Fatboy eyed Brian. He didn’t look nearly so nonchalant now

Cross Purpose (£8.99) is the first in Claire MacLeary’s Harcus & Laird crime trilogy, featuring an unlikely pair of middle aged female private investigators. The second, Burn Out, and the third, Runaway, are available now. All published by Saraband Publishing https:// saraband.net

Brian focused his thoughts. “Ok then, let’s go back to the Castlegate. What have you been up to there?” Heavy sigh from Fatboy. “No comment.” Christ, what are they like? Watching too much TV, the lot of them. “Do I take it you’d prefer to wait until your lawyer gets here?” He threw a meaningful glance at Susan Strachan, whom DI Chisolm had insisted on assigning to the interview for a bit of empathy.

“For the benefit of the tape, the suspect has been cautioned but has declined his right to have a solicitor present.”

Fatboy leaned forward. “As I’ve already informed your desk sergeant, my father will see to all that.” “Your father, eh?”

The big lad sat back. “James Gilruth. You do know who he is?” “Oh, yes.” Brian nodded. “I know who James Gilruth is all right.” He paused for a long moment. “Only…”

Fatboy cocked his head. “We’ve got a wee problem there.” “A problem?” A flicker of alarm crossed the young man’s face.

“Yes.” Brian was beginning to enjoy this. “He seems to have disappeared.” Fatboy started. “How d’you mean disappeared?” “I mean he can’t be reached.”

Altercation

Gilruth’s maybe got himself a bidey-in, Brian mused. “But…” Brian jerked his head towards his DC.

“We’ve made repeated attempts to contact Mr Gilruth,” Susan smiled sympathetically, “but I’m afraid his phone is switched off.”

“That can’t be right. He never switches it off.” She didn’t miss a beat. “Somebody has.”

“Well, my mother…”

“Oh…” Brian clutched a hand dramatically to his head, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Christopher…”

Fatboy eyed Brian. He didn’t look nearly so nonchalant now. “Your mum’s in Accident & Emergency. Up at ARI,” he added for good effect. “But how could she…?”

“What do you mean, Christopher?” Answer a question with a question. If the boy was hell-bent on going “no comment”, two could play that game. “I don’t understand what…”

“Seems there was a wee altercation.”

“An altercation?” Fatboy echoed. “Who with?” Brian adopted a po face. “I’m not at liberty to say.” “When did this happen? Can you tell me that?” “Earlier this evening, so I’ve been informed.” “Where?”

Brian leaned forward across the table. He lowered his voice. “At your parents’ home. Rubislaw Den, that right?” Fatboy blanched. Brian grinned. “Why don’t we start again?”

Involved

“What are you two doing up there?” Maggie shouted up the stairs. “Nothing.”

“Colin Laird, you’ve been doing ‘nothing’ for the past two hours. I need Wilma down here to help me with some billing.” Colin stuck his head round the bedroom door. “Chill, Mum.”

“I’ll ‘chill’ you, you big lump.” Maggie marched up the stairs. “And take that thing off your head.” “It’s not a thing. It’s a beanie, Mum.”

No! Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. Please God, no! When the kids had owned up to moving Lucy’s body she’d assumed no one else could have been involved. She made to push past into Colin’s room. Dispel for good and all the notion that had been burning a hole in her head.

“Mu-um…” He barred the way. “You can’t come in here.” Oh, Lord! Her chest tightened. “Why on earth not?”

“Because me’n Wilma are working on a project.” Her whole body sagged in relief. “A school project?” Colin shuffled his feet. “Not exactly.” “Well…” Suddenly, Maggie felt the need to sit down. “If it isn’t homework, Wilma needs to come downstairs and give me a hand. We are supposed to be running a business.”

“Give us five minutes, Mum.”

“Colin.”

“What?”

“I need Wilma now.”

“Well, if it isn’t Mrs Harcus.” Maggie looked up from her billing. “And if it isn’t Missus Laird.” Wilma responded with a cheeky grin. Maggie set her chin. “Oh, come on, don’t be so sarky.”

“Sarky? You’ve got a nerve. I’ve been wading through this billing for an hour or more while you’ve been upstairs playing computer games with Colin.” “We weren’t playing computer games.” “What were you doing, then?” Wilma threw her a sideways look. “Research, if you must know.” “Research?” Maggie hooted. “You?”

“Just because I never went to college.”

“Oh, Wilma,” her expression was crestfallen, “I didn’t mean it like that.” Wilma laughed. “Just joking.”

“Well, don’t. We’ve got a mountain of stuff to get through, and enough time’s been wasted already.”

“Fine.” Wounded voice. “If that’s what you want.”

“Research, you said?” Maggie moved to make amends.

“Yes. Colin was showing me how you can use a RAT. Remote Access Tool, to you. Enables you to access other folk’s computers.”

“Spare me the details. All I want to know is are they legal, these things?”

Wilma deliberated for a moment. “Depends. The tools themselves are legal.” She flashed a wicked grin. “It’s what you use them for.” She changed the subject. “Have you heard any more out of Queen Street?”

“No.” Maggie shuffled envelopes into a neat pile. “I expect Brian’s up to his neck, what with the boys and…”

“It was thon drug dealer I had in mind,” Wilma mused. “Wonder who he is? Fair gave you a fright, by all accounts.”

“When will tea be ready?” Colin ambled into the dining room. Maggie looked up from the table. “Half an hour.”

“Half an hour? I’m starving, Mum.”

“Well, if you hadn’t kept Wilma upstairs…” She broke off. “How do you know about these RAT things anyway?”

“Oh,” he shrugged, “everybody knows about those. Everybody my age, anyway,” he added.

Melted

“Kirsty texted. She’s coming home in a couple of weeks.”

“Thought she had a summer job.”

“She does.”

“Why’s she coming home, then?”

“The project she’s been working on is going to finish early. Isn’t that great?” No response.“Colin.” “Mmm.”

“Oh, damn and blast!”

“What?”

“I can never get a word out of you.”

Colin looked blank. “I just said a word.” “What was that?”

“What!”

“Very funny,” Maggie spat.

“Just kidding.” Colin returned a beatific smile. Her heart melted. She’d been so hard-pressed since she took on the business, she realised, that she hadn’t stopped to count her blessings. Her son had such a sweet nature, and in no time at all she’d have both her children back home. Maggie started mapping out in her head the things the three of them would do together.

More tomorrow.