A cough spluttered out of the speaker, followed by a man’s voice. Stuffed full of forced cheer.‘Hi, Natasha? Hi. It’s Frank Abercrombie again, giving you a wee tootle back to see if you’d be interested in doing some sort of feature onClaire. I really think this is going to be her year. Today: MSP for Aberdeen South and Kincardineshire, but tomorrow: top cabinet post, or even party leader! And I think your paper is perfectly positioned to give Team Fordyce the momentum it needs to—’
Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke.
‘MESSAGE FOURTEEN:’
A plummy English voice.‘You can’t keep avoiding me for ever, Natasha. The lawyers say I’m entitled to two weekends a month: you sent her away to that bloody school in Switzerland on purpose! I want to see my daughter!’
‘END OF MESSAGE.MESSAGE THIRTEEN:’
‘Are you embarrassed by the state of your doors and windows? Well, let the Auchterturra Glazing Company—’
Poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke, poke.
‘MESSAGE SIX:’
This one was a slick tit of a man, full of himself and a bit drunk.‘Hey, Natasha? Hi: it’sme. I know it’s notcoolor anything, calling so soon, but why play games? I really liked spending time with you at the ball tonight and I’m pretty sure you had fun too, my little Cinderella.’You could almost hear the arsehole waggling his head as he said it.‘So let’s do it again yeah? How about this weekend? Did I tell you I have a yacht? How cool is that? Give me a call and we’ll take her for a spin – picnic on deck, maybe a littlechampagne, and see what happens next...?’Leaving a suggestive wee pause.‘Catch you later.’
Surprised he didn’t throw a ‘ciao’ in at the end, there.
‘END OF MESSAGE.MESSAGE FIVE:’
A man’s voice. Hard. Angry.‘Karma comes in like a hurricane,Bitch, and it’s going to blow your house of lies right down. See you tonight!’
‘END OF MESSAGE.MESSAGE FOUR:’
Then a little girl on the verge of tears.‘Mum? Mum, pick up, OK? Please? I hate it here – they don’t even speak English, and it’s—’
Colin poked the ‘→’ button this time.
‘MESSAGE FIVE:’
‘Karma comes in like a hurricane,Bitch, and it’s going to blow your house of lies right down. See you tonight!’
‘END OF MESSAGE.MESSAGE—’
He hit pause.
Then sat back and blinked at the machine.
Aye, itcouldbe nothing, but it’d be a massive sodding coincidence if his new boss went missing, leaving blood all over her downstairs hall, right after a threatening message appeared on her answering machine.
Colin stopped his phone recording. Puffed out his cheeks. Then dialled nine-nine-nine.
41
Half the lights were off, turning the open-plan office into an abandoned labyrinth of cubicles.
Over in the far corner, someone coughed and hacked away, but other than that? Nightshift had succumbed to the lurgie just like everyone else.
But at least it was quiet.
Logan sat at his desk, surrounded by piles and piles of inherited paperwork, drinking horrible coffee from the machine, and picking away at a report on his steam-and-hamster-powered computer.
So much for going home at ten. It was gone eleven now, and still no—
‘What the hell are you still doing here?’
Didn’t need to look up. That gravelly voice was its own calling card.