Against the Clock by John Carson (best mobile ebook reader TXT) 📕

into the kitchen. ‘And it’s duly noted that you stepped up to the plate when called upon. You, young lady, are going far. Trust me on that. Same with Harry’s son. You two are spectacular officers. Now, where’s the lav? I’m dying for a pish.’

‘It’s the door opposite the living room, sir.’

‘Cheers, hen.’

‘Larger than life, that man,’ Dunbar said as Stewart went in search of the toilet.

‘You sure you’re okay with Muckle, Shug and Vern staying here with Sparky?’ Harry asked Katie.

‘Of course. It’s fine, sir.’

‘Terrific. I really appreciate it. They found a room for DSup Stewart in the hotel. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get a stipend for this. You won’t be out of pocket. And you have the added bonus of my son staying over.’

Katie blushed.

‘Here, away with yourself,’ Dunbar said. ‘You’re making the lassie blush. I’m sure young Chance is sleeping on the couch.’

‘Aye, he is that, sir.’

‘Told you. Manky sod. Never mind him, Katie. Mind like a bloody sewer.’

‘If your face gets any redder, planes will be landing outside on Queensferry Road,’ Harry said, smiling at her.

They all took their chippies through to the dining room, except Katie and Chance, who sat at the little table in the kitchen. Sparky thought it was his birthday as he sniffed everybody in the hope of getting some chips.

‘His food’s out in the car, so don’t go spoiling him,’ Muckle warned everybody. ‘He’ll con you with his wide eyes.’

Calvin Stewart laughed. ‘Did you see that wee fanny O’Toole’s face when I shouted at him earlier? Jesus, he tried to let me have it the first time I met him.’

‘That was a big mistake,’ Evans said.

‘It was. I gave him such a fucking roasting.’ Stewart poked a meaty finger at Evans. ‘You know me, son, I treat everybody the same. Give them the benefit of the doubt and then we go from there.’

Dunbar swallowed some fish. ‘No, you don’t. You told me that you think everybody you meet is an arsehole. If they turn out differently, then that’s a bonus. If they do turn out to be an arsehole, then you say, I told you so.’

Stewart looked at him for a moment, then laughed. ‘Aye, you’re right. Except that lassie through there. She saved our bacon, so she goes right to the top of the good guy list.’

They chatted about things in general until all the chip wrappers were done, and Stewart gave Sparky some chips for ‘shouting at that wee basket-weaving bastard’ in the leisure centre.

They chatted for a while, Vern talking about her dog and umbrella theory.

‘That’s a good call,’ said Stewart. ‘That wee lassie knew her abductor. We’ll try and narrow it down. She lived in Edinburgh, so whoever took her came from here. It wouldn’t be somebody from Glasgow. All of those bus drivers had an alibi, and the teachers, so it had to be somebody else. Someone who knew that the kids were going to be there. He had to make sure wee Alice would be there and he came prepared. She was definitely targeted.’

Harry told him that Alice’s dad was a mechanic for the same company that had been chartered to drive the kids to Glasgow that day, and that he still worked there.

‘Have another wee look at him. Harry, have one of your team do a background on him. Finances, the works.’

‘Will do.’

‘Then we’ll meet up at your station tomorrow. That’s handy, it being along the road from the hotel,’ Stewart said.

‘It is,’ Dunbar said.

‘Try and keep young Evans there away from the bar. We all need to be with it tomorrow.’ Stewart stood up from the table. ‘Right. I’m away. I need to get to my kip.’

He said goodnight to everybody and left, and the rest of them tidied their wrappers away.

‘Anybody coming down for a nightcap?’ Dunbar asked.

‘I’m going to get my stuff in and feed the boy here, then I’m going to FaceTime the missus and see how our Beagle’s doing,’ Muckle said. ‘Catch you at the station tomorrow.’

Harry gave him directions.

Evans said he would stay and chat with Vern for a while, and Katie and Chance were going to watch some Netflix. Shug was going to call his husband.

‘You sure we’re not putting you out, hen?’ Muckle asked.

‘Absolutely not,’ said Katie. ‘It’s good to have some life in the house again.’

‘You’ll be getting a stipend for this, but we’ll have a whip-round as well.’

‘Just you and me for a swifty then, Harry?’ Dunbar said.

‘Lead the way.’ Harry looked at Chance. ‘Behave yourself, mind.’

‘Dad, come on now. I’m a big laddie.’

Harry smiled at his son, feeling his heart about to burst with pride. He’d gone from wee boy to man overnight, it seemed.

‘Vern, if Robbie tries to take advantage of you, just give me the word and I’ll have a wee word with him,’ Dunbar said.

Vern laughed.

‘Remember and put your Wee Willie Winkie jammies on before you put your lights out,’ Evans said to Dunbar.

‘I’ll put your fucking lights out in a minute.’

That was their version of ‘see you later’, and Dunbar left with Harry.

Fourteen

Harry parked in front of his flat and looked up to see the living room light on. Should he call Alex? He could either tell her he loved her or stir up a hornet’s nest. It could go either way.

‘Poor lassie,’ Dunbar said. ‘If she’s anything like my Cathy, she won’t know if she’s coming or going. Her head will be all over the place. I nearly had to wear a fucking tin helmet when Cathy was pregnant, but we got through it. You will too.’

‘Aye, I know, Jimmy.’ Harry looked up again before locking the car, and they walked through the cold evening darkness to the hotel.

‘Young Robbie’s got a thing for Vern then?’ Harry said.

‘Aye, he has that. And thank God. After he went out with that old boot before Christmas, I thought he was never going to find somebody. But he and Vern like each other apparently. She’ll be good for