McKay was deep in conversation with Ginny Horton. Grant had been preoccupied as she’d climbed up the stairs, racking her brains to recall more details from twenty years before, trying to be sure her half-memory was correct.
‘I see the gang’s all here,’ McKay said as she approached. ‘Thought you’d be enjoying a bit of a lie-in this morning.’
‘Forget it, Alec,’ Grant said. ‘I’ve been through every possible jibe that you might throw at me, and I’ve got a response for all of them.’
‘Is that right?’
‘Aye. A universal bugger off.’
‘I’ll keep my mouth shut then.’
‘There’s a first time for everything.’ She sat down beside the two of them. ‘How’s it going?’
‘We’re just planning out the schedule for the day. The image of Farlowe, or whoever he really is, should be hitting the media in the course of the morning so we can hope for a response.’
Grant nodded. ‘Comms’ view was that we should get it out there as soon as possible. We’ve got a media conference this afternoon to present it formally and to give more background. At this stage, we’re describing him as an individual we wish to talk to in connection with Hamish Forres’s death.’
‘We’re going to speak to the others in Kelly Armstrong’s volunteer group,’ Horton said, ‘just in case any of them can shed any more light on who he is and where he’s from. And we’ll do the same with Forres’s neighbours.’
‘We’re still a long way from anything substantial,’ Grant said. ‘But it does feel as if we’ve got some movement.’
‘I’m hoping so,’ McKay said. ‘As long as Farlowe doesn’t turn out to be another dead end. We’re making a lot of assumptions.’
‘I’ve got one other small thing to throw into the pot which may or may not be useful,’ Grant said.
‘Anything you throw into the pot’s bound to improve the taste,’ McKay said.
‘Do you remember the Bruce Dennis case?’
‘Vaguely. One of Jackie Galloway’s, wasn’t it? Another one that went tits up.’
‘That’s the one. You weren’t involved, were you?’
‘From what I recall, I was seconded doing missionary work down south somewhere for a bit. I’d probably got up the nose of the wrong person, not for the first time.’
‘Or the last. Anyway, it became a bit of a cause célèbre. Miscarriage of justice and all that.’
‘Even though we all knew that the guy we nailed was guilty as hell? What was his name? Logan?’
‘Rogan. Kenny Rogan. And, yes, we all knew he’d done it, but Galloway fitted him up.’
‘Typical bloody Galloway. If he hadn’t already royally screwed up his career, that would’ve have done it for him. Got a lot of coverage at the time, as I recall.’
‘There was a book,’ Grant said. ‘Written, under a pseudonym, by none other than Bill Emsworth. I came across it at his house. He’s a bit embarrassed about it now.’
‘He shouldn’t be,’ McKay said. ‘He was right.’
‘Aye, but he feels he was too evangelical. Too ready to attack the police and give Rogan the benefit of the doubt.’
‘But that’s always the way, isn’t it? Has to be black or white. I assume that’s what sells books. So what does this have to do with our current case?’
‘Maybe nothing. But there was something nagging at me about the Dennis case. Some half-recollection that seemed pertinent. Then I finally remembered what it was. Simon Crawford.’
‘Crawford?’
‘It came to me when I thought about you referring to Crawford as the accountant to the stars. Dennis played much the same role twenty-odd years ago.’
‘And?’
‘And he had a very junior assistant – trainee, I suppose – called Simon Crawford.’
‘Really?’
‘I’m pretty sure so. I was going to check the file to make sure I wasn’t misremembering.’
‘Doesn’t mean much, though, does it?’ Ginny Horton said. ‘Even it is the same Simon Crawford, all it tells us is that he’s a chip off the old block. We’ve only got a tenuous connection between Crawford and Forres – the one joint directorship.’
‘I’m not sure,’ Grant said. ‘It set me thinking. Some of the people Dennis was involved with are familiar to us. Gordon Prebble was. As was Donaldson from our investigation at the start of the year. Not sure about Forres but it wouldn’t surprise me.’
‘So Crawford effectively took over Dennis’s business?’ Horton said.
‘I imagine it didn’t happen immediately. Crawford was young and only part-qualified. But he might have mopped up Dennis’s former clients.’ Grant turned to McKay. ‘Any news on Crawford?’
‘I tried his landline again a couple of times yesterday afternoon. No reply. And I had a patrol car go by the house. No new sign of life. Maybe he’s just gone away over the holiday, leaving his front door open and his lunch half-prepared. We’ve all done it.’
‘I’m quite capable of doing it,’ Grant said. ‘But I take your point. Perhaps we should start taking Crawford’s disappearance more seriously.’
‘Could we include him in your media briefing today?’ Horton asked. ‘Just as someone we’d like to talk to in connection with our enquiry. If anyone knows his whereabouts, etc. After all, he is someone we want to talk to about Forres.’
‘I’ll see what the chief super thinks.’ She paused, thinking. ‘I’m going to get the files on the Dennis case pulled out of the archive. I want to make sure I’m right about Crawford’s involvement. I’d like to know who else Dennis worked for and whether any of them might give us a lead on the current case.’
‘You think the two cases are linked?’ Horton asked.
‘It’s a long shot, I know, but just humour an old lady, eh?’
‘You’re younger than me,’ McKay said.
‘Thanks for that, Alec. You’ve no idea how much better it makes me feel.’ She climbed to her feet. ‘And on that cheery note, I’ll leave you both to it.’