Then answer the bloody question! Green crossed his arms, legs shoulder-width apart, chin up.
Baker scowled at Logan. Ive been through all this: with you, with the wrinkly old woman, so-
Its just a couple of follow-up-
And youre going to go through it all again for us. Green stepped closer and Baker flinched.
I have to work here.
Oh. Oh, I see. The superintendent winked. They dont know youre a pervert. That you like to interfere with little boys-
Keep your voice down!
A filthy kiddie-fiddling paedophile, who-
SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR DIRTY MOUTH! Baker grabbed the handle of his arc welder.
Green leaned in close. Or what, Frank?
Tears sparked in the corner of Bakers eyes.
A huge man in filthy overalls wandered over, a baseball cap turned the wrong way around on his massive head, face creased with dirt around a clear patch where his safety goggles must have sat. Everything OK, Frankie?
Baker bit his lip. Yeah Thanks, Spike.
Spike stared at them for a bit. Any trouble, give us a shout. Then he turned and lumbered away.
Baker waited till he was well out of earshot. I told them: I volunteer at a vets in town every Saturday. Its not illegal, OK? Its not against my SOPPO. Ive not done anything wrong. So go away and leave me alone!
No, no, no, Frank thats not how it works. Green smiled. You tell me everything I want to know, or Ill make sure every sweaty-arsed bastard in this place knows your grubby little secret.
Sir? Logan cleared his throat. Thats not really-
You want that, Frank? You want them all to find out what you do to little boys?
This isnt fair!
You think whats happening to Alison and Jenny is fair? Baker closed his eyes and sagged. Please, I just want to be left alone
Chapter 25
Green leaned on the roof of Rennies pool car. Staring off into the middle distance, chin up. Posing. Again. Well, that was interesting.
Logan hauled open the door and threw his notebook onto the drivers seat. That is not the way we do things.
It had stopped raining, though from the look of the deep-grey layer of cloud blanketing the city that probably wouldnt last. Still freezing as well.
Superintendent Green curled his top lip. Really? What a shock: something else Grampian Police doesnt do. Tell me, Sergeant, what do you do?
Frank Baker is a registered sex offender do you have any idea whatll happen to him if his workmates find out?
Thats hardly my-
Theyll beat the shit out of him; hell get fired; and hell disappear! How are we supposed to manage him if we dont know where he is?
Greens eyes narrowed. Sergeant McRae, are you always this resistant to the chain of command?
You had no business storming in there like something off the bloody Sweeney!
The superintendent drummed his fingers on the roof.
When Chief Inspector Finnie told me you were wilful I wasnt expecting full-on insubordination.
Logan gritted his teeth. I thought we were meant to be on the same side.
Did you now?
Yes, sir. Logan glanced towards the huge warehouse. Spike, Bakers huge friend was standing in the doorway, staring back at him. Then he turned and melted away into the shadows. Anything else?
There was a pause. A cold smile. Well, Id better get back and check on the team. We need a strategy for Thursday hostage exchange tends to be where you end up with dead bodies. Green stepped back from the car. Ill be seeing you.
Logan clambered into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. Not if I fucking see you first.
Rennie looked up from his book. Sarge?
Nothing. He hauled on his seatbelt. I want that GPS fix on Charlie Delta Seven now.
Already doing it. He stuck the book on the dashboard and dug out his Airwave handset.
Logan tilted his head sideways, frowning at the title. The Accidental Sodomist?
Its literature: shortlisted for the Booker this year. Emma says I need to broaden my horizons, and- Hold on. Aye, Jimmy, how you getting on finding Charlie Delta Seven for me? Uh-huh No. Still no sign of him Yeah, if you can Rennie put a hand over the mouthpiece and nodded at the book in Logans hands. You can borrow it when Im finished. Its about this concert pianist from Orkney who moves to Edinburgh cos hes in love with his cousin, and ends up shagging a bunch of mental Yeah? It is? Cheers, thanks Jimmy.
Well?
Rennie cranked the key in the ignition. We have a winner.
There over by the trees.
Logan squinted through the rain-flecked windscreen. Where? Its all bloody trees.
Gairnhill Woods lay three-and-a-bit miles west of the city, part of a little conjoined network of Forestry Commission land. Quiet and secluded.
Pale grey cloud curled around the tops of Scots pines and spruce, the light flat and lifeless as a thin drizzle made the undergrowth shine.
The windscreen wipers squealed their way across the glass again.
There, Rennie poked a finger at a little car park off to the right of the road. Charlie Delta Seven, AKA: Logans crappy blue Vauxhall, sat in the far corner, under a drooping branch.
No other car to be seen.
Rennie smiled. This where you left it?
Youre an idiot, you know that, dont you? Logan undid his seatbelt. Block it in, then well go take a look.
The constable licked his lip. Looked from Logan to the abandoned pool car. You want to tell me whats going on? Just in case?
Shuggie Webster; dirty big dog. If you see him, arrest the bastard. Try not to get bitten.
OK Rennie eased his car up the dirt track and parked directly across the back of Charlie Delta Seven.
Logan opened the door and climbed out into the rain. It misted on his face, making his breath steam out around his head. Got to love summer in Aberdeen.
He pulled out his pepper spray and inched his way around to Charlie Delta Sevens drivers door. Peered in through the window.
Empty. Think hes done a runner? Rennie appeared on the other side. Might have nipped into the woods for a slash?
If he hasnt taken a dump in the drivers seat Logan hunkered down and peered up at the space behind the door handle. Then took a pen from his pocket and clacked it about in there.
A faint shadow fell across him. Then Rennie sniffed. No offence, Sarge, but you look like a spaz.
When I joined CID there was a DI: right bastard, always storming about shouting at everyone. Had to deliver a death message to this drug dealers family their son managed to choke on his own vomit in custody. Logan stood. So while DI Coles inside breaking the bad news, their other kid nips outside and jams a wodge of chewing gum right up under the door handle where you cant see it.
The constable shrugged. Could be worse, dog shite would-
Then he stuck a dirty razorblade in the chewing gum. DI Cole swapped the tips of two fingers for a dose of Hepatitis C. Logan clunked the car door open. Never hurts to check.
Inside, Charlie Delta Seven looked every bit as crappy as it had when Shuggie nicked it. Only now it stank of wet dog.
So, you think hes still about somewhere? Rennie clacked open his extendible baton. SHUGGIE! SHUGGIE WEBSTER: COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!
Logan stood. Laid a hand on the bonnet. It was cold. Cars been here at least an hour. He turned around, looking out at the damp brown earth of the car park. Must have had a back-up vehicle here Or maybe someone was off having a walk in the woods, and he nicked theirs instead. Or he was meeting someone
Rennie collapsed his truncheon again. Want me to call it in?
What, and let everyone know Shuggie Webster stole my pool car? No thanks. What Professional Standards dont know, wont hurt them. Logan stepped out from under the canopy of green needles. The rain was getting heavier again, pitter-pattering against the undergrowth. Can you smell something?
What if Shuggies knocked down some old dear, or something?
He held a finger to his lips. Shh The car park was surrounded with dense green ferns, their long fractal fronds waving in the thickening rain. Someone had forced a path into them, at thirty degrees to the official trail that led off into the woods.
Logan picked his way around a puddle. Dark stains turned the mud black around the trampled ferns. He stepped to the side, making sure he wasnt treading on anything that looked important as he crept closer.
Sarge?
He waved Rennie back. Give us a second.
Standing on his tiptoes, he could just see into a little flattened clearing at the end of the path. It couldnt have been much more than five-foot across, the undergrowth trampled, ferns and grass stained a shiny black.
Something lay off to one side: a dark mound, torn open, chunks of red, purple and white poking out. A curl of grey tubes, glistening on the darkened grass.
Something lay off to one side: a dark mound, torn open, chunks of red, purple and white poking out. A curl of grey tubes, glistening on the darkened grass.
What? Rennie appeared at his shoulder. What have you Fuck me. Is that a dog?
It was. A huge Rottweiler, by the look of what was left of its head.
Someone had hacked Shuggie Websters dog to death.
The Wildlife Crime Officer sat back on his haunches and shook his head. What a bastard A slow, steady rain beat a tattoo on the hood of his white SOC suit; a pair of purple gloves on his hands, blue plastic over-booties on his feet. Whod do this to a wee dog?
The bright glare of a camera flash froze raindrops in mid-air. An IB technician shifted around for another shot. Logan nodded at the remains. What do you think?
I think someone needs taking out and shot, thats what I think. Beautiful dog like that. The WCO reached out and stroked the dark fur on the back of the massive animal. Lot of people think Rottweilers are these horrible aggressive dogs, but theyre big softies really
Yeah.
Thats exactly what Uzi was when he was trying to rip Logans throat out. I meant: any idea what killed it?
A long sigh, making the white paper oversuit rustle. Well, Im no pathologist, but looking at the size of the cuts most of them to the dogs back and shoulders Another sigh. A sword? Theres a lot of wee toerags buying those samurai swords off the internet these days. Or maybe a huge knife? Proper Rambo job. Itd have to be at least, what? He looked over at the IB technician hed brought with him. Eighteen inches long?
The IB tech lowered his massive digital camera. Give or take. About the same size as a machete.