Twenty-Three

Alistair swung by Rex’s office early on Tuesday afternoon with the German letter and its typed translation.

Rex read it with interest and nodded. “I’ll tell Phoebe.”

“So what’s new on your private case?” Alistair asked, seating himself in the chair across the desk from Rex and elegantly crossing his long legs, clad in immaculate pinstripe trousers.

“Not much at this point. I can’t go after Sutter in the wilds of nowhere, but I can look into his past.”

“What for? It’s got nothing to do with Judge M’s murder. Or, rather, Phoebe Wells screaming blue murder.”

“Richard Pruitt is convinced Sutter attacked April Showers and dumped her body in Skinner’s Close. I’m inclined to believe Pruitt didn’t do those things, which means no one has been brought to justice in the girl’s murder. Her parents no doubt assume Pruitt got away with it, just like everyone else does. So now there are two wrongs to right: an innocent man falsely accused and a guilty man who walks free, whether it be Sutter or somebody else.”

“But you can’t take that old case on, Rex,” Alistair argued, leaning forward with his arms draped over his lap. “See if you can get the police to look into it.”

“And have them admit they got the wrong man?” Rex shook his head. “I don’t have enough proof yet. Make that any proof, other than Pruitt’s suspicions.”

“A man with a vested interest in blaming someone else and exonerating himself,” Alistair pointed out.

“Well, I’d want to be exonerated if I’d been charged with something I didn’t do. You should have seen him in hospital, Alistair. He looked so pitiful and alone.”

“I know, you big softie. I went to visit him this morning. He sent me a note, saying he wanted to thank me in person for saving his life.”

Rex felt a wide grin spread over his face. “I’m so glad you went, Alistair. He’s not had many visitors.”

“I said it was on the express condition he didn’t talk about me to reporters. I don’t want them hounding me. It’s not as though I did anything heroic, just what any reasonable human being would do.”

“Did he talk aboot Sutter?”

“Naturally. He’s scared witless.”

“Perhaps we could visit him at home one day this week and make sure he’s all right.”

“Don’t you have enough going on here?”

Rex glanced at his tidy desk. “Not so far. I wrapped up my case on Friday, if you recall.”

“I do, and I owe you a drink.”

“I’ll gladly take you up on that, but it can’t be this evening. I’ve arranged to meet Stu Showers.”

Alistair gave a start. “Stu Showers? You mean, the murdered girl’s father?”

“I need details on his daughter’s murder that might shed light on the perpetrator.”

“And he’s willing to talk to you after the Crown failed him by not locking Pruitt up?” Alistair asked in surprise.

“He won’t talk to me in his wife’s presence. He’s coming alone. He said he sat through the trial and could not blame the jury for returning the verdict they did. He didn’t think the police had done a thorough enough job of pinning evidence on Pruitt. Anyway, he says he just wants to know the truth, either way. That’s another reason I want to go back to Ramsay Garden. I need to see what solid evidence Pruitt might have on Dan Sutter.”

Alistair raised an immaculate eyebrow. “I’d think, if there was something truly significant, he’d have told you. He was gabby enough with me, for someone who had his throat cut a week ago.”

“Well, I thought I’d give him time to settle in at home before I prod him further. In the meantime I need to discover what I can from Mr. Showers. He knows the case as well as anyone and he knew his daughter better than most. I just can’t let this go, Alistair.”

His friend sighed in resignation. “I can see that, and I know what an obstinate mule you are. But don’t go back to Ramsay Garden without me. Dan Sutter may be hiding in some remote croft on a godforsaken island, or he may not. Richard told me the police found a map of the Hebrides in Sutter’s rubbish bin, but don’t you think he would have taken it with him if he was going there?”

This gave Rex pause. DCI Lauper had not mentioned to him how he had managed to locate Sutter’s whereabouts. “You think he was intentionally misleading the police?”

“Why not? Let’s not assume the man’s a fool, especially if he managed to get away with April’s murder.”

“Well, she was stabbed, and he attacked you and Pruitt with a knife and threatened me with one. He had a knife on him when he was found escaping from the house he said he’d only been in to steal from. Young girl, knife … ” Rex clicked his pen open and shut with his thumb as he spoke, thinking it through. “And both incidents did take place in the heart of Edinburgh within six months of each other. Pruitt claims there’s a pattern. It’s a tenuous one, granted, but the more I dwell on it … ”

“If you wish to pursue it, that’s enough for me. You have my full support.”

“Thank you, Alistair.”

Rex had a feeling he would need it.