away. ‘You hear they turfed Gordy Taylor out of hospital last night? Shouting and swearing and making an arse of himself.’
What a shock. ‘Nothing broken when he got himself run over, then?’
‘Nah. Lurched out the door and found himself some more booze. Uniform got a dozen complaints from Harlaw Road about him staggering about, knocking over bins and doing pretty much the same thing he’d been doing up at the hospital.’ Wheezy sooked on his teeth for a bit. Then shook his head. ‘I knew his dad. Decent enough bloke. Bit racist, with a drink in him, but other than that…’
‘OK. Let me know if anyone spots Mrs Skinner.’
‘Guv.’
Soon as Wheezy was gone, Logan grabbed his phone and headed out.
Sunlight sparkled back from the white granity mass of Marischal College, caught the wheeling seagulls and set them glowing against the blue sky. A taxi grumbled by, followed by a fat man on a bicycle wearing nowhere near enough Lycra to keep everything under control.
Logan nipped across the road, past the council headquarters and along Broad Street. Kept going onto the Gallowgate. Nice and casual. Up the hill, and right into the council car park in front of the squat DVLA building.
Nice and out of the way.
He pulled out his phone and dialled Wee Hamish’s number. Listened to it ring.
And ring.
And ring.
That brittle, gravelly voice:
‘Hello?’
‘Hamish. It’s Logan McRae.’
‘Ah, Logan. Yes. Good. How are you? How’s that young lady of yours?’
‘Still in a coma.’ Strange how it didn’t hurt to say that any more. Perhaps four years was long enough for it to scab over? ‘What can I do for you, Hamish?’
‘Is she getting all the help she needs, do you think?’
Logan wandered across the car park. ‘The doctors and nurses are very good.’
‘Oh I’ve got nothing but admiration for the NHS, believe me. They were very kind to my Juliette those last few months. But … Maybe a private hospital would provide a more individual service? Where there’s not so much pressure to meet performance targets.’
A path ran along the back of the car park, bordered by a wall. Logan leaned on it, looking down the hill to the dual carriageway and the big Morrisons. ‘We got knocked back from Sunny Glen. No places.’ A small laugh clawed its way out of his throat. ‘Not that we can afford it. Anyway, it’s too far away. I couldn’t get all the way up to Banff to visit her every day. What’s the point of that?’
‘Hmm … I hear you’re still trying to sell the flat. Any luck?’
‘Hamish, you said you wanted to talk about Reuben.’
‘Are you in financial difficulties, Logan, because if you are I’d be more than happy to lend—’
‘No. I’m fine. I just … felt like selling the flat, that’s all.’
‘I thought you loved it there. Nice central location. And it’s very convenient for work.’
‘It’s got memories I don’t need.’ Down below, an ambulance skirled its way along the dual carriageway, all lights blazing. ‘Time for a change.’
‘I understand.’
There was a small pause, filled with a hissing noise, as if Wee Hamish was taking a hit from an aqualung.
‘Would you like me to put in a word for you? There are a couple of neurology specialists I know who could help you find a place. Somewhere Samantha can get the individual attention she deserves. Let me see what I can do.’
Logan tightened his grip on the phone. Puffed out a breath. ‘What about you? How are you feeling?’
‘I’ve been thinking about
us
a lot recently. You, me, and Reuben. When I’m gone, he’ll come after you. You’re too big a threat for him to ignore.’
‘I’m not a threat! I keep telling—’
‘It doesn’t matter if you turn down the mantle or not, Logan. To Reuben you’ll always be a threat.’
Another hisssssssss.
‘Would you like me to kill him for you?’
All the moisture evaporated from Logan’s mouth. ‘What?’
‘It would pain me, of course – he’s been my
What a shock. ‘Nothing broken when he got himself run over, then?’
‘Nah. Lurched out the door and found himself some more booze. Uniform got a dozen complaints from Harlaw Road about him staggering about, knocking over bins and doing pretty much the same thing he’d been doing up at the hospital.’ Wheezy sooked on his teeth for a bit. Then shook his head. ‘I knew his dad. Decent enough bloke. Bit racist, with a drink in him, but other than that…’
‘OK. Let me know if anyone spots Mrs Skinner.’
‘Guv.’
Soon as Wheezy was gone, Logan grabbed his phone and headed out.
Sunlight sparkled back from the white granity mass of Marischal College, caught the wheeling seagulls and set them glowing against the blue sky. A taxi grumbled by, followed by a fat man on a bicycle wearing nowhere near enough Lycra to keep everything under control.
Logan nipped across the road, past the council headquarters and along Broad Street. Kept going onto the Gallowgate. Nice and casual. Up the hill, and right into the council car park in front of the squat DVLA building.
Nice and out of the way.
He pulled out his phone and dialled Wee Hamish’s number. Listened to it ring.
And ring.
And ring.
That brittle, gravelly voice:
‘Hello?’
‘Hamish. It’s Logan McRae.’
‘Ah, Logan. Yes. Good. How are you? How’s that young lady of yours?’
‘Still in a coma.’ Strange how it didn’t hurt to say that any more. Perhaps four years was long enough for it to scab over? ‘What can I do for you, Hamish?’
‘Is she getting all the help she needs, do you think?’
Logan wandered across the car park. ‘The doctors and nurses are very good.’
‘Oh I’ve got nothing but admiration for the NHS, believe me. They were very kind to my Juliette those last few months. But … Maybe a private hospital would provide a more individual service? Where there’s not so much pressure to meet performance targets.’
A path ran along the back of the car park, bordered by a wall. Logan leaned on it, looking down the hill to the dual carriageway and the big Morrisons. ‘We got knocked back from Sunny Glen. No places.’ A small laugh clawed its way out of his throat. ‘Not that we can afford it. Anyway, it’s too far away. I couldn’t get all the way up to Banff to visit her every day. What’s the point of that?’
‘Hmm … I hear you’re still trying to sell the flat. Any luck?’
‘Hamish, you said you wanted to talk about Reuben.’
‘Are you in financial difficulties, Logan, because if you are I’d be more than happy to lend—’
‘No. I’m fine. I just … felt like selling the flat, that’s all.’
‘I thought you loved it there. Nice central location. And it’s very convenient for work.’
‘It’s got memories I don’t need.’ Down below, an ambulance skirled its way along the dual carriageway, all lights blazing. ‘Time for a change.’
‘I understand.’
There was a small pause, filled with a hissing noise, as if Wee Hamish was taking a hit from an aqualung.
‘Would you like me to put in a word for you? There are a couple of neurology specialists I know who could help you find a place. Somewhere Samantha can get the individual attention she deserves. Let me see what I can do.’
Logan tightened his grip on the phone. Puffed out a breath. ‘What about you? How are you feeling?’
‘I’ve been thinking about
us
a lot recently. You, me, and Reuben. When I’m gone, he’ll come after you. You’re too big a threat for him to ignore.’
‘I’m not a threat! I keep telling—’
‘It doesn’t matter if you turn down the mantle or not, Logan. To Reuben you’ll always be a threat.’
Another hisssssssss.
‘Would you like me to kill him for you?’
All the moisture evaporated from Logan’s mouth. ‘What?’
‘It would pain me, of course – he’s been my
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