Book of Souls Read Free Page A

almost a year, and I hardly see what that’s got to do with –’
    ‘Some of us have just a little more experience running an investigation than you, McLean. Even Langley here’s put a few dealers away in his time. And you know what the single most important facet of any investigative team is, eh? You remember that from your training, eh?’
    With each ‘eh?’ Duguid came closer and closer, looming over McLean, making full use of his extra height.
    ‘It’s that little word, McLean.’ And now Duguid jabbedhim with a bony finger, the nail cracked and yellowing from a lifetime’s proximity to cigarettes. ‘Team. T-E-A-M. You don’t go swanning off on some dawn raid without co-ordinating it with everyone else first. What did you do? Grab the first uniforms you could lay your hands on and go in all guns blazing?’
    McLean was going to protest, even got as far as opening his mouth just a fraction, but shut it again when he recognised the irritating nugget of truth in the chief inspector’s words. He hadn’t completely forgotten the team structure – DI Langley had been in on the short briefing he’d arranged at six that morning. Nice of the man to come to his aid now, instead of sloping off towards the computers lined up in the centre of the room, pretending to be very interested in the latest useless actions they were churning out.
    ‘Well, what have you got to show for yourself?’ Duguid asked, shoving impatient hands into his jacket pockets, guddling about a bit and coming up with a slightly yellowing mint imperial. He rubbed a few crumbs of what McLean hoped was rolling tobacco off it before popping it into his mouth.
    ‘We found high-power lights and hydroponics gear in the loft of the tenement my informant named,’ he said, then went on to fill in the chief inspector about the morning’s activities. For once Duguid didn’t interrupt, possibly because he was too busy enjoying his nicotine-infused mint.
    Finally he picked at his yellow teeth, peered at whatever he’d found, now lodged under a cracked, yellow nail. ‘So now SOC are going through two dozen rotten bin bagsfull of shit for us, and you say this place looked like it hadn’t been used in a while?’
    McLean grimaced. ‘At least we know they were there.’
    ‘We know where they’ve been, McLean. We’ve got a half dozen sites across the city where they’ve been.’ Duguid wafted an over-large hand towards the computers and the hard-working constables poking at keyboards, peering myopically at screens. ‘We’ve no end of work finding out all about where they’ve been. I need to know where they are now.’
    ‘I know sir. But –’
    ‘I don’t want to hear it. I really don’t. It’s bad enough having to listen to bloody Langley bleating all day like some constipated sheep. I brought you in on this investigation because Chief Superintendent McIntyre thought it was a good idea.’ Duguid grimaced as he mentioned his superior, as if the thought of her was enough to put him in a foul mood. ‘She was obviously fooled by your winning smile, but it doesn’t work on me.’
    ‘If you don’t want my help, sir, I’ve plenty other things to be getting on with. We still don’t know who’s been setting fire to those old buildings, for one.’ McLean could hear the petulant schoolboy in his voice, but it was too late to take the words back. Duguid bristled, his face reddening like a startled octopus.
    ‘Get out, McLean.’ His voice was rising in pitch and volume. ‘Go chase your little arsonist. Leave the real police work to those of us who know what we’re doing.’

5
    ‘Christ almighty. This is some gaff!’
    He stands in the enormous hallway of a palatial mansion and looks up at the wide staircase climbing around three walls towards a vast skylight high overhead. Coming down the drive, he assumed that the house was split into apartments, but now it seems the whole thing belongs to just one man.
    ‘Takes a bit of getting used to,