Read Thursday legends - Skinner 10 for Free Online Page B

lamp in the far corner; the lap-top computer on
the desk; the bookshelves built in to the back wall; the ornaments on the desk,
table and wide window sills.
    'Yes,
very neat, very tidy was the late Mr Smith.'
    'Was
he like that as a copper too?'
    'He
sure was. A very capable detective. Of the last generation rather than ours,
I'd say, but a meticulous, careful operator.'
    'Why
did he pack it in?'
    'Money,
he said. He took the pension and went to a bloody good private-sector job. I
guess too that he knew he had peaked at DCI.'
    'But
if he was as capable as all that ...?'
    'I
wouldn't have promoted him, though, and that was that. Horses for courses,
Andy.' He turned, separated two slats of the billowing blinds and peered out on
to the beach. 'Come on. Let's see what's happening in the mobile HQ.'
    They
left the house, turned right and walked a few yards along the narrow pavement,
to the point at which Forth Street opened out on to a broad green area which
fringed the beach. The mobile operations centre, a high articulated vehicle,
had been stationed on a narrow strip of roadway.
    'The
weekend sailors will love that,' said Skinner. 'The thing's blocking the
launching ramp for dinghies.'
    'Tough,'
Martin grunted. 'For today they can use the other one, over by the harbour.'
    A
dozen police officers, some in uniform, some CID, were milling around on the
street outside. 'What the hell's this?' the Head of CID asked a blue-jacketed
sergeant. 'A crowd scene?'
    'We're
just waiting for Stevie Steele to allocate addresses for the house-to-house,
sir,' the man answered.
    'When
did DCI Rose leave?'
    'She's
still here, sir.'
    'Jesus,
she's been here all night.' Martin climbed the three steps to the door of the mobile
HQ and stepped inside.
    The
van had no windows; even at around nine on a summer morning, it was lit by neon
tubes. The light they cast made Maggie Rose look chalk white and emphasised the
dark circles under her eyes. She and Detective Sergeant Stevie Steele looked up
as the two Commanders entered; they had been leaning over a small desk making
up interview sheets into bundles, and attaching them to blue plastic
clipboards.
    In
another corner of the mobile office, Inspector Arthur Dorward and his assistant,
Detective Constable Sharma Ghosh, stopped work on their report and stood up.
    'Relax,
for God's sake,' said Skinner. 'Sit down, Arthur, sit down all of you. Mags,
you look puggled. Finish what you and Stevie are doing, give me a run-down,
then get off home.'
    The
DCI frowned. 'I was planning to grab a couple of hours' sleep in the North
Berwick office, then get back to look at the results of the door-to-door
interviews.'
    'You
can't drive yourself that hard, for God's sake. If Brian Mackie was here, you
and he would be splitting rest periods.'
    'But
he isn't here, boss. Look, is this a divisional investigation or are you and
the DCS taking over command?'
    Skinner
raised a hand. 'Hey, I'm little more than a spectator here.'
    Beside
him, Martin shook his head. 'You're in charge, Maggie. We're here to offer help
and support, that's all.'
    'Very
good. Then I'll do it my way.' She smiled; a thin, half-grin. 'Besides, I've
co-opted my husband. Mario says that since his weekend's buggered anyway, he
might as well come out to help.'
    'That's
not inappropriate,' Skinner murmured. 'He's Head of Special Branch, the job
Alec Smith used to hold. We may need his input from that angle before we're
done with this one. Okay, you two finish up, while we talk to Arthur.'
    He
and the Head of CID crossed the room to Dorward's table, which was larger than
the other. It was piled with papers and notebooks, and in one corner sat a
television monitor, connected by a cable to the dead man's video camcorder.
    'What
did you find in the house, Arthur, apart from that?' asked Martin.
    'Nothing
I didn't expect to find, sir. Loads of the victim's fingerprints ... we lifted them for comparison before
the body was taken away. There was another set too, all