fully in the picture he’ll make his own decision. That’s how it should be. And by the way,’ I added, ‘you should protect Provan from any fallout. If that wee guy thought you were being picked on, he’d go for whoever did it, regardless, and he’s got far too much pension to lose.’
It wasn’t until I’d pocketed my phone that I heard a sound from behind me and turned, to see Alex standing in the doorway, holding a Costa coffee in each hand.
‘What the hell are you involved with now?’ she asked.
‘Nothing if your ex has anything to do with it,’ I told her. ‘Is one of those for me?’ I asked.
‘Yes. I saw your car in the park, and I reckoned it was about that time. Who was that on the phone anyway?’
‘One of my former foot soldiers from Strathclyde,’ I replied, ‘Detective Inspector Mann; you’ll probably come across her in court one day. She has a formidable arrest record.’
‘I’ll look out for her.’ She handed me a coffee, then frowned. ‘I’ve just had a funny phone call myself,’ she said. ‘It was from a woman called Mackail; she said that she was calling on Sauce Haddock’s recommendation. Her story is that she’s in a situation and that she should really have a lawyer on her side. She should too; she’s up against a guy called Oliver Harrison, a very nasty piece of work with a whole string of Law Society reprimands to his name. I told her that normally I only handle criminal cases these days, but she sounded really anxious, so I said I’d think about it. Does the name mean anything to you?’ she asked.
‘No, nothing at all. I haven’t heard from Sauce or Sammy since Monday.’
‘What’s the matter, Pops?’ she asked, out of the blue.
‘Nothing,’ I insisted. ‘What makes you think there is?’
‘Thirty years’ experience,’ she laughed. ‘You’re fidgety. Did you expect the guys to report back to you every step of the way? If so, that’s not how . . .’
‘I know, I know,’ I sighed. ‘It’s not how it works any more. That has nothing to do with it. If you must know I’ve had a couple of up and downers with Andy, over the thing I’ve taken on for Eden Higgins. It’s . . . grown legs, you might say. I’ve identified a prime suspect. The problem is, someone else identified him before I did.’
She pursed her lips. ‘Wow. Is that what the call from the DI was about?’
‘Yes. I landed her in the shit with her big boss. That’s what our most recent barney was about,’ I confessed.
‘Father,’ she said heavily, ‘has this fallout anything to do with Andy and me?’
‘Of course it has!’ I retorted. ‘I told him he’s made me his enemy for life.’ ‘Then you’re overreacting,’ she countered. ‘I chucked him, not the other way round.’
‘Because of his wholly unacceptable behaviour,’ I insisted. ‘He put you in that situation.’
She looked at me and then she smiled, in the way she does that melts my heart. ‘There’s no reasoning with you, is there?’
‘No,’ I agreed, cheerfully, ‘not where you’re concerned. Thanks for the coffee; now bugger off and free a couple of victims of police oppression . . . or get stuck into the man Harrison, whatever gives you the most fun.’
She nodded. ‘Will do, but there’s something else too, underneath the angst with Andy. You’re not quite as angry as you insist. Something’s pulling you in the other direction.’
‘As always,’ I said, ‘you’re right. Sarah’s pregnant.’ There can be no secrets between Alex and me. ‘But not a word about it, and beam with astonishment when she tells you.’
My news achieved the near-impossible. It silenced her for at least half a minute. When she had finished hugging me, and telling me that at our age we should have figured out what caused the condition, finally she went back to work.
So did I, for the benefit of InterMedia, answering a question from the crime editor on the Girona daily. He was concerned about potential obstruction of one of his reporters by the Mossos D’Esquadra, the Catalan police force. I looked at his story, reckoned that he was absolutely right, and made a phone call to an acquaintance of mine who happens to be its director general. Xavi’s company pays me well for my experience and my contacts, but like David Ginola with that shampoo, I like to think I’m worth it.