Against a Dark Sky (15 page)

Chapter Thirty Three

‘D
aniel Goff sounds like the sort of chap whose luck was always going to run out eventually,’ said DS Driscoll.

              ‘I agree,’ Dani Bevan added. ‘He was bound to wind up either in prison or dead. But the question remains, who was it that finally caught up with him?’

              ‘Amit Batra’s got to be a prime suspect,’ Andy suggested. ‘Irving thinks that Batra had got hold of Goff’s camera somewhere on that mountainside. If it held incriminating photographs of him and Graves, it gives Batra a motive to kill Goff, in order to get the camera off him and ensure his silence.’

              ‘But what about Joanna Endicott, what would Batra’s motive be for killing her?’ Driscoll said.

              ‘Perhaps she simply got in the way,’ Dani chipped in. ‘My main concern is who
else
wanted that camera. Batra took it back to Loughton with him and it looks as if he was battered to death for it.’

              ‘So was Goff blackmailing another man?’ Andy offered.

              ‘It’s certainly a possibility. I think we can rule out James Irving because he’s unmarried and is free to have a relationship with anyone he chooses.’

              Sammy Reid looked as if he might say something. Dani nodded in his direction to encourage him to contribute. ‘Irving said in his statement that Goff had been snapping away with his camera during the climb. Maybe he photographed something inadvertently. Whatever else was stored on the camera may be unrelated to the blackmail.’

              ‘We need to take all of these scenarios under advisement,’ Dani announced. ‘Meanwhile, I’ve decided to get myself kitted out and go for a wee walk.’

Bevan took the police 4x4 and drove down to the bothy. The owner told her there was an English family staying there for the half-term break, but that they didn’t mind her parking outside and using the footpath behind the cottage.

              There were no cars visible, so she assumed the family were out. Bevan took the opportunity to walk around the property and peer into each of the small, dilapidated outhouses which seemed to jut straight out from the hillside. It was sunny, with a fresh easterly breeze. Dani set off along the track that led to the Ptarmigan ridge. She had no intention of climbing Ben Lomond itself, but wanted to get a feel for the terrain.

              Whatever was going on in the lives of Endicott, Goff, Batra, Irving and Graves, Dani was convinced that the key to the case lay in what happened out there on the hillside that day. As she fell into her stride, Bevan imagined the progress of the five tourists, each of them embarking on the climb for their own, very different reasons.

              The DCI also thought about the schoolchildren, led in their separate groups across the National Park, collecting data and listening intently to the words of the teachers in charge. Her father had been Headmaster of a rural primary school for many years. On Colonsay, the staff and parents were always eager to take the children’s lessons out into the glorious countryside that surrounded them. It would have seemed perverse not to. Was it simply a stroke of luck that no similar tragedy had befallen them? Bevan didn’t think so.

              Progressing past the gushing burn towards the top of the first ridge, Bevan’s mind was drawn back to when she had first joined the wee school on Colonsay. It was such a small place that Dani was inevitably taught by her own father on many occasions. She’d certainly sat through umpteen of his assemblies; cross-legged and bored, in the hall which also accommodated every single wedding, christening and funeral party that the villagers threw.

              Huw Bevan was strict but fair. Like all good schoolmasters of his generation, he was determined that his pupils should learn the basics of literacy and mathematics, while at the same time developing a strength of character that would serve them well throughout life. Many of his ex-students still wrote to him, explaining how they often referred to his old sayings in times of strife, finding them of great comfort.

              If her father’s dedicated staff ever took the children out on a trip, they all stayed close together. Huw Bevan wouldn’t have dreamt of allowing any of the pupils to stray out of his sight. Ardyle School must have been slightly larger, but not by a huge margin. Dani wondered how those three weans: Katrina, William and Neil, could have become cut off from the rest. The weather must have been a factor, certainly, but something still didn’t quite sit right with the detective about the events of that day.

              Bevan took a deep breath as she reached the summit of the west ridge. It had been a strenuous climb. The views on this clear day were terrific, with the Arrochar Alps and Loch Lomond in the distance.               But conditions were starkly different on the afternoon that Endicott’s group had been there. Visibility was very poor. Continuing along the ridge from this point would have been fraught with dangers. Meandering off the main path could have led a walker straight over the edge of a precipice. Dani strode on, confident that the weather would hold. She checked her smartphone. There was no reception, just like Irving and Graves had claimed. Turning a sharp bend in the ridge, the imposing silhouette of Ben Lomond suddenly appeared before her. She imagined how terrifying it would seem against a dark sky.

              The path took her ever upwards. At one point, she had to ascend a small rock-face, placing her fingers carefully into the tiny, smooth hand-holes, shifting her weight onto the toes of one foot in order to hoist herself onto the next plateau. This was definitely not a route for the faint-hearted. She wasn’t intending to, but Bevan continued on to the summit. The views across the National
Park were breath-taking. It was the school holidays and the top of Ben Lomond was teeming with folk, though she’d seen no one on the Ptarmigan path.

              Dani decided to follow the tourist route down the mountain, where she found herself overtaking family groups. Many weary dads had wee-ones secured in carriers to their backs. This track was much less arduous and clearly preferred by beginners. Dani felt it revealed much about Joanna Endicott’s personality that she deliberately chose the more difficult path. It was almost as if she had wanted certain members of the group to be unable to complete the climb.

              Dani consulted her map and cut across the heathland towards the bothy. Looking at her watch when she reached the jeep, Bevan noted she’d done the ascent in just over five hours; three hours up and two down. Dani saw smoke spiralling upwards from the chimney and a Land Rover Discovery sitting on the gravel next to the police truck. She decided to knock on the door and let the family know she was leaving. A plumpish middle-aged lady, with curly, silver-blond hair answered the door. A handsome Airedale terrier stood on guard by her side.

              Bevan displayed her warrant card. ‘My name is DCI Danielle Bevan. I wanted to let you know that I’m finished up here and about to head back to the station in Ardyle.’

              ‘Do you have a moment, by any chance, Detective Chief Inspector, only my husband was hoping to have a word?’ The woman inched backwards to allow Dani to enter.

              The bothy had quite a different atmosphere from when she was last here. A young boy and girl, who Dani would place in their early teens, were lounging on the sofas in the sitting room. A tall, bearded man emerged from the kitchen and introduced himself. ‘Do please come in and have a seat. I am Bruce Glasser, and this is my wife, Elaine.’

              Dani sat at the kitchen table and repeated her own name and rank. ‘What can I help you with, Mr Glasser?’

              ‘It may be nothing at all, but when the owner said a police officer would be up here today, I thought I may as well mention it.’

              Bevan nodded her encouragement, noticing out of the tiny windows how the light was rapidly fading and feeling the strains of the day’s climb begin to make her limbs heavy.

              ‘Two days ago, whilst Elaine was down in the village getting some supplies, the kids and I saw a man hanging around on the hillside. After twenty minutes or so, I walked over to ask him what he was doing. The chap had a bunch of flowers in his hand. He said he was looking for the memorial to the children who died on the mountain. The flowers were to be laid beneath it. He intimated it was an anniversary of some sort. There wasn’t much I could say in response to that, but the fellow headed off along the mountain path soon after and I didn’t spot him again. He must have returned by a different route. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but it just felt as if he was hanging around and watching the place. It was most disconcerting. We’re actually fairly remote up here in the glen.’

              ‘Would you be able to provide us with a description of this man?’

              Bruce Glasser shrugged. ‘I’ll give it a try.’

              ‘Then could I ask you to come down to the incident room in Ardyle tomorrow morning and provide us with a statement? A police car will be sent over to pick you up. This information might prove to be very important to my investigation.’

              ‘Of course, Detective Chief Inspector. If you really think it will help, I shall be pleased to do my duty,’ he replied.

Chapter Thirty Four

D
C Kendal downloaded the e-fit software to one of his laptop computers. He carefully inputted the details that Bruce Glasser had supplied them with. When the profile was complete, Kendal printed off a copy and took it over to DCI Bevan.

              Dani pinned the picture to a flip chart and gathered her team around it. Like all computer generated images, it was difficult to imagine this random patchwork of features in human, living form. Bevan had often wondered how useful they really were, beyond giving a general indication as to age and sex.

              The face staring out at them was partially obscured by a woolly hat, pulled down to cover the ears. The man had dark eyes beneath bushy brows and a stubbly growth on his chin. There were no obviously distinguishing features.

              ‘What age did Mr Glasser think the man was?’ DS Driscoll asked.

              ‘He suggested mid-forties. This chap was wearing walking gear and had a rucksack on his back, in addition to the flowers he was carrying. Glasser said he was of average height, possibly 5’10. His accent was Scottish.’

              Andy squinted his eyes at the picture. ‘Could it have been Bill Hutchison?’

              ‘Well, Bill is in his late sixties for starters, but perhaps he could appear younger, if he covered his grey hair. There is a passing resemblance, I suppose.’ She turned towards Sammy Reid. ‘This man claimed he was visiting a memorial for the children who died in the Ardyle tragedy. Is there such a thing?’

              DC Reid nodded. ‘There is a commemorative cairn out on the heathland near Tom Eas. It is positioned equidistant from the points where the three children were found. The pupils at Ardyle Primary School each placed a stone to make up the cairn. There is a small plaque at the bottom. Every ten years since the event, the villagers have gone to lay flowers at the memorial. It happened in April of last year, for the thirtieth anniversary.’

              ‘But there’s been no significant anniversary within the last week or so?’ Dani inquired.

              ‘No, not that I’m aware of. Perhaps this man was referring to the birthday of one of the children. It certainly wasn’t Katrina, she was born in May.’

              ‘Thank you very much, Sammy. I think it might be a good time for me to have another chat with Bill and Joy.’

*

              ‘It’s a very powerful place, spiritually,’ Joy Hutchison explained, stirring a sugar lump into her tea.

              ‘But neither of us have been out there since the thirtieth anniversary ceremony last year,’ Bill continued. ‘We occasionally go to the cairn on Neil’s birthday, but not always - his grave is in the churchyard, you see. That is where we go to lay our flowers, in the house of God.’

              ‘When is Neil’s birthday?’ Bevan asked lightly.

              ‘The 25
th
March,’ Joy swiftly replied.

              The Wallaces’ enormous coffee machine began vibrating loudly and conversation was no longer possible for several minutes. Dani simply sipped her cappuccino in silence and watched Bill and Joy performing an obviously well-rehearsed ritual with their tea-for-two, sloshing in the milk and sharing out the last of the pot between them.

              When the machine stopped, Bill leant forward and lowered his voice. ‘We’ve been doing some asking around in the village,’ he said in a theatrical whisper.

              In spite of herself, Dani felt her interest pique. ‘Did you discover anything useful?’

              ‘You may not like what we found out, DCI Bevan,’ Joy stated tentatively.

              ‘Oh, yes?’

              ‘We spoke to the landlord at the Rob Roy Bar. Joy and I have known him for years. He began complaining about the heavy-handed police presence in the town. He didn’t mind the extra business, but he’d got angry with a group of officers who were in his pub on Friday night. Apparently, a policeman from ‘out of town’ was regaling the others with tales of how the locals claimed they’d seen visions in dreams and that his boss was actually taking it seriously.’

              ‘Andy,’ Dani muttered in disappointment. ‘Did he mention any specifics?’

              ‘The landlord couldn’t recall, but obviously he was busy serving at the time. If DC Calder
did
let slip that you were going to speak with Ronnie Sheldon, then
anyone
in that pub could have overheard it.’

              ‘And then repeated the tale to all their other kith and kin in Ardyle.’ Dani sighed heavily. ‘I’m very sorry for this. I believed I could rely on Andy Calder to be discreet. I would never have told him otherwise.’

              ‘We know that Detective Chief Inspector,’ Joy said gently, laying her hand on top of Dani’s. ‘But at least now we understand how the information got out. Don’t be too hard on DC Calder. He didn’t realise the implications of what he was saying.’

              Bevan admired Joy’s capacity for tolerance and forgiveness. She was not convinced she’d be able to match it. A man was dead because Andy had decided to mouth-off to his colleagues in the pub. It was incredibly out of character, but she couldn’t let it go.

              Dani stepped out of the Wallaces’ coffee-shop with a heavy heart. She turned towards the Town Hall and began the short walk across the Market Square. Standing by the Celtic Cross, was a lady Dani recognised. She was dressed in high, shiny patent heels a long black woollen coat and looked incredibly out of place amidst the slightly shabby surroundings. The lady twisted her head as Bevan approached, her ruby red lips parting in a smile.

              ‘DCI Bevan, I’m glad I caught you. Your colleagues said you wouldn’t be long.’

              ‘It’s Sally, isn’t it? James’ sister?’

              ‘That’s right,’ the elegant woman led Dani towards a bench on the edge of the square where they both took a seat.

              As Dani glanced across at her companion, the penny suddenly dropped. ‘You’re Sally Irving-Bryant QC. I’ve seen you a few times at the High Court in Edinburgh. Sorry, I hadn’t realised until now.’

              She swept a gloved hand dismissively in front of her. ‘Not to worry, sometimes it’s best to leave our professional personas behind at family engagements. In your line of work, I’m sure you’d agree. My mother probably told you that James was too soft for the criminal bar. Well, that assessment doesn’t apply to me.’ Sally chuckled at what was obviously a long-standing family joke.

              ‘Is this a social or a professional visit?’

              ‘A bit of both. James was rather distressed after you performed your disappearing act at Dad’s party the other night. He and I managed to drag out of Mum what she’d said to make you so upset. James was really angry with her.’

              ‘I wouldn’t want him to be. Your mum was only giving her opinion. It simply made me realise I had no business becoming so friendly with a witness in a murder case.’

              ‘That is what I’m here to talk about. James is rather hopeless at defending himself, but I wanted to clarify whether or not my brother is a suspect in the murder of Joanna Endicott. Do you actually believe he was her lover at the time she died?’ Sally subjected Dani to her piercing, advocate’s gaze.

              ‘If James would like to come back into the station and amend his original statement, it could clear the matter up once and for all.’

              Sally sighed. ‘After we dragged out of Mum what she’d said to you, I questioned my brother about his relationship with Joanna. I told him in no uncertain terms that it was not a game. He could not go lying to the police in a murder inquiry, men had gone to jail for less.’

              Dani felt her heartbeat quicken.

              ‘James had a very brief fling with Joanna Endicott. It
was
when they took the holiday to Madeira last year, but it was short-lived. They got on extremely well, were both attractive people and one evening, when they were out together for dinner, they decided to see if it might work if they became more than just friends. So James booked the holiday. It was a romantic hotel, they had the bridal suite, but my brother said they spent the entire week in a fit of giggles. The whole scenario just didn’t work for them. They had a glorious time anyway, lazing by the pool and drinking cocktails into the early hours, but only as
friends
Detective Chief Inspector.’

              ‘And James wasn’t jealous of the men in Joanna’s life after that point?’

              ‘He swears that he wasn’t. James said Joanna was very high maintenance as a girlfriend. He could not have sustained a long-term relationship with her. Tell me DCI Bevan, is my brother likely to be charged?’

              ‘I really don’t believe James killed Joanna or Daniel Goff. As long as he remains in the country, he can rest easy.’

              Sally’s body relaxed. ‘Thank you.’

              Dani stood up. ‘I really need to get back.’

              ‘Of course.’ The woman seemed to hesitate. ‘Dani, just for the record, James really doesn’t often bring girls home to meet us. In fact, you’re the first. I know he lied, but I expect it was because he didn’t want to lose your respect. Once this case is over, perhaps you could contact him again?’

              Dani could tell this hadn’t been an easy speech for the QC to make, so she smiled broadly. ‘I will be sure to do that Sally. I liked him very much too.’