Part 29 (1/2)
”Lucky for them,” Bruce said. ”Which two? And why is that important?”
”Well, we're following two mysteries here, wouldn't you say? For them to have gotten the permits and licenses they have, there had to be some truth to their rental agreements. That means that someone did have a h.e.l.l of a lot on you, such as information regarding your actual t.i.tle, your numbers in our old British society... information that only you, as an individual, should have had. A crack computer hacker can get all kinds of information on someone, which is why ident.i.ty theft is getting to be such an issue these days.”
”o, in other words, you're telling me that one of them might have known about me, gotten into my records, faked being me and rented the castle to them?” Bruce asked.
”Well, it's a possibility.”
Bruce shook his head. ”But whoever did must have known that I'd eventually show up.”
”Right. But if the person had done it just to get money out of the others and knew how to make the computer site disappear.. .well, what would he, or she, care at that point?”
”What about Thayer Fraser?”
”So far,” Robert said, ”I only know that he has one h.e.l.l of a Web page--oh, and that he's big into computer gaining. Medieval game playing on line, you know, the kind that goes on forever and forever, with one guy at a computer in Glasgow playing with someone in London, New York, Moscow.. .or maybe just in Stirling.”
Bruce nodded, taking in the information. ”Still, none of the Americans has a criminal record. That is a piece of good news.”
Robert parted his folded hands, refolded them. ”Aye, sure. But then there's this, as well. And.. .this probably doesn't mean a thing. I just found it interesting.”
”What?” Bruce said.
”Well, there's a strange time line here. It has to be a coincidence, I imagine.”
”What?” Bruce said, exasperated. Robert didn't often beat around the bush.
”Helen MacDougal disappeared from Glasgow on June third, a year ago.”
”And I found her on August thirtieth, in the water,” Bruce said, frowning.
”Mary Granger disappeared November eleventh, last year.”
Bruce's brows furrowed to a deeper degree. ”Aye, Eban found her in early January. In worse shape.”
”January tenth, to be precise.”
”Robert, what are you getting at?”
”Annie O'Hara disappeared, we think, just a week or more ago.”
”Aye.. .so? Are we goin' somewhere here, Robert? If so, I don't see where,” Bruce told him.
”You know hotels ask for pa.s.sports when you check in,” Robert said.
”Aye, of course.”
”Well, your friends--Toni, the Brownes, Kevin and David, at least--were in a hotel in Glasgow, June of last year.”
Bruce frowned. ”They've said they've vacationed here, many times.”
Robert nodded and drew out a folder by his side, flipping a page. ”November last, Mary Granger disappeared from Stirling.”
”And you're going to tell me my friends were in Stirling?”
”No. Glasgow.”
He accepted that, frowning. ”And two weeks ago?”
”They were back in Edinburgh, making the arrangements for licenses and the like.”
Bruce shook his head. ”Robert, if you're trying to draw a connection here--”
”I'm not. I'm just letting you know what I found out. And the coincidence regarding the dates just happened before my eyes. I'd be remiss not to mention it to you.”
”Aye, you're right, but--” Bruce shook his head. ”Think about them, one by one. Toni? A murderess of prost.i.tutes? Kevin and David--they don't fit the profile at all. Gina and Ryan? Frankly, I just don't see it.”
”We don't actually have a profile--”
”But we know what it would be. White, heteros.e.xual male, young, twenties to thirties, day job, probably menial, maybe even a wife or steady girlfriend.”
Robert nodded. ”Aye, you've a point there. But profiles have been off. You know that yourself. Remember, years ago? What profiler, no matter how good, would have come up with the real scenario, a husband and wife killing team?”
Bruce shrugged. ”Robert, I think we're grasping at straws here. If we had to go through a roster of every foreigner who happened to be in the country at the times of the murders--or disappearances--I think we'd have some numbers to go through. And if we're looking at opportunity, I'm afraid we've a nation full of people to look through, as well.”
”Bruce, you don't need to be defendin' the crew. All I'm telling you is what I happened to see when I made inquiries--which I did at your behest.”
George hurried over, nearly tossing down their plates. ”d.a.m.n, but if I could just get meself a decent la.s.s!” he swore.
Bruce frowned suddenly, catching the man's arm when he was hurrying to move on.
”George?”
”Aye? Sir, be quick, would ye?”
”Your girl just walked out on you? Or just didn't show up? She didn't quit, I mean, let you know she was leaving?”
George waved an impatient hand in the air. ”She was another wanderer on the loose. Strange accent--looked more the Norse type, which she should. La.s.s came down from Orkney. And quit? Resign? Have the courtesy to let a fellow know she wasn't coming back? Are y'jestin'? h.e.l.l no! She didn't show up, and that's that. Got herself enough money and hurried on to the next town, no doubt. Now, sir, I've got food piling up in the kitchen!”
Bruce stared across the table at Robert. ”You might want to make some inquiries here,” he said softly.
Robert looked down at the table and shook his head. ”Aye,” he said, and pushed away the plate of fish and chips he had been so antic.i.p.ating.
Toni called the number she swore she'd never dial, only to find that Adam Harrison was out of town. When the young man answering the phone asked if she'd like to leave her name and a message, she nearly hung up. But she had her own cell phone with her--it wasn't as if he'd call back and leave a message on a line that anyone might answer. After hesitating, she left her name and phone number.
”Oh, hi!” the voice on the other end said. ”Toni Fraser...Adam said to pay sharp attention if you ever called. Someone will be right back with you.”
Someone?
Toni didn't feel particularly comfortable with that information, but she thanked the young man anyway and rang off.