfaithful.’

              They pulled up outside a neat semi-detached property a few streets away from the Fishers’ place. Dani and Andy approached the front door and pushed the bell.                                          

              A man in his late fifties opened up. Dani introduced herself, explaining that she was the person who’d spoken to him earlier on the phone. He couldn’t quite manage a smile but muttered the necessary pleasantries in a dull monotone. Rob Wheelan led them into a tidy front room. Andy perched on a small upright sofa which made him look like a giant.