That’s the plan.
I’ll have to go back to work afterwards, though.
Sorry.
SEND.
And that was it: time up.
He knocked on the car roof. ‘Let’s go: some of us have things to do.’
Tufty jumbled in behind the wheel, grinning and pointing at himself with both thumbs. ‘Oh yeah: promoted to sidekick.’ Starting the car as Logan settled into the passenger seat. ‘Where to, Holmes? Is the game afoot?’
Logan checked the list of Charles MacGarioch’s associates.‘Kincorth. Then I need to be in Countesswells for half seven. Sharp.’
‘Huzzah!’ Wriggling his bum, like a happy terrier. ‘Sa-arge, now that I is yourofficialsidekick, and I did has the genius idea about rapists and burglaries...can I come to the barbecue on Sunday?’
‘No.’
He drooped. ‘Butwhy?’
Logan gave him a Paddington Stare. ‘Youknowwhy.’
And with that, the happy terrier realised it was on the way to the vet to get snipped. ‘Oh.’ A sniff. Then a shrug. ‘Still promoted to sidekick, though.’ He put the car in gear and pulled away from the kerb.
Which is when Rennie decided to finally put in an appearance, wandering up the steps from The Star-Sprinkled Heavens’ subterranean lair. Eyes popping as he watched the car leaving without him.
He sprinted for the back door, yanking it open and diving inside. ‘What the hell?’ Thumping Tufty on the arm. ‘Constable!’
‘Ow!’
‘Don’t blamehim.’ Logan pointed. ‘It’s your own fault for wanking about.’
‘That was reallysore.’ Still rubbing his arm, Tufty headed off down Bon-Accord Crescent, following the road around to the left as it turned into a narrow lane.
Rennie struggled with the seatbelt. ‘And for yourinformation, I wasn’t “wanking about”, I was conducting an impromptu covert surveillance operation. Or an ICSO, as it’s known in Secret Service circles.’Click. ‘Because, of course, Keira was lying. I can tell when a girl’s telling porkies a mile off – their lips move.’
Tufty took a right, heading downhill on Bon-Accord Street,making for the lights with a frown on his face. ‘Bit misogynistic, Sarge.’
‘I’ve got three daughters and a wife with a shoe addiction, Constable: Iknowwhen women are lying.’ He sat forward. ‘So it was logical to assume that Keira Longmore would get in touch with Charles MacGarioch, soon as we’d gone.’
Might as well indulge the lad: ‘Anddidshe?’
‘Called her grandad to check he was OK after the men from the Council had been to fix the living-room window.’
‘Oh, thehorror.’
‘Hmm...’ Rennie squinted off into the middle distance, as if that made him look any less daft. ‘Course,maybeshe wasn’t talking to her grandad at all? Maybe it wasMacGarioch. And maybe “the men from the Council” is code for us – the police – and “fixing the living-room window” means...we’ve been round asking questions?’
‘Bit of a stretch.’
Rennie dug out his Airwave. ‘Going to run a PNC check – see what she’s been done for...’
Tufty clicked on the radio. ‘Meantime, let’s have us some tunes!’
XXXII
Come on youfucker...