Part 32 (2/2)

The Presence Heather Graham 62110K 2022-07-22

”What, do you grow a beard all over your body?” Jonathan demanded.

”You woke me,” Bruce told him with a shrug. ”I'm here, what is it?”

Jonathan ran his fingers through his sandy hair. ”Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot. I got this in from a computer fellow with the Lothian and Borders Police. Thought you might find it quite interesting, and that you'd be best out of the castle when you received it.”

Bruce frowned, scanning the report.

The ”corporation” the group had ”rented” the castle from had a post office box in Edinburgh. But the computer site advertising his castle had been conceived and implemented from Glasgow.

He looked up at Jonathan. ”Aye, so, it would appear the crooks are based in Glasgow.”

Jonathan arched a brow. ”Look into the next folder.”

It was information Bruce actually had already. About Thayer Fraser's past. He tossed the folders back on the desk, grimacing. ”Ah, Jonathan! The fellow has a shady background. And microchips are telling us that a person or persons committing fraud are based in Glasgow. We can't arrest a fellow for that.”

”I know. But this, in itself, is d.a.m.ned suspicious. This fellow from Glasgow, a Scot, born and bred in the country, comes here with a group of Americans and claims he's never heard of you, that he has no idea there's a living MacNiall who owns the castle at Tillingham.”

”It's a small castle.”

”Ach! Bruce, you don't want anything to be wrong with the fellow, since he's the la.s.s's kin, and that's a fact.”

”True, maybe,” Bruce admitted.

”Well, there's more. And I didn't actually get the 'more' legally. The fellow has a bank account with over a hundred thousand pounds.”

”It's not a crime to have money, either, Jonathan,” Bruce said. ”And how did you come about this information?”

Jonathan shook his head. ”No way that can be traced, should we go to court against him. I spent some time calling the banks, pretending to be a credit investigator.”

”I see,” Bruce said.

Jonathan shook his head, looking down at his desk, then back to Bruce. ”You're my friend, Bruce. I took a few risks. Make some calls yourself, if you wish. Nae, there's no way I can arrest the fellow now, as is. But the fellows into microchips will be comin' up with more, I think. So, I wanted you to know. And not when you were in the d.a.m.ned castle with the fellow.”

Bruce didn't let a flicker of emotion into his face. He nodded gravely. ”Thank you, Jonathan.”

”Keep an eye on the family silver,” Jonathan said. ”Or throw the lot o' them out. You've the right, y'know.”

”Aye.” Bruce rose. ”But I think not, not yet. After all, if the computer fellows can get something real on him, we won't want him to have bolted on us, eh? As long as he thinks he's covered his tracks, he'll sit tight.”

Jonathan agreed. ”There's something about the fellow I never liked. Takin' up with Americans who think they can tell Scottish history!”

Bruce laughed. ”Actually, they didn't do a bad job.”

”What the fellow did was a serious crime, Bruce.”

”What we think the fellow may have done is a serious crime.”

”How else does a no-good bloke playin' a piano bar get that kind of money?”

”Well, we don't hang fellows in the square on suspicion anymore, Jonathan. I appreciate you calling me, and I thank you for the information. We'll sit tight and see.”

He left the constabulary and decided to pay another visit to Daniel Darrow's office.

Rowenna greeted him in reception. ”We've a team here, t'day, Bruce. Seeing to the la.s.s from the past,” she told him.

”The la.s.s from the past would be my kin, Rowenna,” he said lightly.

”Oh, aye! I meant no disrespect, Bruce, truly.”

”I didn't think you did, Rowenna.”

”They'll be glad to see you. Daniel said something about wanting a blood sample from you.”

”I a.s.sumed they'd want one. My veins are ready and waiting.”

”They've machines going in there. They're doing an MRI or the like on her, trying to see what they can before cutting up what tissue they've got. Mind waiting?” Rowenna asked.

”Not at all.”

As he sat, he noticed the day's paper, and the headline. Still No Clues To Missing Girl. He picked up the paper and quickly read the article. It rehashed old news, then made mention of some of the old cases being reopened. Cold case detectives were bringing up cases from as far back as 1977, trying to ascertain similarities to current crimes. But before he could read further, Rowenna came back into the room.

”Could you go in, Bruce? There's a Dr. Holmes from Edinburgh in with Daniel. She's an anthropologist, but qualified to stick needles in your arms, as well!” Rowenna said cheerfully.

”Aye, I'm happy to bleed for you all, Rowenna,” he said, and tossing the paper back down, he went in to do just that.

”Will you look at this!” David said, pouncing as soon as Toni walked into the kitchen. He had the Edinburgh paper in his hand.

She glanced at the headline, then at David and Kevin. The two had been alone in the kitchen.

”They haven't anything new,” she said, staring at the two.

”Read,” Kevin advised her.

She arched a brow, then read as Kevin brought her a cup of coffee. She thanked him while trying to decipher what they were so excited about.

The article was mainly about new technology being used by detectives so they could go back to old cases. In 2002, the South Wales police had at last identified the murderer of three girls who had been killed back in 1973, using a Familial/Sibling Swabbing science technology.

There were sad statistics on the number of heinous crimes never solved, and then a reference to the work by police that could be attributed to their dedication and professionalism--something that science could never go without.

The article went on to talk about Laird Bruce MacNiall and his time with the Lothian and Borders Police. It described the victims and the horrors of their deaths, and it commended Bruce. She read on, stunned to discover that the brutal slayings had been committed by a husband and wife, and that, in that instance, an officer's insistence on following his gut instinct had led to the solving of the crimes.

She looked up at David and Kevin. They were both staring at her, waiting for a reaction.

”We knew he'd been with the police,” she said.

”Did you read the whole thing?” David demanded.

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