The mood in the briefing room was tense. Fiona Murray’s account of events had blown open the forgery ring. All they needed was the identity of the ringleader. Monro Stevenson’s involvement seemed beyond doubt now and it was likely that it had got him killed. The Super slipped in and took a seat at the back just as Lind held his hand up for silence.
‘As you’ve all no doubt heard, we have Fiona Murray in custody, aka Margaret Kerrigan, and the mother of Ailish Kerrigan. She’s confirmed that Hugo Mortimer is the principal forger. He was assisted at times by Monro Stevenson who forged the recovered Hornel painting.’
‘Are we bringing Hugo Mortimer in for questioning then, sir?’ asked DS Byers.
‘No. We want to have a crack at discovering the top man first. Murray doesn’t know the identity of the ringleader, but he’s meant to be a nasty piece of work. He might even be implicated in the murder of Monro Stevenson.’
‘What about the murder of Ailish Kerrigan?’ asked Stirling. ‘Any possible link there?’
‘None as far as we’re aware. The mother seems fairly certain that Ailish wasn’t murdered by any present or past occupants of Ivy House. I doubt she’d let them off the hook or have got embroiled with them to the extent that she has, if she had any lingering doubts.’
‘Is there nothing else we can do to track down Paul Moretti, sir?’ asked Mhairi.
‘I was wondering about that,’ said Farrell. ‘Murray mentioned almost tripping over him when she was coming out of Ivy House. Given that his medical condition is clearly bogus, I believe the reason his disguise is so elaborate is because he’s already well known both to us and to others. Is it possible he’s one of the residents of Ivy House?’
Everyone fell silent as they considered this.
‘I’m meeting Patrick Rafferty there, tonight. He’s cooking me dinner,’ said Mhairi. ‘I can hopefully get a proper look at them all.’
‘Watch out for things like their walk, scent, build, mannerisms. Have your actual encounter with Moretti to the forefront of your mind as you think about all these different facets. If anything strikes you then DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, act on it or betray any sign that you are on to them,’ said Lind.
‘I’ll take a run down there tonight, make sure I’m on hand, just in case,’ said Farrell.
Mhairi shot him a grateful look. Those pictures had really freaked her out. She’d put money on it not being Patrick, but you never knew.
‘I think we also need to speak to the gallery owner, Janet Campbell, again,’ said Lind. ‘The pictures were discovered in her flat, but I don’t think we’ve adequately pinned down the timeline for them being deposited there.’
‘Good point,’ said Farrell. ‘I mean, for all we know, they could have been in the flat when Paul Moretti originally moved in.’
‘I’ll speak to her in the morning myself,’ said Lind. ‘We want everyone on the ground in Kirkcudbright first thing tomorrow. DS Byers, with the assistance of PC Green, will be needed here to coordinate and manage the flow of information. We’ve drafted in officers from the whole of the area, who will all be in plain clothes and posing as tourists.’
‘DC Thomson is to proceed as planned, then, sir?’ said Stirling, looking worried.
‘Yes,’ said Lind. ‘Tomorrow we’re going to follow the trail in the hope that it leads us to the ringleader and we can shut it down for good.’
‘What about Fiona Murray, sir?’ asked Mhairi. ‘Surely, if word has got out about her arrest, they may suspect she’s blabbed, which could put tomorrow’s operation in jeopardy?’
‘I heard back from the procurator fiscal a few minutes ago,’ said Lind. ‘He’s authorized us to make a deal. She returns to Ivy House saying she was charged with attempted theft, but we don’t realize the painting in the safe is a forgery. She’ll be released on bail and have the paperwork to back it up. In exchange, she’ll be immune from prosecution, provided she testifies against them when required.’
‘Do you reckon she’ll go for that, sir?’ asked Mhairi.
‘She nearly bit my hand off,’ said Lind. ‘Plus, I think she’s hoping that if she cooperates with us it will earn her brownie points with her remaining daughter.’
‘What about Maureen?’ asked DS Stirling. ‘We can’t have her running amok, causing havoc in the midst of all this, surely?’
‘She’s assured me she’ll stop poking around. She’s going to lie low at her boyfriend’s house.’
‘Can we trust her?’ asked Moore.
‘I think so,’ said Lind. ‘She’s had a lot to process, but the thing that matters most of all to her is finding her sister’s killer. She’d do just about anything to avoid getting in the way of that.’
‘Right, I think that’s everything for the time being. I want everyone to go home and get an early night. Tomorrow’s going to be a demanding day. Unless, there’s anything you want to add, sir?’ he asked, addressing the Super who had sat motionless at the back of the room.
The Super stood up and walked to the front.
‘These cases have tested us to our limits. I would urge everyone to be alert at all times. Take nothing for granted. We are up against ruthless and cunning adversaries. I want everyone to stay safe. No gung-ho, tactics. Is that clear?’ he said, glaring at Farrell and Mhairi in turn, both of whom tried not to look offended.
‘DS Stirling?’
‘Sir?’
‘Keep your eye on DC Thomson in so far as you can. Please convey to him my appreciation of his efforts to date.’
‘Will do, sir,’ replied Stirling.
The meeting broke up, but there was none of the usual good-natured banter on the way out the door. Everyone was feeling the pressure and, by this time of the night, was running on fumes rather than fuel.
Lind glanced at his watch, and Farrell saw him wince.
‘Need to be somewhere, John?’
‘Marriage counselling. I’m running late. Hardly gets things off to a great start.’
‘Grab your stuff,’ said Farrell. ‘My car’s at the top end of the car park. I’ll wait outside the door.’
Lind rushed away, and Farrell was sat behind the wheel as he emerged from the station. They got to the community centre at five minutes past seven. Laura was standing waiting with a face like fizz.
‘Good luck,’ muttered Farrell as Lind hurriedly got out of the car.
He had an hour to kill before he picked up Mhairi at eight. Just long enough to grab a haggis supper from the Balmoral Café and head back to Kelton, to sort out his furry pal. As he drove past St Margaret’s, he noticed a smattering of people entering for evening Mass and wished he was able to join them. His soul craved peace, but none was to be found for the foreseeable future.