The Devil's Due: A Cooper and McCall Scottish Crime Thriller by Ramsay Sinclair (nonfiction book recommendations TXT) 📕

he held both hands high in mock defeat. “I haven’t had much chance to sort things out around here. Those useless lot from the office don’t give a toss about me needing somewhere to sit,” the guv proved his point by showing off a bunch of folders placed untidily upon his seat.

“Nathan’s phone, Sir,” DC Taylor stepped forward to push it closer to the Guv.

The machine used for this particular job didn’t seem like much, but it had the power to recover deleted information, phone logs and calls, deleted pictures, and anything an officer desired. All it took was for Nathan’s phone to be hooked up to the device, similar to a chunky sixties film depiction of futuristic technology. It downloaded straight onto DCI Campbell’s computer with ease, bringing up a folder of data to analyse. DCI Campbell stared blankly, drumming his fingertips musically on his keyboard.

“Sir? It’s finished,” DC Taylor urged, glancing over to check the computer screen.

“Aye. Right then.” DCI Campbell invited DC Taylor to scroll through the realms of encrypted code. We all knew he would be the best choice for this task. DCI Campbell had no clue about technology, McCall still had a 2000s style phone, and I barely noticed what phones were more efficient than others. DC Taylor got to work, stretching his fingertips out and cracked his neck.

“Texts by Anna Smith, yesterday. Nathan Smith would’ve been here by then,” DC Taylor reminded everyone and read out Anna’s message. “Where are you? Nathan? Stop ignoring me. I swear if you've gotten into trouble again, dad will personally kill you. Nathan’s sister, presumably.”

“Look, there’s a missed call from Adam Crystal,” McCall pointed out. “He was friends with Gavin too. No recent texts between the two. Some from the summer but nothing particularly interesting,” she read slowly from the screen.

“What did they say?” DCI Campbell requested, pulling a thread loose on his trousers.

“Not an awful lot. Gossip about their families and failing grades. Neither of which I’m surprised about.” DC Taylor’s ironic aside entertained me immensely.

“Like two chicks out on a lunch date,” I said dryly. “What about their deleted messages? Guilty people delete anything suspicious.”

“Nobody calls them ‘chicks’ anymore,” McCall light-heartedly teased, hair hanging loose. “As for deleted messages, there are three to Adam Crystal.”

DC Taylor completed all the manual work, double-clicking on Nathan’s deleted messages.

“Have you heard from GE? Gavin Ellis?” McCall presumed, reading from the screen. She gestured at DC Taylor to read aloud Adam Crystal’s replies.

“Nothing, bruv.”

I sniggered in amusement at DC Taylor’s distinguished accent reading out a street-savvy teenager's messages. DCI Campbell’s eyebrows raised humorously.

“He still hasn’t paid me for our last supply.” So Nathan’s a dealer then,” McCall banged her fist on the desk in victory.

“To which Adam Crystal replied, How much?” DC Taylor was already fed up with acting and regained his every day, monotone voice.

“It’s private. But he’d better be on his best behaviour because if I see him, I’ll kill him. GE has had his last warning.” McCall stepped back, breathing heavily.

DC Taylor leaned back in his rickety chair with wide eyes and a subdued expression slapped to his face. The final message lingered in the air for a while longer until DCI Campbell spoke up first, breaking our stunned silence.

“Get those messages printed off. The lawyers can’t argue against substantial evidence.”

“They’ll try,” I retaliated.

“Perhaps, but we’re going to be on form,” he continued. “Me and you, DI Cooper, will be interviewing Nathan Smith right away. This evidence isn’t doing us justice by sitting here, is it?” It made sense that Campbell and I would be the ones to interview Nathan Smith, as we were the two highest authorities working on Gavin’s murder case. “What are we waiting for?”

DCI Campbell moved faster than we were used to, marching us with more bossiness than an army trainer. A small sheet of paper hung on the reverse end of DCI Campbell’s door, hard to see without squinting.

“What’s that?” DC Taylor noticed first, drawing our attention over. Had he left it alone, my embarrassment could've been avoided entirely. My eyes locked upon the schoolkid joke, the newspaper article pinned proud and erect, which portrayed their drunken DI with a graffitied moustache.

Sod them all. I ripped it down before DCI Campbell could inspect it too closely. One of DC Cillian Murphy’s practical jokes, certainly.

“It’s nothing,” I grouched.

“Looks like you had a fun night out. Georgina Ryder, eh? She’s a lucky find,” DC Taylor mentioned in passing, not realising it was such a sensitive subject.

“Georgina Ryder? She’s one foxy woman. If I were a couple of years younger…” DCI Campbell was still reading as much as possible from the screwed-up article in my hand. “Oh, to be young and free again.”

“Seriously?” McCall grabbed the paper, slightly jealous from DC Taylor’s comment. She shoved it into her pocket, much to their disappointment. “Not you two as well. DC Taylor, I expected more.” McCall thought about their previous comments, squinting at DCI Campbell. “Foxy?”

“She’s right,” I agreed, wanting to brush everything under the carpet sheepishly. “Can we talk about this some other time? Let’s focus on Nathan, not my drunken antics.”

When we readied ourselves for questioning, Nathan Smith was already on standby. Cheerful, for a bloke just charged on account of weapons possession.

“Sit yourself down, DI Cooper,” DCI Campbell announced intentionally, placing our newly printed evidence down on the tabletop in front. Nathan seemed slightly amused, having seen the inside of a cell enough times to know how the system worked. His lawyer’s grave face spoke volumes.

“Interview commenced at three.” DCI Campbell conducted our interview accordingly. “DCI Graham Campbell and Detective Inspector Finlay Cooper. Interviewing Nathan Smith concerning Gavin Ellis’s case. Lawyer present.”

“So, Nathan, do you know why we brought you for questioning today?” DCI Campbell treaded lightly at first, opening calmly.

“Yeah. Got caught with a weapon, didn’t I,” Nathan answered smugly and cocked his head challengingly.

“I don’t know, did you?” DCI Campbell shot right back, not rising to Nathan’s game. The lawyer tutted in