the dishwasher with a clatter.
‘I love him.’
Calder stopped what he was doing, the words hanging heavy in the air between them.
‘ Come on ,’ Mae gasped in frustration. ‘Don’t try and tell me you don’t love Carol. I wouldn’t believe you for a second.’
Andy straightened up and took her by the shoulders. ‘But it’s different for us. I don’t remember ever feeling like this.’
Mae wriggled about, as if she was trying to shake herself free of his grasp. ‘You’re getting your emotions muddled up. It’s the excitement of possessing something that your beloved uncle once had that’s intoxicating you. It’s got nothing to do with me, not really.’
Calder frowned. ‘How can you say that – when you know what it’s like when we’re making love?’
‘It’s an illusion and it will pass. When you get to my age you’ve learnt that much at least.’
Andy squeezed more tightly. ‘I’m not some naive wee bairn. I know what I’m feeling.’
Mae tried to take a step away from him and caught her bare leg on the door of the dishwasher. A trickle of crimson blood rolled down to her ankle.
‘Is everything okay, Mum?’ The question travelled towards them from the open doorway. John Calder was standing there, silhouetted against the lowering afternoon sun.
‘Oh it’s fine. I’ve just stumbled backwards and grazed my leg.’
‘Let me see.’ The young man moved across and plucked a sheet of kitchen paper from the roll, proceeding to dab at the tiny cut. He twisted his body round and peered up at Andy. ‘I’ll deal with this. You can go out and join Carol and Amy now.’ The words were not delivered as a suggestion but stated coldly, not inviting a reply.
Andy said nothing, brushing past the pair of them and heading out into the garden, his mind racing with unwelcome thoughts. He tried to focus his attention on Amy instead, who was still running in endless circles around the grass, her arms waving in the air. Carol was standing in the summer house, deep in conversation with Gavin. Calder jogged towards his daughter and scooped her up, swinging her high into the blue sky until she was shrieking with laughter and begging him to stop.
Chapter 19
D ani thought the guy in the interview room was probably in his early twenties. His hair was cropped short at the sides but left a little longer on top so it could be gelled up into what could only be described as a quiff. His sleeveless top revealed the tattoo of a bird of paradise on his tanned upper arm.
DC Laidlaw had brought the man into the station to make a statement. The detective thought his superior might want to hear what he had to say.
Bevan knocked on the door and opened it. Laidlaw stood up as she entered and pulled out a chair. ‘Paul Black, this is DCI Danielle Bevan. If you could just repeat for her what you just told me, I’d be most grateful.’
Black sat upright, not with nervousness but determination. ‘Pleased to meet you, DCI Bevan. I’d been wondering whether to come into the station and speak with someone, but then the police officers arrived this morning at the salon on Rose Street, where I work. They beat me to it.’
‘What information do you have for us, Mr Black?’
‘I knew Nathan McLaren. Not particularly well, but enough to share a couple of drinks with him for the evening. He was a really nice guy.’
‘How did you come into contact with Mr McLaren?’ Dani leaned forward with
‘I love him.’
Calder stopped what he was doing, the words hanging heavy in the air between them.
‘ Come on ,’ Mae gasped in frustration. ‘Don’t try and tell me you don’t love Carol. I wouldn’t believe you for a second.’
Andy straightened up and took her by the shoulders. ‘But it’s different for us. I don’t remember ever feeling like this.’
Mae wriggled about, as if she was trying to shake herself free of his grasp. ‘You’re getting your emotions muddled up. It’s the excitement of possessing something that your beloved uncle once had that’s intoxicating you. It’s got nothing to do with me, not really.’
Calder frowned. ‘How can you say that – when you know what it’s like when we’re making love?’
‘It’s an illusion and it will pass. When you get to my age you’ve learnt that much at least.’
Andy squeezed more tightly. ‘I’m not some naive wee bairn. I know what I’m feeling.’
Mae tried to take a step away from him and caught her bare leg on the door of the dishwasher. A trickle of crimson blood rolled down to her ankle.
‘Is everything okay, Mum?’ The question travelled towards them from the open doorway. John Calder was standing there, silhouetted against the lowering afternoon sun.
‘Oh it’s fine. I’ve just stumbled backwards and grazed my leg.’
‘Let me see.’ The young man moved across and plucked a sheet of kitchen paper from the roll, proceeding to dab at the tiny cut. He twisted his body round and peered up at Andy. ‘I’ll deal with this. You can go out and join Carol and Amy now.’ The words were not delivered as a suggestion but stated coldly, not inviting a reply.
Andy said nothing, brushing past the pair of them and heading out into the garden, his mind racing with unwelcome thoughts. He tried to focus his attention on Amy instead, who was still running in endless circles around the grass, her arms waving in the air. Carol was standing in the summer house, deep in conversation with Gavin. Calder jogged towards his daughter and scooped her up, swinging her high into the blue sky until she was shrieking with laughter and begging him to stop.
Chapter 19
D ani thought the guy in the interview room was probably in his early twenties. His hair was cropped short at the sides but left a little longer on top so it could be gelled up into what could only be described as a quiff. His sleeveless top revealed the tattoo of a bird of paradise on his tanned upper arm.
DC Laidlaw had brought the man into the station to make a statement. The detective thought his superior might want to hear what he had to say.
Bevan knocked on the door and opened it. Laidlaw stood up as she entered and pulled out a chair. ‘Paul Black, this is DCI Danielle Bevan. If you could just repeat for her what you just told me, I’d be most grateful.’
Black sat upright, not with nervousness but determination. ‘Pleased to meet you, DCI Bevan. I’d been wondering whether to come into the station and speak with someone, but then the police officers arrived this morning at the salon on Rose Street, where I work. They beat me to it.’
‘What information do you have for us, Mr Black?’
‘I knew Nathan McLaren. Not particularly well, but enough to share a couple of drinks with him for the evening. He was a really nice guy.’
‘How did you come into contact with Mr McLaren?’ Dani leaned forward with
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