good enough. After what we went through twenty-five years ago, I think I deserve better than that. Rosie Duff wasn't the only victim back then, and you know it. Maybe it's time I went to the press and told them how I'm still being treated like a criminal by the police after all these years. And while I'm at it, I could tell them how Fife Police have screwed up their review of Rosie Duff's murder by losing the crucial evidence that would have exonerated me and might just have led to the arrest of the real killer."
The threat clearly made Lawson uncomfortable. "I don't respond well to intimidation, Mr. Gilbey."
"Neither do I. Not anymore. You really want to see yourself all over the pages of the papers as the copper who invaded a grieving family's last farewell to their murdered son? The same son whose innocence was still in doubt, thanks to the incompetence of you and your team?"
"There's no need for you to take this attitude," Lawson said.
"Oh no? I think there's every need. You're supposed to be conducting a cold case review here. I'm a key witness. I'm the person who found the body. And yet there's not been a single officer from Fife Police in touch with me. That doesn't exactly smack of zeal, does it? And now I discover you can't even keep a bag of evidence safe. Maybe I should be talking about this with the investigating officer, not some bureaucrat who's hidebound by the past."
Lawson's face tightened. "Mr. Gilbey, it's true there's a problem with the evidence in this case. At some point in the past twenty-five years, Rosie Duff's clothes have gone missing. We're still trying to track them down, but so far, all we've been able to find is the cardigan that was found some distance away from the crime scene. And that had no biological material on it. None of the clothes that might have been susceptible to modern forensics are available to us. So at the moment, we're stymied. Actually, the officer in charge of the case wanted to have a chat with you, just to go over your original statement. Perhaps we can arrange that soon?"
"Jesus Christ," Alex said. "Now you finally want to interview me? You really don't get it, do you? We're still twisting in the breeze. Do you realize two of the four of us have been murdered in the past month?"
Lawson raised his eyebrows. "Two of you?"
"Ziggy Malkiewicz also died in suspicious circumstances. Just before Christmas."
Lawson pulled a pad toward him and unscrewed a fountain pen. "This is news to me. Where did this happen?"
"In Seattle, where he'd been living for the past dozen years. An arsonist set a firebomb in his house. Ziggy died in his sleep. You can check it out with the police over there. The only suspect they've got is Ziggy's partner, which I have to tell you is about as dumb as it gets."
"I'm sorry to hear about Mr. Malkiewicz?
"Dr. Malkiewicz," Alex interrupted.
"Dr. Malkiewicz," Lawson corrected himself. "But I still don't see why you should think these two deaths are connected to Rosie Duff's murder."
"That's why I wanted to see you today. To explain why I believe there's a connection."
Lawson leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "You have my full attention, Mr. Gilbey. I'm interested in anything that might shine a light in this particular dark corner."
Alex explained about the wreaths once more. Sitting here at the heart of police headquarters, it sounded feeble to his ears. He could feel Lawson's skepticism across the desk as he tried to give weight to so slight an occurrence. "I know it sounds paranoid," he concluded. "But Tom Mackie is convinced enough that he's putting his family into hiding and going underground himself. That's not something you do lightly."
Lawson gave a sour smile. "Ah yes. Mr. Mackie. Maybe a wee touch of 'too many drugs in the seventies?' I believe hallucinogens can lead to long-term paranoia."
"You don't think we should take this seriously? Two of our friends die in suspicious circumstances? Two men who lived respectable lives, with no criminal connections? Two men who had apparently no enemies? And at both funerals, a wreath turns up that refers directly to a murder investigation where they were both regarded as suspects?"
"None of you was ever publicly named as suspects. And we did our best to protect you."
"Aye. But even after that, one of your officers died as a result of the