Part 29 (1/2)

'Is there?' I asked.

'No there is a psychotic knife-man out and about the closes of Edinburgh but not a serial killer. The person who murdered Tanya was the same person who attacked Alex Cattanach, but and this is something that your average Plod won't accept the murderer of Donna Diamond was a copycat. DI Bancho, however, has accepted my findings.'

'What is this? Has Duncan Bancho been made a saint and no one's told me? How come everyone's singing the praises of a bent copper all of a sudden? Have you not heard what Moses has to say about him?'

'You let your personal likes and dislikes cloud the issue sometimes, Brodie.'

'No way that guy is on the take. I've seen it myself, I've seen what he does.'

'Brodie, think about it what have you seen? A young man who you have irritated beyond the bounds of sanity of that I have no doubt as he's not the first to be put in that position is somewhat annoyed by you. But if he's so crooked, how come you have no proof?'

'I have proof.'

As I said it I could feel my heels digging in. I knew I was right.

'It's not seemly to argue over the bodies of the deceased. It's not seemly.' Patch thought differently about the dead to anyone else. In some ways they were just empty containers to him, and yet in a more subtle way they were like old friends albeit naked, hacked-up, dead friends who he shared most of his working days with. To me, they just looked like a reason to empty my stomach.

'The Slasher is stepping up the tempo look at the ferocity of the stab wounds. This time they were determined the victim would not survive. Twenty-five wounds to the abdomen and legs. She was knifed in the abdomen first and must have cowered down on the floor. There are wounds on her head and her shoulders from where she must have curled up trying to protect herself. The legs were injured when she pulled them up to try to protect them all of the marks are predominantly around the outer thigh of the left leg and further down that side. She had curled up in a foetal ball ...' Patch's voice got quieter as he said this; both of us saw the irony of a traditionally safe position being Tanya's final one. 'The shower room looked like a slaughter house,' he finished.

'The killer must have been covered in blood someone would have seen them leave,' I said.

'I have a theory on that.' Patch always had a theory on everything. He leaned over Tanya Hayder. I didn't go and meet him halfway, rather I leaned back towards the wall.

'I believe the killer stripped naked and got into the shower with Tanya I think it was someone she knew. The major injuries occurred before she started to defend herself.'

'How do you know that?' I asked.

'It's a hunch nothing I can point to specifically yet.'

'The cuts on the eyes that's not something that Alex Cattanach has. The markings on Alex's cheeks look like Celtic spirals, and these ...' I wavered, not really knowing what I was looking at.

'They're runic symbols in the past it wasn't unusual to see this sort of thing. This almost looks like primitive, ritual cuttings, but in this case the marks are not designed to promote good health or courage. The murderer continued brutalising Tanya after she was dead, the stabbing continued, and then these slits on the eyes were made post mortem.'

'This and the attack on Alex Cattanach? They're not about pagan enchantment, Patch. They're barbarism.'

'Well, I think Duncan Bancho wants to speak to you about that. He knows that you went to see Tanya and that you had an argument; one of the other residents complained to the warden.'

'I intend to avoid Saint Duncan until I've got this figured out,' I replied.

'Are you any closer to doing so?'

I shook my head. I couldn't bear to hear myself speak the truth.

'Here's a copy of the letter Tanya Hayder wrote to you.'

Patch pa.s.sed me the doc.u.ment. I wasn't surprised. Prisoners write letters. They have it down to an art form. Some of my clients earn by making scrolls for other inmates to send to their loved ones. But this was no 'scroll'. The only decoration it had on it was Tanya's tears.

Hiya Brodie, I'm sory we fought. I should of told you what u want to know. specialy with u being in such bother and al that.

I know about the vid cos I was in it.

Me and wee Moira Campbell from Pilrig Street. I dont think u met her, nice la.s.sie, her da was a minster and then she got hooked on smack from some dodgy boyfriend. Anyway, she's ded now so u wont get any info from her. Sometimes I think I see her hanging about the foot of The Walk, seeing if she can pick up a punter, but its just some other poor la.s.sie. I think we must all look the same, even to me.

Moira comited suicide cos of the video. She wasnt a lesbian and I think wud was terified that her da wud see it and that would end him. She had her principles, altho I used to tel her not to let it bother her. I suppose her old man wouldn't have been too happy at the sight of her seling herself. Don't get me started on ministers, though. Two-faced b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, the lot of them.

The vid was a rite bad p.o.r.no movie. It was filmed in some solicitors office. I was going to blackmale them. If I can only get myself some money toguther then I can go straight. I KNOW I CAN.

I cant name names it's too dodgy. But Ive got a copy of the tape find it and youll know rite away whose involved.

I gave it to Moira's da and I made him swear to me that he would never look. He's the minster of St Jude's Episcopal church in Leith.

See you soon, hunnnee. Did I say that I was sory?

Tanya x.x.x I looked at Patch, who had been reading over my shoulder, and then I ran like the wind.

Chapter Forty.

St Jude's Church in Leith has its own graveyard.

As I walked through the large wrought-iron gates, Joe was already there unsurprisingly, given that I had phoned him and asked him to collect Tanya Hayder's package as I left the morgue. I may also have had a few words to say about the importance of getting it before Duncan Bancho did. The Rag Doll is less than five minutes from the church and yet again I knew Joe was my best chance of success. Patch would have enough questions to answer without making this a waste of time, so I couldn't allow my personal feelings for Joe to mess this up. Quite apart from the small matter of my liberty, there was a serial killer at large for, as far as I was concerned, Alex Cattanach was dead. Maybe worse than.

Nothing with Joe was ever simple, though. He was standing in the graveyard under a leafy tree. The birds were singing and beside him stood what can only be described as a broken man. The broken man was wearing a dog collar. Joe had clearly found the Reverend Campbell, Moira's father.

I saw Joe placed his arm around Campbell and pulled him close, patting his back like a child as they stood in front of her simple gravestone, and, as I got closer, I could hear what he was saying to the man too.

'You weren't a bad father you were an unlucky one. The streets of Leith are running with drugs Moira was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. What could you have done?'

'I've asked myself that every hour on the hour since I heard the news, Joe. I've lost my faith and I just don't have the courage to resign from the only life I know. Moira grew up here playing in the trees. This is her final resting place at least I know where she is at nights now. I come out and speak to her; sometimes, I think she even answers me.'

'You're doing good work here, Mike,' Joe comforted him. 'I know some of the kids you've rescued. You couldn't save Moira but you've managed to do exactly that with many others.'

'I couldn't do it without your help, Joe.'

I wasn't intending to eavesdrop I was simply waiting for an opportune time to introduce myself but now that Campbell had dropped that bombsh.e.l.l into the conversation, I hid behind the tree and planned to listen more intently. Unfortunately, Joe waved his hand at the Reverend and silenced him on the subject.

I walked out of the shadows and Joe introduced us to each other.

'We'd better get going, Mike,' he said as soon as the formalities were out of the way. 'If anyone shows up, I don't want it to be awkward for you. Just tell them that you gave it to us and let me worry about them.'

Reverend Campbell handed a white padded envelope over to Joe, who placed it under his arm. I noticed that it was unopened; the Reverend had kept his word to Tanya. Lucky for him, I thought, as we went out the back gate to the graveyard. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Duncan Bancho and Peggy Malone walking up the path towards the minister. Unseen, Joe and I ran as if the devil himself were after us. We knew that the Rag Doll was too obvious; there was only one person to go to.

Moses.

Hillside Crescent is a much underrated part of Edinburgh. Formerly, it was cla.s.sed to be at the top of Leith Walk or Easter Road. In reality the architecture is much more akin to Carlton Crescent across the road. The houses there cost well over a million and have done for much longer than the current property boom. Moses bought his for a song when he was sixteen. I never did know where the finance came from, but now I suspect my grandad had a hand in it somewhere.