The Dark Fear Read Free Page B

going to need a bit of work.’
                  Dani felt this was a gross understatement. She addressed her boyfriend directly. ‘Are you really prepared to take on something like this?’
                  James slipped his hand into hers. ‘That’s the plan. I want a renovation project. I’m thinking of keeping on the flat in Marchmont, so I can stay there until it’s properly finished.’
                  Newton strode off into the hallway, where a staircase wound its way up to the second floor, which had a galleried landing. Dani always wanted to live in a house with one of those.
                  ‘There are certain benefits to being a resident on the Langford Estate,’ Newton continued. ‘Out of season the gates are permanently secured to the public. Only you and the family would have a key to get in and out. My team will maintain your garden for you, too.’
                  Dani sensed a note of desperation in the man’s tone. She wondered how much interest they’d had in the property and why the family needed to sell.
                  But when they moved into the sitting room she nearly gasped, the practicalities slipping instantly from her mind. There were two large bay windows at both ends of the space, each with exposed stonework and tiny panes of glass in their original, lead-lined frames. A grand fireplace was surrounded by shelves full of dozens and dozens of books. It was a really lovely reception room.
                  James turned to her. ‘It was this room that sold me on the place. I can picture how nice it could be, with a little TLC.’ His expression was full of trepidation and hope.
                  Dani found it impossible to shatter his dreams. ‘Yes, sweetheart, I can see that myself.’
                 
     

Chapter 3
     
     
    T here were five other senior officers on the disciplinary committee. It wasn’t the first time that Dani had helped to decide the fate of a fellow cop, but she’d never passed judgement on someone of the same rank as her before.
                  They sat at a long shiny table in one of the conference rooms at the headquarters of Police Scotland’s Eastern Division on Knox Street. It was Dani’s job to chair the meeting. She assumed her colleagues had already made themselves familiar with the details of the case against DCI Lamb.
                  ‘My initial suggestion,’ she began, ‘is to come up with a list of witnesses. I want to build up a sense of Stuart’s character.’
                  A secretary entered the room with a tray of coffees. The woman placed it down on the glossy surface and left.
                  ‘I’ve worked with him a few times over the years,’ DI Dennis Robbins added. ‘Stuart can be a bit prickly, but I’ve always found him straight down the line when it comes to investigations. The irony of this situation is that Lamb is a stickler for playing it by the rules. It used to annoy some of his colleagues.’
                  Dani nodded. ‘That’s the impression I’ve picked up from reading his service history. Has anyone else here worked with Stuart?’ The DCI glanced around the group. The other four shook their heads. Dani didn’t know whether this was a good thing or not.               ‘I think we should speak with the DCs who were undercover with DCI Lamb at Forth Logistics, Ma’am. You form a bond when on an operation like that one.’
                  Dani eyed the officer who’d spoken. Her name was DS Sharon Moffett and she worked at City and Borders. Her blond hair was shoulder length and a mass of thick curls.
                  ‘I’ll get my secretary to make the arrangements.’ Dani opened the file in front of her. ‘In the meantime, let’s paint a better picture of the man we’re talking about.’ She pressed a