Missing Believed Dead Read Free Page A

a great career opportunity and we wanted you to know how we felt.’ He smiled at her. ‘We think you’re the best DI we’ve ever had.’
    ‘I hope they think the same in Dundee,’ Kate said, thinking she didn’t want to go and head up the Dundee team.
    * * * *
     
    ‘You again!’ Mad May Fraser stood in the doorway of her flat. She was a large woman with an ample chest and wild red hair. ‘You found the little bitch?’
    Bill Murphy shook his head. ‘Not yet Mrs Fraser, but I’ve brought Detective Constable Cartwright to have a look at your daughter’s computer. You said she was always on it.’
    Mad May glared at Jenny. ‘She’s nowt but a wee bit lass,’ she said. ‘What’s she know about computers?’
    ‘More than I do, that’s why I’ve brought her.’
    Mad May grunted and folded her arms.
    The wind, gusting down the walkways in front of the flats, was vicious three floors up. Bill reckoned it must be blowing straight in from the River Tay.
    ‘You going to let us in,’ Bill said. ‘It’s freezing out here.’
    May grunted again and reluctantly stood aside.
    Bill strode up the hallway into the living room. The dog on the sofa growled, showing yellow teeth.
    ‘Don’t mind him,’ May said. ‘He wouldn’t harm a fly.’
    The teeth, the growl and the red flecked eyes didn’t seem to go with that statement, and Bill gave the dog a wide berth.
    The small man, lounging in one of the armchairs and watching television on a massive flat screen telly, lowered his beer can to the floor. ‘You found her then?’
    Bill shook his head. ‘Afraid not, Mr Fraser.’
    ‘Fuck’n useless,’ the man snorted, ‘couldnae find yer ain arse if ye were lookin for it.’
    He reached for his beer can and turned back to watching the television.
    ‘Where do you have the computer, Mrs Fraser?’ Jenny Cartwright was staying safely behind Bill. He didn’t blame her, she probably didn’t like the look of the dog either.
    ‘Oh, you’ve got a tongue, have you? Well, I hope you’re more civil than him.’ May jerked her head in Bill’s direction. ‘He’s a waste of space. A proper detective would have found my lassie by now. But not him. All he can say is that she’s gone out on the randan, and her only fourteen. What the fuck would he know about it?’
    ‘The computer?’ Jenny reminded her.
    ‘Here lass, in the bedroom.’
    Bill followed Jenny into a bedroom even more dishevelled than the living room. The bed looked as if it had never been made, clothes everywhere, and Bill could swear his shoes were sticking to the floor.
    Jenny crossed the room to the computer desk which was the only comparatively tidy thing in the room. She switched it on, waited for it to power up and then clicked on the internet icon. A page unavailable came up. She frowned. Turning to Mrs Fraser, she said, ‘You did say Megan was always on the internet, didn’t you?’
    ‘Yes.’ May folded her arms across her chest.
    ‘There is no access to the internet on this computer. How does she connect?’
    ‘Oh, that. She has one of those wee dongle things she sticks into it.’
    Jenny sighed and looked at Bill. ‘I think we’ll have to take it in. I need to get access to the sites she’s been using.’
    ‘You’re no taking that thing out of here.’ Mad May’s eyes flared and she stood with arms folded in the doorway.
    ‘I’m afraid we have to,’ Bill said in the most soothing voice he could manage. ‘We’ll give you a receipt for it and make sure you get it back.’
    ‘So you say. I know you polis, the biggest set of thieves around.’
    Jenny crossed the room and laid her hand on May’s arm. ‘I’ll take good care of it, and it would help us to find Megan. You do want her found, don’t you?’
    ‘Damned sure I do.’
    ‘It’ll only be for a few days.’
    ‘Aye. OK. But just a few days, mind. And make sure you find my Megan.’
    ‘I’ll carry the tower,’ Bill said, ‘you take the monitor.’
    ‘I won’t need the