City of the Dead by Ed James

Author:Ed James
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery
Published: 2020-03-19T23:00:00+00:00

BEARSDEN WAS Glasgow’s answer to Morningside, very well-to-do and upmarket, like its own little town inside the city limits.

Cullen got out of his car and leaned against the side, waiting.

Another Victorian villa but the other side of the city from Paul Skinner’s Southside home. Music pumped out of an upstairs bedroom, in time to some disco lights. A dance remix of The Killers, that one about a sex change or whatever. Bet the neighbours loved this house.

His phone rang. Methven. He put it to his ear. ‘What’s up?’

‘Do you have a mobile number for Jimmy Deeley?’

‘He not answering his office phone?’

‘He’s on the golf course, as far as his assistant can tell. Need him through here to give a second opinion.’

‘Dr Gibson will be happy with that.’

‘It’s at her insistence. Her colleagues through here are backed up with these murders, so I need to get hold of Jimmy. So do you have any other means of contacting him or am I completely wasting my time here?’

‘I do, as it happens.’

A car door slammed behind Cullen. McCrea tugging his trousers out of his arse.

‘Better go, sir. I’ll text you his number.’ Cullen ended the call and dug out Deeley’s contact details, then sent them to Methven. He put his phone away and turned to McCrea. ‘You took your time.’

‘Sorry.’ McCrea didn’t look it, judging by his grin. ‘You alright?’

‘I’ve had better.’ Cullen set off towards the house, storming up the path. He stopped and rapped on the door, doubting anyone inside could hear it over the music. ‘You get anywhere with the alibi for Rich Petersen?’

‘Aye.’

‘And?’

‘Still got a few things to check.’

‘I take it that means you haven’t got in touch with this Marie Gray, then?’

‘Something like that.’ McCrea shrugged. Upstairs, The Killers segued into Erasure and McCrea’s fierce look softened. ‘Love that tune, man.’

Thirty seconds since Cullen had knocked, and nobody had answered. Cullen walked across the pristine lawn to peer in through the front window.

Past a wall of pot plants, a man and a woman lounged back on an L-shaped Chesterfield, wearing dressing gowns. A Nintendo Switch rested on a duck-egg blue coffee table, and they were each holding a small grey controller, swaying as they played a game. Probably Mario Kart, if Cullen could guess. Dark, dark rings around their eyes. Hard to tell if they were a couple or just friends.

Cullen thumped the glass and waved.

They both jerked forward. The woman shot to her feet and hurried out of the room. The man covered his mouth, then reached for a smartphone next to the Switch. Erasure stopped playing, but the lights still flashed.

The front door had opened by the time Cullen trudged back over.

The woman stepped out onto the steps, barefoot, hugging her cream dressing gown tight. Dyed-blonde hair scraped back into a ponytail. Tanned skin, but from a bottle rather than natural sources. ‘Can I help?’ Broad Glasgow accent.

‘DI Scott Cullen.’ He held out his warrant card. ‘And this is DC Damian McCrea. Need a word with an Iain Farrelly.

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