I don’t like leaving an argument unresolved, and I’d said a few harsh words, so I thought I’d go over and apologise

Natural Causes by Fife farmer-turned-author James Oswald is the first in the Inspector Mclean series. It is published by Penguin, rrp, £7.99. Bury Them Deep, the latest in the series, is published by Headline in February, rrp £14.99.

Mclean said nothing for a moment. In the quiet he could hear a kettle boiling, the clink of teaspoon on china. “Tell me what happened this evening, Mr Garner. How did you find Mr Stewart.” The old man paused. His hands started their rhythmic movements again, and he clenched them into fists to stop himself.

“We’d had a row. This afternoon. Buchan wanted me to go away for a couple of weeks.

“There’s a big art fair in New York and he thought it would do me good to go.

“He’d even organised the tickets, hotel, everything. But I retired from the business years ago.

“I told him I didn’t have the strength to travel that far, let alone work an auction when I got there.

“I told him I’d rather stay and let him go. He always had so much more energy than me.”

“So you’d argued. But you went back over to his apartment to talk to him later, is that right?”

Mclean saw the old man beginning to wander off topic and gently steered him back.

“What? Oh, yes. It would have been around nine, maybe quarter past.

“I don’t like leaving an argument unresolved, and I’d said a few harsh words, so I thought I’d go and apologise.

Consolation

“Sometimes we’d sit up late, maybe have a wee brandy and talk about the world.

“I’ve had a key to the apartment for ages, so I could let myself in.

“But I didn’t need it; the door was wide open. I smelled something bad.

“Like the sewers had backed up. So I went in and . . Ohgod...”

Garner started to sob. Constable Kydd chose that moment to come back in bearing a tray with three china cups and a teapot on it.

“I know this is hard, Mr Garner, but please try and tell me what you saw.

“If it’s any consolation, saying it out loud can often help to lessen the shock.”

The old man sniffed, accepting a cup of tea with shaky hands and sipping at the milky liquid.

“He was sitting in there, naked. I thought he’d been doing something to himself.

“I couldn’t understand why he was so still, or why he was staring at the ceiling.

“Then I saw the blood. Don’t know how I could have missed it before. It was everywhere.”

“What did you do then, Mr Garner? Did you try to help Mr Stewart?”

“What? Oh. Yes. I . . . That is, no. I went over to him, but I could see he was dead. I dialled 999, I think. The next thing I knew there was a policeman here.”

“Did you touch anything? Other than the telephone.”

“I . . . I don’t think so. Why?”

“The officer who came to see you earlier? She took your fingerprints so we can separate them from any we find in Mr Stewart’s apartment. It helps us if we know where you went.”

Mclean lifted his teacup to his mouth. Garner did the same, taking a long sip. The old man shuddered as the warm tea slipped down his throat, that prominent Adam’s apple bobbing up and down again with each swallow.

They sat in silence for a while longer, then Mclean put his cup back down on the tray. He noticed that Constable Kydd hadn’t drunk any of hers either.

“We’ll need you to come down to the station and make a statement, Mr Garner. Not now, tomorrow will do,” he added as the old man made to stand up.

“I can send round a car to pick you up and bring you back. Shall we say 10 o’clock?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. Earlier if you want. I don’t think I’ll sleep much tonight.”

“Is there someone we can call to keep you company? I’m sure we could spare a constable.”

Worries

Mclean looked across at Constable Kydd and received a withering stare in return.

“No. I’ll be fine, I’m sure.” Mr Garner put his hands back down on his thighs, but only to lever himself up out of his chair.

“I think I might have a bath, though. That usually helps me sleep.”

“Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” Mclean stood with greater ease, offering his hand to the old man.

“There’ll be a constable on duty outside Mr Stewart’s apartment all night.

“If you’ve any worries, let him know and he can radio in to the station.”

“Thank you, inspector. That’s very considerate.”

The landing was quiet outside Mr Garner’s apartment. The door opposite stood open, but there was no sign of anyone within.

Mclean clumped downstairs and out onto the street, where a few uniforms were still busying themselves.

He accosted Sergeant Houseman manning the barrier outside the gate; the SOC van had long disappeared.

“How’d you get on with the other tenements?” Big Andy pulled out his notebook. “Most of them are empty.

“Seems they belong to a leasing company. They put foreign executives and the like in them.

“The ground floor’s got two flats in it; neither of them heard anything until we arrived. Oh, and there’s a basement flat too.

“He got home with his girlfriend about half an hour ago and was rather abusive when we told him he couldn’t go in unescorted.

“Sergeant Gordon got a bloodied nose and Mr Cartwright’s going to be spending some time in the cells.”

“Drunk and disorderly?”

“Possession, sir. Probably with intent to deal. You’d think with a pound of hash on his person he’d steer clear of the police.”

“You would indeed. You were right by the way.” “I was? About what?”

Witness

“Buchan Stewart and Timothy Garner. Odd arrangement, though.

“Living in separate apartments just across from each other.”

“The world’s full of odd people, sir. Sometimes I think I’m the only normal man alive.”

“That’s a fact, Andy.” Mclean looked at his watch, it was getting on for two in the morning.

“I think we’ve done pretty much all we can here tonight. Put two men on guard duty.

“We have a potential witness. I don’t want our murderer coming back to try and silence him.” “You don’t think he’s a suspect, then? Garner?” “Not unless he’s a very good actor, no. My gut tells me there’s more to this than a lovers’ tiff turned bad, but Garner’s in no state to be interviewed tonight.

“I don’t think he’d do too well in a cell either.”