them off.
‘I kicked him under the table.’
‘That’s not what DI Wilson says. He says he pulled rank on you to interview Henderson after he’d been ordered by Superintendent Sutherland not to do so. When Henderson bad-mouthed his daughter, he lost his temper and attacked him.’
‘That’s not the way I remember it.’
DI Lane shuffled the photos together and put them back in the folder. If a criminal assault had occurred, then the case would have to go before the Procurator Fiscal. It would be the Fiscal who would decide whether the case should go on to the Sheriff Court. If the DCS decided it was a breakdown in procedure rather than assault, it would go down the police disciplinary route. McNab was well aware DI Wilson was trying to protect him from the fallout of their interview with Henderson, but he wouldn’t let his boss take the blame for what he’d done in that room. Given the opportunity, he would do it again.
‘What does Henderson say?’
‘He says DI Wilson kicked him.’
‘The bastard!’ Anger darkened McNab’s face. ‘He knows it was me. He’s just trying to get at the DI. Christ, the guy sexually assaulted Bill’s daughter.’
Lane frowned sympathetically.
McNab got himself under control. Surely if he stuck to his story they couldn’t prosecute the DI? ‘So where do we go from here?’
Lane was already on his feet. ‘I pass everything to the DCS and he decides.’ This was Lane’s get-out clause. He carried out the investigation, but he didn’t have to make the final decision.
‘How long?’ McNab was already thinking about going directly to the super to give his version of events.
Lane shrugged, indicating that he had no idea.
‘You realise Henderson’s trying to stitch the boss up?’
Lane didn’t respond.
‘I kicked the bastard and would do it again if I had the chance. You can tell the DCS I said that.’
McNab thought frantically that it didn’t matter what he said. It didn’t matter that he was the one telling the truth. The fact that Henderson backed up DI Wilson’s version of events meant that his boss would pay the price for McNab’s anger. As though he hadn’t paid enough already.
When he emerged from the room, Clark was waiting for him. She read his expression and gave him a compassionate look.
‘The strategy meeting’s just started. The boss said to go in.’
Rhona paused in her delivery to allow McNab and DC Clark to take their seats at the back. McNab didn’t look happy. Bill had picked up on it too. The two men exchanged glances before Bill indicated that Rhona should continue.
They were tackling the cold case first. On the screen was the video footage of the deposition site. Rhona explained how the various levels of decomposing wood had been removed and a child’s skeleton located.
‘It’s not possible to tell the sex of the skeleton, but I can say that it is a child and that there is only one. If I was to hazard a guess, I would advise looking for minors who disappeared around ten years ago, but I hope to be more exact once I’ve studied the material in detail.’
After confirming that the remains had been sent to a forensic anthropologist for study and digital facial reconstruction, Rhona handed over to McNab to give his version of events.
He repeated the story of a young girl going missing from a car crash and the dogs locating her unhurt in the nearby woods. The fact that she’d been found sitting under a tree, nursing a human skull. The story had been circulating in the office, but this was the first time most of the team had heard it in its entirety.
‘She found the skull on the ground?’ Bill asked.
McNab shook his head. ‘She says she took it from beneath the brushwood Dr MacLeod spoke about.’
‘How did she know it was there?’
‘She says she heard it calling to her.’ McNab paused as disbelieving murmurs broke out. A stern look from Bill resulted in quiet, allowing him to continue.
‘She was quite adamant about
‘I kicked him under the table.’
‘That’s not what DI Wilson says. He says he pulled rank on you to interview Henderson after he’d been ordered by Superintendent Sutherland not to do so. When Henderson bad-mouthed his daughter, he lost his temper and attacked him.’
‘That’s not the way I remember it.’
DI Lane shuffled the photos together and put them back in the folder. If a criminal assault had occurred, then the case would have to go before the Procurator Fiscal. It would be the Fiscal who would decide whether the case should go on to the Sheriff Court. If the DCS decided it was a breakdown in procedure rather than assault, it would go down the police disciplinary route. McNab was well aware DI Wilson was trying to protect him from the fallout of their interview with Henderson, but he wouldn’t let his boss take the blame for what he’d done in that room. Given the opportunity, he would do it again.
‘What does Henderson say?’
‘He says DI Wilson kicked him.’
‘The bastard!’ Anger darkened McNab’s face. ‘He knows it was me. He’s just trying to get at the DI. Christ, the guy sexually assaulted Bill’s daughter.’
Lane frowned sympathetically.
McNab got himself under control. Surely if he stuck to his story they couldn’t prosecute the DI? ‘So where do we go from here?’
Lane was already on his feet. ‘I pass everything to the DCS and he decides.’ This was Lane’s get-out clause. He carried out the investigation, but he didn’t have to make the final decision.
‘How long?’ McNab was already thinking about going directly to the super to give his version of events.
Lane shrugged, indicating that he had no idea.
‘You realise Henderson’s trying to stitch the boss up?’
Lane didn’t respond.
‘I kicked the bastard and would do it again if I had the chance. You can tell the DCS I said that.’
McNab thought frantically that it didn’t matter what he said. It didn’t matter that he was the one telling the truth. The fact that Henderson backed up DI Wilson’s version of events meant that his boss would pay the price for McNab’s anger. As though he hadn’t paid enough already.
When he emerged from the room, Clark was waiting for him. She read his expression and gave him a compassionate look.
‘The strategy meeting’s just started. The boss said to go in.’
Rhona paused in her delivery to allow McNab and DC Clark to take their seats at the back. McNab didn’t look happy. Bill had picked up on it too. The two men exchanged glances before Bill indicated that Rhona should continue.
They were tackling the cold case first. On the screen was the video footage of the deposition site. Rhona explained how the various levels of decomposing wood had been removed and a child’s skeleton located.
‘It’s not possible to tell the sex of the skeleton, but I can say that it is a child and that there is only one. If I was to hazard a guess, I would advise looking for minors who disappeared around ten years ago, but I hope to be more exact once I’ve studied the material in detail.’
After confirming that the remains had been sent to a forensic anthropologist for study and digital facial reconstruction, Rhona handed over to McNab to give his version of events.
He repeated the story of a young girl going missing from a car crash and the dogs locating her unhurt in the nearby woods. The fact that she’d been found sitting under a tree, nursing a human skull. The story had been circulating in the office, but this was the first time most of the team had heard it in its entirety.
‘She found the skull on the ground?’ Bill asked.
McNab shook his head. ‘She says she took it from beneath the brushwood Dr MacLeod spoke about.’
‘How did she know it was there?’
‘She says she heard it calling to her.’ McNab paused as disbelieving murmurs broke out. A stern look from Bill resulted in quiet, allowing him to continue.
‘She was quite adamant about
Similar Books
