‘Gaby’s being released from hospital,’ Chris said. ‘Should be out in the next hour.’
Clare nodded. ‘She’d better have a police escort, an unmarked car. No point in attracting any more press attention. Ask her to go to a hotel, please. Not the one she stayed at before, though. Try the Kenlybank.’
‘Will do. Oh, and Luke’s arrived. Doc’s with him now.’
‘Solicitor?’
‘Yeah. Just waiting for the doc to give us the okay.’
‘Great,’ Clare said. ‘Fingers crossed he’s fit to be interviewed. And, if he coughs, we can charge Doug Gerrard.’
‘Reckon he will?’ Tony asked.
Chris shook his head. ‘Impossible to say.’
Clare nodded. ‘I agree. He was put through hell by David Fox. There’s no way of knowing what he’ll say.’
Tony rose. ‘Only one way to find out.’
The doctor pronounced Luke fit to be interviewed and they left him to consult with his solicitor. Twenty minutes later the three of them crammed into the interview room and sat opposite a clearly nervous Luke and his solicitor. Clare’s eye was drawn to a small plaster on his neck where the knife had nicked it, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.
‘Before we begin,’ the solicitor said, ‘Mr Gasparini was the subject of a terrifying attempt on his life. We’d like to be assured the culprit will face the appropriate charges.’
Clare smiled. ‘Rest assured, the person concerned is in custody and charges will follow. And, if Mr Gasparini feels unwell at any time, please let us know and we’ll suspend the interview.’
‘In that case, Mr Gasparini will be happy to co-operate.’
‘Actually,’ Luke broke in, ‘I’d like to explain.’
Clare held up a finger. ‘If you’ll just wait a moment.’ She started the recording and introduced herself, Tony and Chris. Then she cautioned Luke and he spoke to indicate he understood the caution. ‘I gather you have something to say,’ she began, and Luke nodded.
‘And, is this in addition to your statement yesterday? When you accused your wife and her brother David of murdering Russell Fox?’
‘Well,’ Luke rubbed the back of his neck.
‘Or do you wish to recant that statement?’ Clare said, her tone brisk.
‘Erm, yes.’
‘To be absolutely clear, Mr Gasparini, you are now saying the statement you gave yesterday implicating Gabrielle Fox and David Fox in the murder of Russell Fox was false?’
He avoided her eye but gave a slight nod. ‘Yes.’
Clare regarded him. ‘Can I ask why you gave such an elaborate and completely false statement?’
His head drooped. ‘Sorry,’ he said after a few moments. ‘I… I just panicked.’
Tony sat forward. ‘You panicked so you decided to throw your wife under the bus?’
Luke flinched at this, but he said nothing.
Clare glanced at Tony who rolled his eyes. She turned back to Luke. ‘Let’s move on then. You said there was something you wanted to explain.’
He cleared his throat then said, ‘About what I said… at the cottage.’
‘In relation to Russell Fox’s death?’
‘Yes, that. Well, I may, in the past, I may have given Doug Gerrard the impression it would be better if Russell were to die. That’s not to say I wanted it to happen, mind you.’
Clare made no reply, allowing an awkward silence to hang in the air.
‘Just one of those conversations,’ Luke went on. ‘One night when we’d had a few too many; and Doug, well, it looks like he took it too far.’
‘You are saying Doug Gerrard killed Russell Fox?’
‘Oh no! Not that. But he might have, let’s say, arranged it.’
‘Doug Gerrard hired someone to kill Russell Fox?’
‘I believe so.’
‘And you conspired in that?’
‘No, not as such.’ He broke off, as if trying to find the right words. ‘As I said, it was spoken about, mostly in jest, but then I think Doug must have thought I wanted it to happen. But I’m not responsible for him taking the law into his own hands, am I?’
Clare watched him. He was like a worm wriggling on the end of a hook. ‘Why did you think it might be better if Russell Fox were to die?’
‘Well, he was suffering from cancer. It can be a… a difficult death for some.’
‘So your support for Russell Fox’s murder wasn’t motivated by him proposing to withdraw finance from your next TV series?’
‘Absolutely not.’ Luke shook his head vigorously, to confirm this.
‘And your phone conversation with Doug Gerrard on the Friday evening – the one overheard by David Fox.’
Luke spread his hands. ‘David only heard one end of the conversation. I think he must have misconstrued what Doug was saying.’
‘What was the conversation about?’ Clare asked.
‘It’s so hard to remember now. We were at the hotel, you know. Just about to go into dinner. Doug phoned. I think I asked if Russell was having a good birthday and he said something about him seeing the sunrise from the treetop walk the next morning.’
Clare studied him for a moment but he avoided her eye, smiling instead at Chris and Tony.
Tony leaned back in his seat and crossed one long leg over the other. ‘What did you think when you heard about Russell Fox’s death?’
There was a flicker in Luke’s eyes. Clearly a question he hadn’t prepared for. ‘Oh, I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘Shocked, obviously. Yes, shocked. And concerned for Gaby. I mean her brother…’
Clare regarded him with something approaching contempt. She reckoned he was the type who would do anything to wriggle out of trouble. ‘So to be absolutely clear, Mr Gasparini,’ she said, ‘you lay the blame for Russell Fox’s death squarely with Doug Gerrard. Is that correct?’
‘Yes,’ he nodded. ‘That’s it. All Doug’s doing.’ He shook his head. ‘I never imagined he’d go that far.’
‘Thank you.’ Clare’s tone was brisk. She was keen to give nothing away. And then she said, ‘And Gaby, your wife, did you add sleeping pills to her coffee?’
He flicked a glance at his solicitor then away again. ‘I added one. Just the one.’
‘Just one?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘Gaby had been through a traumatic week. It’s no surprise she wasn’t sleeping. So I found this cottage – peace and quiet, you know? David joined us for a night and I think it did Gaby good to spend some time with him. But, after he went she was tired, you know? She looked washed out and I thought, if I left her, she might sleep. So I told her I had some business to attend to and that I’d be gone for the day. She seemed fine with that so I made her some coffee. I knew she wouldn’t take the pills. She always said she didn’t like how they made her feel. But she was exhausted. So I added one to her coffee. Just so she’d be able to sleep while I was gone.’
It was all too glib. Too practised. Clare reckoned he’d been going over his statement since he’d been carted off in the ambulance. She saw his shoulders droop as he relaxed, having told his tale. She smiled, pretended to make some notes on her pad. Then suddenly she said, ‘Gaby had ingested at least eight of the tablets, Mr Fox. Possibly as many as ten. Not just one.’
He seemed to be ready for this. ‘I’m afraid I underestimated how devastated she was by her brother’s death.’
‘You believe your wife meant to end her life?’
He allowed his head to droop. ‘I’m afraid so, Inspector.’
Clare observed him. He wouldn’t be picking up an Oscar any time soon. ‘Frankly, Mr Gasparini, I doubt your account of events. However, we do have Mr Gerrard in the station so I’ve no doubt he’ll bear out your statement – if it’s correct.’
‘What I don’t get,’ Chris said, ‘is how Eamon Ferry didn’t notice the gun in the car. It can’t have still been in there when they were packing up.’
They were gathered in the incident room, Tony having pronounced Clare’s office stifling. ‘You and that damn virus,’ he said. ‘Turning up the radiators in August, for God’s sake.’
‘Yeah, whatever,’ Clare said, pulling her jacket round her front. ‘Anyway, Chris has a point. If Mark Mooney’s telling the truth he put the gun in the back of Eamon Ferry’s car. But, unless Eamon’s in on the whole thing, the gun couldn’t have been there when they drove back to Glasgow.’ She turned to Chris. ‘It definitely wasn’t in the boot of the Range Rover when we saw them loading their bags.’
‘Could be it’s hidden somewhere in the Lodge grounds.’
Clare nodded. ‘Unless Doug got rid of it before he called 999. But according to what David Fox said, Eamon knew early on that something had happened to Russell. David then left the Lodge early enough to see Zac Buchanan in the museum grounds. So I can’t see how Doug would have had time to get rid of the gun.’
‘So where is it?’ Tony asked. ‘You did have the grounds searched, Clare?’
‘The area immediately surrounding the house, yes. But there’s a lot of land. And I can’t honestly see anyone leaving a gun out in the open, to be collected. They’re too expensive for that.’
Chris said, ‘I think you’re right Clare. I reckon he must have posed it somewhere for Val, or someone else, to collect once the fuss had died down.’
‘In which case,’ Clare said, ‘it might still be there. Chris, can you ask Jim to send some cops up there for another look?’
Chris went off to find Jim. Tony watched him go then said, ‘What you thinking?’
Clare frowned. ‘I’m damned if I’ll let Mark Mooney take all the blame for this one. In fact if I was his solicitor I’d be pleading coercion. A clever advocate could do something with that.’
‘Yeah,’ Tony agreed. ‘I’d like to see those two charged.’
‘Let’s see if they can find the gun,’ Clare said. ‘Our Mr Gerrard is too damn cocky for his own good. We might just get a print or two off that gun, or the case.’
‘And if not?’
Clare’s shrugged. ‘We can hold onto Doug for a few hours yet before we have to charge him. If necessary we can apply to have his detention extended. But I reckon we have enough to charge the pair of them. Doug with Incitement to Commit Murder and I’ll have a bloody good go a Possession of a Firearm, with Intent.’
‘And the TV lad?’
‘Luke? Conspiracy to Commit. My guess is their defence advocates will turn on each other and sling enough mud so they both go down for it.’
‘And drugging the wife?’
Clare frowned. ‘That’s a toughie. I’m going to speak to her later on. At the very least I can make her aware of our suspicions. It’s up to her if she takes it on board or not.’
It was almost seven o’clock when Clare heard the gun had been found.
‘There’s a kind of old summerhouse,’ Chris said. ‘Over the hedge from the main part of the grounds. Not been used for years by the look of it. Trees grown up all round. But there’s a new padlock and the windows were boarded up.’
‘They got in?’
He nodded. ‘Bolt cutters but they got in. Gun case was behind a load of old garden furniture. SOCO are going over it now.’
‘It’s enough,’ she said. ‘Let’s get them charged.’
Doug Gerrard assured Clare he would be out of custody by morning.
‘Go for it,’ Clare said. ‘Do your worst!’
Luke Gasparini burst into tears when he was told he’d be remanded in custody.
‘They’re gonna love him in Perth prison,’ Chris said. ‘All his airs and graces.’
‘Won’t they just,’ Clare agreed. ‘I couldn’t care less about those two, but I do feel for Mark Mooney.’
‘He’s a cold-blooded killer.’
‘The lad’s right,’ Tony agreed. ‘Shot Russell Fox with a high-powered rifle. Deserves all he gets.’
Clare inclined her head. ‘You’re probably right,’ she said. ‘All the same… those wee boys.’
‘You’re getting soft in your old age,’ Tony said. ‘Must be that virus. It’s warped your brain.’
‘What about David Fox?’ Chris said. ‘He’s still in custody.’
Clare shook her head. ‘Right now, Chris, I have no idea what to do with him.’
‘You have to charge him,’ Tony said. ‘He’s another one. Bloody maniac.’
Clare sank down in a chair. She was suddenly dog-tired. ‘His brother’s just been gunned down, shot by one of his closest friends; and then his brother-in-law tries to kill his sister.’ She shook her head. ‘You can see how…’
‘Charge him with abduction,’ Tony said. ‘If you don’t, I will.’
‘Suppose.’ She yawned.
‘Home, you,’ he told her. ‘I’ll sort out the charges.’
Clare pushed herself out of the chair. She had to admit she felt weary. Clearly whatever virus had assailed her was still in her system. ‘Must be a novelty for you,’ she said to Tony, ‘working late.’
‘Don’t push it, Inspector.’