Run to Ground by Stuart Johnstone

Author:Stuart Johnstone [Johnstone, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

‘Where are you?’ the DCI asked. Rowan held her phone high so we could both hear.

‘Heading back from Wester Hailes, boss. Nothing to report. This lead is dead,’ I said.

‘Never mind that, get over to The Caledonian Hotel. Taylor’s car was pinged on ANPR. I’ll meet you there.’

‘Roger,’ Rowan said.

‘Stay in the car, don’t approach.’

‘Roger,’ she repeated and hung up.

She was quiet while I put the foot down and did my best to get through city traffic. Nervous, I thought. Maybe I was too, after the DCI’s presentation.

The Waldorf Astoria, Edinburgh – The Caledonian, is situated in a particularly busy spot at the corner of Lothian Road and Princes Street in the city centre. One of Edinburgh’s five-star jobs promising a superbly, and extremely tartan-y, comfortable stay for rich tourists, complete with a great view of the castle with a short walk from Waverley train station. Though if you could afford to stay there, you probably weren’t walking or taking the train.

It was lucky it was so busy as it would otherwise be impossible to approach the entrance discretely. I pulled in and was honked at by a taxi and shooed along by a doorman from the hotel. Another private hire car sounded his horn behind me as I hesitated, trying to look for a place to pull in. Still, every car pulling into this confusing corner was getting the same treatment.

‘There it is,’ Rowan said, pointing at the black Range Rover parked only just around the corner from the front door of the hotel. Automatic number plate recognition was a useful tool. The DCI had clearly requested the reg plate for Taylor’s car be added to a lookout list. The windows were lightly tinted and I had to slow to confirm it was empty. I drove past a good distance before turning and taking up a position behind a white van liveried as ‘Lothian Flooring – Carpet and Hardwood Specialists.’

‘I can’t see much from here,’ Rowan said.

‘Don’t worry. I can see the driver’s door. We’ll see what the boss wants us to do. We can move if we have to.’

The DCI showed on foot less than ten minutes later. She wore a long coat and her hair was down. The stiff breeze lifted it from her shoulders as she strode. She looked very much like she belonged in a hotel like this. She took a brief look into the Range Rover as she passed it and then opened the door of our car before dropping herself into the back seat.

‘Traffic division picked it up on their camera an hour ago.’

‘Lucky spot. What’s the plan?’ I said.

The DCI was shaking her head and staring out at Taylor’s car. ‘I don’t know. I’m not sure it does us any favours to tail him, and we don’t have the authority as it stands, anyway. As far as we can prove, he hasn’t done anything. If we take him in, he’ll claim he’s in Edinburgh on holiday and then likely bring down a lawsuit for harassment.

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