Pye forestalled any further questions by turning and walking away, heading back towards Haddock, who stood waiting beside the tent.
‘We’ve located the owner,’ the DS announced. ‘Callum Sullivan. There was no reply at his address when uniform called earlier on, but half an hour ago he walked into the North Berwick police office to see whether we’d found his missing car. The duty sergeant asked him, very politely, to wait there for us.’
‘Excellent,’ the DCI said. ‘And Zena? Did that name get any reaction anywhere?’
‘Not yet, other than this: we know that neither Sullivan nor his housemate Harris has a child of that name. However, he does have a daughter from a previous marriage. She’s called Kayleigh and she’s five years old.’
‘Let’s go and talk to him.’
Haddock nodded. ‘Oh yes, we should, for there’s more.’
Seven
‘How the hell do you get parked in this place?’ Sauce Haddock exclaimed. ‘It’s Monday, it’s winter and yet there isn’t a space to be seen.’
‘That’s the way it is here on most days,’ Pye replied. ‘I was stationed in East Lothian for a while, in uniform, so I was here quite often. Most towns this size wouldn’t have a manned police station any more, but all through the summer, and on most weekends, North Berwick is bulging with people. It’s a resort. There are a couple of caravan sites, there’s still property for holiday rent and on top of that there are loads of casual visitors, golfers and day trippers from Edinburgh. Because of that, parking’s always murder.’
He smiled. ‘Fortunately,’ he continued, making a right turn into an opening that came into view as they approached a pub, ‘there are a couple of spaces for police cars behind the local nick, and there’s usually at least one free during the day.’
In fact, both slots were vacant. Pye parked in the first and led the way to the back door of the station. As they approached, Haddock noticed that all of the windows were barred. ‘How many cells do they have here?’ he asked.
The DCI laughed as he pressed the door buzzer. ‘One of those is the toilet,’ he said. ‘There was a celebrated incident in this nick, about thirty-five years ago. They were holding a prisoner here on suspicion of murder. They let him go for a piss and he climbed out the window. Hence the bars.’
They were admitted by a young female constable, a woman with a strong Glasgow accent who made a show of inspecting their warrant cards.
‘Mr Sullivan’s in the interview room, wi’ Sergeant Tweedie,’ she told them. ‘It’s at the end of the corridor. The Sarge said just to go in when you arrived.’
‘That was our plan,’ Haddock murmured.
Sergeant Tweedie was a woman also. ‘Lucy, isn’t it?’ Pye asked her, after she had introduced them to Callum Sullivan, who was seated at the interview table.
‘That’s right, sir,’ she confirmed. ‘I remember you from Haddington. You were a DC then and I was very new. Are you still pally with Karen Neville, that used to work there too?’
‘I see her now and again. She reports to me, but not for much longer. She’s moving through to the west, on promotion.’
‘Did she not marry . . .’ Lucy Tweedie began.
Pye cut her off with a nod. ‘Our new chief constable, yes: then she divorced him.’ He turned to the third man in the room. Heavily built and round faced, he was looking at the two newcomers with curiosity in his eyes. He had a takeaway coffee in a plastic cup clasped in his hands, holding it as if for warmth.
‘Would you like one?’ the sergeant asked. ‘I can send Margie out to Gregg’s, no problem.’
‘That would be good.’ Pye glanced at Haddock. ‘Sauce, it’s your round.’
The DS sighed. He took a ten-pound note from his wallet, and handed it over, then seated himself at the table. ‘Afternoon, Mr Sullivan,’ he said, cheerfully.
‘Finally,’ the man muttered, his bulky shoulders hunched in a tweed jacket.
‘Sorry about that,’ Pye retorted, briskly, ‘but you might be pleased to hear that we’ve found your car.’
Sullivan’s eyes widened. ‘You have? That’s good news.’ His accent was Scottish, Edinburgh rather than East Lothian. ‘Is it in one piece?’
‘It is, but it’s been damaged, I’m afraid.’
‘Have you caught the sod that stole it?’
‘No, I’m afraid not. Your vehicle was involved in an accident and the man who was driving it ran off. We’re still looking for him.’