Cold Death by Michael Fowler

threatening to make a scene he agreed to drop me off in a pub car park. Then just after we set off we got cut up by this white van, which came from nowhere. It had no lights on and really freaked us both out. The guy I was with stopped the car for a couple of minutes, let it get a long way from us. He was really freaked out as if he knew who it was. He just kept saying he didn’t want to be caught by them. I thought it was a really weird thing to say. In fact he wanted to leave me there and then and piss off back home. I remember it clearly.”
    Hunter exchanged looks with his partner. This interview had just thrown up something he hadn’t expected.
    “Kerri-Ann this punter you were with – do you know him?”
    “No it was a first time and I haven’t seen him since.”
    “Can you remember what he looked like?”
    “Vaguely. He was in his early twenties, quite good looking and he had brown curly hair which was about shoulder length if I remember rightly.”
    “Where did he pick you up?”
    “Down by the industrial estate where I normally hang out.”
    “Can you remember the car he was driving?”
    “Now cars I’m good at – have to be – you know in case something happens. I text it into my phone.” She unclasped her red handbag and fished out her mobile. It was a slim pink coloured model. She flicked it open and began playing around on the keys. Just over a minute later she looked back at them before glancing back at the screen. “A silver grey Volkswagon Golf. I’ve entered the first few letters and numbers but not all the car’s number.” She turned the screen to enable Grace to see the text written registration.
    “YP0Two.” Grace read out loud.
    “I’m sorry that’s all I had time to put in.”
    “Don’t apologise Kerri-Ann that is brilliant. Did you manage to get his name?”
    Kerri-Ann started to laugh. “You are kidding aren’t you.”
    Grace blushed slightly. “Sorry, stupid question. Anything else you can remember about him – distinguishing marks, scars etc?”
    She shook her head.
    “Did your punter drop you back off?”
    “Yeah eventually, I got him to drop me off near the bus station. He wouldn’t drop me near the pub. He was a nervous wreck.”
    “Can you remember roughly what that time would be?”
    “Elevenish, like I said earlier, or something like that.”
    “Okay that’s good. Now I just want to take you back a bit. We’ll not keep you much longer. Did you manage to get a make or number of the white van?”
    “No. As I say it just came out of nowhere. It scared us to death. It wasn’t a big van like a transit or anything, just a small one. I didn’t get a number, it happened so fast.”
    “Did you notice anything special about the van?  Anything written on the sides?”
    She seemed to think about it a few seconds then shook her head. “Sorry it was dark and it hadn’t got its lights on.”
    “What about the two guys you saw with the bundle on the jetty.”
    She shook her head again. “Sorry it was so dark. They were just shapes. I never got close enough to even see what they were wearing. As I say at the time I just thought they were dumping rubbish.” She paused and studied Grace and Hunter’s faces. “I’m not lying, I really didn’t see their faces or anything - they were too far away and it was dark.”
    “Okay Kerri-Ann I believe you. Well done. Now let’s get back to our car and get a statement from you.”
    As they set off towards the car park Hunter knew that this was the kick-start the investigation needed.
     
    * * * * *
     
     
     Stirlingshire, Scotland:
     
    “Still no sign of anyone – could be he’s on his hols.” Rab Geddes announced flinging open the car door and sliding into the driver’s seat. He dropped his gaze and examined his shoes in the footwell.
    “Jeez just look at the state of these now - my tramping back and forth through the fields. Your turn next time.” He stamped his dusty loafers on the car mat and checked them