Biohazard hurried after him. ‘You know you got them to run tests on a pish stain at that newspaper woman’s house, right?’
‘If someone wants to whinge about the Forensics budget, tell them to take it up with the Chief Super.’
‘No, Guv, it’s...’ He grabbed Logan’s sleeve. ‘They got DNA off it and there’s a hit in the database.’
‘Finallysomething goes right! Who was it?’ Turning to shout down the stairs. ‘Tufty: get a car, we’re off to arrest the bastard and save the day!’
‘That’s the complication:’ Biohazard cleared his throat, then looked off into the distance – not making eye contact. ‘DNA matches the guy we pulled out of the river yesterday. It’s Andrew Shaw.’
Logan barged into the tiny incident room and the stomach-growling aroma of hot chips and sharp vinegar.‘How?’
Biohazard slunk in after him. ‘Well, I don’t know, do I! I got the message: I came to tell you. I’m just the messenger here, I’m not for shooting!’
Contrary to expectations, Steel’s team had actually done some work for a change: the whiteboard wall was covered in notes and lines and boxes, the flipchart even had a checklist of steps on it – most of which had been ticked off. And now,they were all sitting about, munching through their chipfest.
Steel popped a chunk of fish in her gob, chewing with her mouth open. ‘Aye, aye, it’s the Chuckle Brothers. Come to spread a bit of lunchtime cheer?’
Tufty pulled a chair over to the whiteboard wall and climbed up onto it to write ‘OPERATION“FINDNATASHAAGAPOVA”’ at the top, above all the boxes and squiggles.
‘You:’ Logan stabbed a finger at Biohazard, ‘I need a list of last-known associates, right now.’
An embarrassed cough. ‘We’re still working on it, and—’
Logan clapped his hands, turning to face the lunch-munching room. ‘Everybody – change of plan. I need you to stop whatever you were doing and dig into Andrew Wallace Shaw instead.’
‘Urgh...’ Harmsworth made a depressed-frog face. ‘Didn’t I say this was going to bite us on the behind?’
Steel sooked her fingers clean. ‘And do you want to tell uswhy?’
‘Shaw was in Natasha Agapova’s house – he pissed in her daughter’s bedroom.’
‘Eh?’ Barrett blinked. ‘So, what, we’re sayinghekidnapped her?’
Lund ripped the end off a mealie pudding. ‘Didn’t do a very good job of it, though, did he? Ended up dead in the river.’
‘Yeah, I knowthat, but I thought he was a rapey wee spud, not a kidnappy one.’
A grimace from Biohazard. ‘Oh, he was definitely rapey.’
‘Can we allplease...’ Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, but the headache was already beginning to form. ‘That’s why we need a list of Shaw’s associates.’
The silence that followed was only interrupted by the sound of crunching and chewing. Lots of frowns doing the rounds. Hopefully as peoplethoughtabout the implications.
Biohazard was the first to twig. ‘Hang on: you think Shaw had arape buddy, right? But there’s no mention of him having a partner for any of the other attacks! Not in the witness statements, anyway.’ He bit his bottom lip, wrinkles growing between his eyebrows. ‘Butmaybe, when Shaw breaks into Agapova’s house, he’s already decided he won’t just rape-and-run – he’s going toabducther. Take her somewhere to abuse, for as long as he likes. Andthat’swhy he needs a rape buddy this time.’
Lund curled her lip. ‘Can we not use the words “Rape Buddy”? There’s nothing jolly-ha-ha about it.’
‘But something happens: Shaw and his ...’ Biohazard cleared his throat as Lund scowled at him, ‘and hisaccomplicefall out. They fight, accomplice kills him, dumps his body, makes off with our victim.’
‘Ah...’ A raised eyebrow from Harmsworth. ‘Didn’t want to share the ransom.’ He bit into his mock chop, then paused, mouthful unchewed – making the words all muffled. ‘Hang on. In that case, why phone the answering machine and leave that “karma hurricane” threat?’
Steel crunched some more. ‘The boy’s got a point.’
A bit of mock-chop-chewing, then: ‘Theatrics? Or maybe it’s to throw us off the scent? We’re off looking for a lone-gunman-sort-of-revenge-killer when it’s really a pair of kidnappers?’
Logan pointed at Biohazard again. ‘Does the Chief Super know?’
‘Oh no.’ Backing away, hands up. ‘Just because I’m an acting DI, doesn’t mean I’ve got a death wish. And it’ll sound better coming fromyou, right, Guv?’