The Dark Fear (21 page)

*

Dani and James walked up the gravel path to the cottage, which stood at the end of a long terrace of identical stone properties.

              ‘What a pretty place,’ Dani commented, handing Tilly a bottle of wine as her friend opened up.

              ‘Not as big as the lodge, but sufficient for us.’

              Aiden was sitting in an armchair next to a wood-burning stove in the front room. Dani estimated there were most likely only three rooms on this ground floor and probably two above.

              He stood up to greet them. ‘I’m glad you could both make it. Tilly has prepared a curry of some description for lunch, nothing too fancy.’

              ‘Sounds great.’ Dani followed their hostess into a kitchen housed in the long, narrow extension at the back. A small courtyard lay beyond. The smells coming from the stove were very exotic. Dani took a peek under the lid.

              ‘It’s a Thai recipe, although I’ve substituted some of the native ingredients. I did a cookery course when I was staying in Chang Mai.’

              ‘I’d love to visit Thailand. It just never seems to be the right time to go. Work is always so busy.’

              ‘I went travelling for a couple of years after uni. If I hadn’t done it then, I never would. It certainly opens your mind to other cultures and ways of life.’

              Dani delved into a bowl of lemongrass infused crackers. ‘I think I offended Adele March the other day.’

              Tilly raised her eyebrows. ‘Oh, do tell. You didn’t turn up to dinner in a hoodie and Converse trainers, did you?’

              Dani laughed. ‘No. I simply asked her about the Gascoigne family – the people who had lived at Oak Lodge in the nineties. James has found loads of their stuff at the house. We wanted to send it on to them.’

              ‘How did that offend the lady of the manor?’ Tilly poured them both a generous glass of wine.

              ‘I asked what had become of Lynda Gascoigne’s elderly mother. From one of the documents we found, it seemed as if the lady was very reliant upon her daughter and son-in-law. It seemed likely she may have gone with them to America. After I mentioned that, she practically booted me out.’

              ‘Hmm, interesting. Had the two women fallen out back then – maybe they were sworn enemies?’

              ‘It’s possible, but they were quite different in age.’

              The men came in to join them.

              ‘Are we actually getting any drinks?’ Aiden said with a smile.

              ‘Of course,’ Tilly replied. ‘You may as well both stay here now, I’ll be dishing up in a second.’

*

The serious crime floor was thinning out. Bob had ordered the DCs to ask questions at a garage in Dunbar that apparently had financial links to Galloway.              

              Sharon looked at the list she’d pulled out of the envelope again. Before she scanned the pages and e-mailed them to Bevan, the DS ran her finger down the names, stopping at one halfway through and punching the number corresponding to it into her phone.

              ‘Good afternoon, Max Boyd speaking, international securities section.’

              ‘Mr Boyd. My name is Detective Sergeant Sharon Moffett from City and Borders police. I’d like to ask you a couple of questions.’

              The line crackled for a moment. Sharon wondered if he was still there.

              ‘Err, yes of course. What is this regarding?’

              ‘I’m part of the team investigating the murder of Alex Galloway, sir. Have you heard of him?’

              ‘I hadn’t, until about three months ago, when a man who told me he worked for Alex Galloway called up.’

              ‘What did he want to know?’ Sharon kept a pen poised over an empty sheet on her pad.

              ‘Galloway was the father of a kid I went to school with, Gerry Cormac. He wasn’t a friend or anything but I certainly remembered him.’

              ‘The boy who died in an accident at Dornie Castle in 1988?’

              ‘That’s right. I had the misfortune of being up on the tower when it happened. It isn’t the kind of thing you forget.’

              ‘Exactly what did you tell this man who called you?’

              ‘I described what went on that day. The man said he was going to record the conversation. I told him I didn’t mind. I was pleased to put my side across. A couple of teachers got the push over it, but it was nobody’s fault but Cormac and Burns’.’

              ‘Both of them.’

              ‘Oh definitely. Gerry Cormac had been bullying Rory Burns ever since he arrived at the Scott Academy. Made the guy’s life a complete misery. Up there on the tower, Burns said something that really riled Cormac up – it was about his mother, I think. Rory seemed to suddenly realise that he could actually get to Cormac, so he carried on, pushed it further. Cormac went for him and Rory ducked at the last minute. Cormac lost his balance and went over the edge.’

              ‘Are you suggesting that Rory Burns
wanted
Cormac to fall?’ Sharon scribbled frantically.

              ‘It’s what all of us up there believed.’ He sighed. ‘I didn’t tell Galloway’s man this, but we kind of thought it was fair dues. Cormac had tormented Rory for months. He couldn’t have expected him not to fight back.’

              ‘Why didn’t this come out at the time?’

              ‘Well, we couldn’t prove it. Rory never touched the kid. In many ways, it was just a tragic accident. But for a few seconds, Burns formed a pre-meditated plan. He considered the chain of events in his head before they played out. To me, that’s intent. I saw that process flickering across his pimply little face. Burns was clever, he was a right swot - far smarter than Cormac. Finally, he’d found a way to get rid of the Neanderthal lump, for good – I didn’t say that to Galloway’s man either.’

              ‘No, I expect you didn’t. Did you know that Burns is now dead?’

              ‘I did. His obituary was in the alumni magazine years ago. If he hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have grassed the guy up. I remembered that Cormac’s dad was some kind of gangster, that’s why the boy was untouchable when he came to the Academy. If Burns was still alive, I’ve no doubt that Galloway would have gone after him. He’d be out for his blood. But as it stands, the truth could do no harm.’

              Sharon felt a shiver ripple through her body at these words. ‘Thanks Mr Boyd, you’ve been a great help. Do you mind if I send an officer round to take a proper statement? It will be totally legitimate this time.’

              ‘Sure, I’d be glad to help.’

Chapter 41

T
he cottage was getting dark as the sun began to set. Even the flickering glow of the flames wasn’t enough to light the room. Aiden leaned across and switched on a couple of table lamps.

              ‘That was a fabulous curry. You’ll have to give me the recipe.’ James finished off his glass of wine. ‘Now, we should really be leaving you folks in peace.’

              ‘There’s no rush. It’s good to have the company.’ Tilly moved across with the bottle, topping up their glasses. ‘It’s one of the benefits of living within the Langford Estate. You can walk to most places.’

              Dani smiled. ‘So, I won’t need to get out my breathalyser? That’s a shame.’

              Tilly laughed. ‘I don’t expect you’ve operated one of those in a very long time,
DCI
Bevan.’

              ‘No, I haven’t, that is true.’ Dani turned to James. ‘Tilly said she travelled a lot when she was younger, maybe that’s something we could do together, before I go for any kind of promotion.’

              He was taken aback. Dani had barely even mentioned having a weekend away before. ‘Yeah, that would be really great.’

              ‘What are you like with flying, James?’ Aiden chipped in.

              ‘It’s not my favourite way to travel, but I don’t mind it.’

              ‘I only ask because Tilly told me about your fear of heights.’ Aiden sipped his drink, watching his friend closely.

              ‘I know it’s perverse, but my fear of heights relates more to tall buildings. If anything, I feel claustrophobic in planes.’

              ‘I knew someone who had that experience too. She developed a fear of small, cramped spaces. It meant she couldn’t bear to get into an aeroplane. As soon as those doors began to shut, she felt like screaming out in terror.’

              ‘I wonder if there was a trigger for your friend’s phobia. For me there certainly was,’ James said with feeling.

              ‘Yes, I believe she had a traumatic experience which caused the attacks. As a younger woman, she had been held in a small space against her will. It left this terrible aversion. Even years later, she still can’t shake it.’

              ‘It’s difficult to believe there is no cure whatsoever for a deep-set phobia,’ Dani put in. ‘It
is
the twenty first century. I thought there was a therapy for everything these days.’

              Aiden put down his glass and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. ‘But there is, of course.’

              ‘What do you mean?’ James became suddenly alert, despite the amount of alcohol he’d consumed.

              ‘The condition can be cured absolutely, but the therapy requires such a huge amount of willpower on the part of the sufferer it’s extremely difficult to achieve the end result.’

              ‘Aiden is talking about facing your fears - tackling them head on until you become entirely accustomed to the situation. It’s a very popular concept in education right now,’ Tilly explained.

              ‘So your friend would need to travel on a plane repeatedly for several weeks, then she could be cured?’

              ‘The first few trips are usually agonising for the sufferer.’ Aiden sighed. ‘But peace lies at the other side.’

              ‘And it really works?’ James swigged down more wine.

              ‘It’s guaranteed,
if
the sufferer is prepared to persevere.’

              James stood up. ‘Then let’s try it.’

              ‘What are you talking about?’ Dani felt uneasy.

              ‘Well, Aiden said that the Marchs are away. He’s looking after the place. So, why don’t I go up the tower? It’s easier and cheaper than jet-setting to Paris a dozen times.’

              Aiden shook his head. ‘Look, I was only sounding off. You don’t need to do anything of the kind.’

              ‘Come on, I feel buoyed up to try it now. Even the idea of being at the top doesn’t bother me.’ James puffed out his chest.

              ‘That’s because of all the wine you’ve drunk,’ Dani mumbled.

              Tilly jumped to her feet. ‘I think it’s a great idea. Aiden and James can go up the tower together. We can watch from the grounds. I’ll take a photo.’

              ‘Hang on,’ Dani              raised her hands in the air. ‘I don’t think you realise quite how bad James’ phobia is. It can make him very ill.’

              James took a step towards her, lightly touching her cheek. ‘This is something I want to do, darling. I’m sick of being the pathetic one, who’s afraid of his own shadow. Now I’ve had some Dutch courage, I believe I can face this thing.’

              ‘It isn’t a weakness. It doesn’t matter to me in the slightest if you don’t like heights.’

              James looked disappointed.

              Dani sighed heavily. ‘Okay, go up if you really must, but for God’s sake come straight down if you begin to feel light-headed. I’ll be at the bottom, waiting.’

              ‘Great.’ James grinned like a little boy. ‘Let’s go.’

*

If they weren’t going to get to stand outside, Tilly insisted the pair of them wait in the kitchen of Langford Hall instead.

              ‘I wonder where they keep the brandy? Actually, I’d put Adele March down more as the gin and tonic type.’ Tilly began opening and closing cupboards.

              ‘This really isn’t a very good idea.’ Dani perched on a stool at the breakfast bar.

              Tilly straightened up and rested her arms on the counter. ‘You must be able to see why James wants to do it?’

              Dani wrinkled her brow. ‘How do you mean?’

              ‘Well, you
are
a senior policewoman, who, if you don’t mind me pointing out, appears to fear absolutely nothing. Your boyfriend has this phobia and he thinks it demeans him in your eyes.’ Tilly’s expression became serious. ‘Dani, the guy clearly adores you. He’s in love, but he isn’t totally sure that you are. If there’s a way for him to iron out his imperfections and win you over, then James is obviously going to try it.’

              Dani leapt to her feet. ‘If that’s true, then I really need to stop him doing this.’ She made a move for the door.

              Tilly caught her arm. ‘Come on, we’ve got to leave them to it. Otherwise, it just looks like we’re mothering them. Nobody wants to be
that
girlfriend.’

              ‘It’s just as well I’m not the maternal type, then.’ Bevan shook her arm free and set off for the stairs. Within seconds, she felt a sharp blow strike the back of her head. Dani’s hand automatically went up to touch the wound, but before it reached its target, the DCI’s legs gave way from under her and she slumped to the floor.

Chapter 42

I
t was a calm, still night but very cold. Like the last time James had been up to the top of the tower, there was a bright, clear moon hanging low in the sky.

              James gulped in the fresh air, trying to calm himself by looking out across to the tops of the trees in the forest, but never down. He kept one hand resting on the curved stone wall of the turret. He heard Aiden complete the ascent and step out to join him.