Divided House by J M Dalgliesh

Author:J M Dalgliesh [Dalgliesh, J M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Published: 2018-05-01T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Surprisingly, the following morning began with a clear head. The sun was low in the sky and the air crisp, with only a light wind. The local radio station had a stand-in presenter who, for a change, favoured music over inane chatter and chose songs from a by-gone age, the seventies. Caslin found music from that era inoffensive and far preferable to members of the public calling in to discuss their pension schemes with a studio guest. That was the last show that came to mind.

A particular song had been lodged in his head since he had pulled up but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember who the performer was. Humming the chorus as he descended to the evidence locker of Fulford Road, he recounted the thought process that had led him there. Harman had followed up the missed call from the previous night with an early one that morning.

“Iain hasn’t been able to rally the tech support that he wanted, so I’ve got the green light to take a look. I don’t think he’s too pleased about it, though.”

“Robertson’s never pleased about anything, comes with the birthplace.”

Harman laughed, “I’ll let you tell him that, Sir.”

“Best not. What have you turned up?”

“Nothing so far.”

“Call me when you do.”

Caslin was frustrated by that conversation. He couldn’t help but wonder what the point of the call had been. Harman should, by this stage in his career, be capable of getting on with it. Caslin only wanted a phone call when he had something pertinent to pass on. He felt like he was wet-nursing the lad at times.

However, the conversation started him thinking. Chloe had declared McNeil to be largely illiterate when it came to technology, a response that came too fast to have been contrived. However, the evidence was indicating something different. The digital transfer of recordings, simple enough Harman had said, but Caslin’s technological level was apparently far greater than McNeil’s, and he wouldn’t know where to begin. Furthermore, why were only some copied and not all? Caslin recalled seeing a mobile phone within the pickup and yet, Chloe claimed Garry didn’t own one. The implication was that he would be unable to use it, if he had. However technophobic a person was, what were the odds in this day and age of someone under fifty not owning, nor knowing how to use, a mobile phone? Caslin couldn’t name anyone who fitted that bill. He found it unlikely. Moreover, how on earth did a dedicated server, situated in a Cold War bunker, fit into this scenario?

Either something worthy of note had passed them by or Chloe was leading them up the garden path once more, but if so, what did she stand to gain? For the time being she had been bailed to return in a fortnight, charged with assaulting a police officer and time would tell if further charges would be levied. In the meantime, Frank Stephens had agreed a surveillance operation, albeit a limited one, to keep an eye on her movements.

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