Страница 10 из 99
“And that would have counted as treason,” Rebus warned him.
“Do we know who’s unaccounted for?” one of the older men was asking.
Rebus heard another car making for the portcullis. Headlights threw wild shadows across the wall ahead. “Hard to say, with everyone ru
“No one’s ru
“Just a bunch of prior engagements?” Rebus guessed.
“These are hellish busy people, Inspector. Decisions are being made that may change the world.”
“Won’t change whatever happened to the poor guy down there.” Rebus nodded toward the wall, then turned to face Steelforth. “So what was going on here tonight, Commander?”
“Discussions over di
“Good news for all rats. What about the guests?”
“G8 representatives-foreign ministers, security perso
“Probably rules out pizza and a case or two of beer.”
“A lot gets done at these get-togethers.”
Rebus was peering over the edge. He’d never much liked heights and didn’t linger. “Can’t see a damned thing,” he said.
“We heard him,” one of the soldiers said.
“Heard what exactly?” Rebus asked.
“The scream as he fell.” He looked around at his comrades for support. One of them nodded.
“Seemed to scream all the way down,” he added with a shiver.
“Wonder if that rules out suicide,” Rebus speculated. “What do you think, Commander?”
“I think there’s nothing for you to learn here, Inspector. I also think it odd that you seem to pop up like this whenever there’s bad news to find.”
“Fu
The search party had comprised yellow-jacketed officers from barricade duty. Outfitted with flashlights, they hadn’t taken long. Paramedics declared the man dead, though anyone could have done the job. Neck twisted at an u
“Want to place a small wager on cause of death?” the SOCO asked Rebus.
“Not a chance, Tam.” Tam the SOCO had not lost a bet like that in fifty or sixty cases.
“Did he jump or was he pushed, that’s what you’re asking yourself.”
“You’re a mind reader, Tam. Do you do palms as well?”
“No, but I take photos of them.” And to prove his point, he got close up to one of the victim’s hands. “Nicks and scratches can be very useful, John. Know why?”
“Impress me.”
“If he’s been pushed, he’ll have scrabbled for purchase, clawed at the sides of the rock.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
The SOCO let off another flash. “His name’s Ben Webster.” He turned to gauge Rebus’s reaction, seemed satisfied with the result. “I recognize his face-what’s left of it anyway.”
“You know him?”
“I know who he is. Member of parliament from up Dundee way.”
“The Scottish parliament?”
Tam shook his head. “The one in London. He’s something to do with international development-leastways, he was last time I looked.”
“Tam…” Rebus sounded exasperated. “How the hell do you know all this?”
“Got to keep up with politics, John. It’s what makes the wheels turn. And besides, our young friend here shares a name with my favorite tenor saxophone player.”
Rebus was already tottering back down the grassy slope. The body had come to rest against a shelf of rock fifteen feet above one of the narrow paths that snaked around the base of the ancient volcanic plug. Steelforth was on the path itself, taking a call on his cell. He flipped the phone shut as Rebus neared.
“Remember,” Rebus reminded him, “how we saw the foreign secretary leaving in his chauffeured car? Fu
“Ben Webster,” Steelforth stated. “That was the castle on the phone; seems he’s the only one missing.”
“International development.”
“You’re well informed, Inspector.” Steelforth made a show of looking Rebus up and down. “Maybe I’ve misjudged you. But international development is a separate department from the F.O. Webster was PPS-parliamentary private secretary.”
“Meaning what?”
“The minister’s right-hand man.”
“Excuse my ignorance.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m still impressed.”
“Is this where you make an offer to keep me off your back?”
Steelforth smiled. “That’s usually not necessary.”
“Might be in my case.”
But Steelforth was shaking his head. “I doubt you can be bought in that particular way. Nevertheless, we both know this will be wrenched from your hands in the next few hours, so why waste energy? Battlers like yourself usually know when it’s time to rest and refuel.”
“Are you inviting me to the Great Hall for port and cigars?”
“I’m telling you the truth as I see it.”
Rebus was watching another van arrive on the road below them. It would be from the morgue, here to collect the body. Another job for Professor Gates and his staff.
“You know what I think really bothers you, Inspector?” Steelforth had taken a step closer. His phone was ringing but he chose to ignore it. “You see all this as an incursion. Edinburgh is your town, and you wish we’d all just fuck off and go back home. Does that about sum it up?”
“Just about.” Rebus was prepared to admit it.
“A few days, it’ll all be over, like a bad dream you’ll wake up from. But in the meantime…” His lips were almost touching Rebus’s ear. “Get used to it,” he whispered, and moved away.
“Seems a nice sort,” Tam commented. Rebus turned toward him.
“How long’ve you been there?”
“Not long.”
“Any news for me?”
“Pathologist’s the one with the answers.”
Rebus nodded slowly. “All the same, though…”
“Nothing points to him doing anything but jumping.”
“He screamed all the way down. Think a suicide would do that?”
“I know I would. But then, I’m scared of heights.”
Rebus was rubbing the side of his jaw. He stared up at the castle. “So either he fell or he jumped.”
“Or was given a sudden push,” Tam added. “No time to even think about clawing his way to safety.”
“Thanks for that.”
“Could be there was bagpipe music between courses. Might’ve broken his will to live.”
“You’re a jazz snob, Tam.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“No note tucked away inside his jacket?”
Tam shook his head. “But I did have half a mind to give you this.” He held up a small cardboard folder. “Seems he was staying at the Balmoral.”
“That’s nice.” Rebus opened the folder and saw the plastic key card. He removed it. Closing the folder, he examined Ben Webster’s signature and room number.
“Might be a good-bye-cruel-world waiting for you there,” Tam said.
“Only one way to find out.” Rebus slipped the key into his own pocket. “Thanks, Tam.”
“Just remember: it was you that found it. I don’t want any grief.”
“Understood.” The two men stood in silence for a moment, a pair of old pros who’d seen everything the job could throw at them. The morgue attendants were approaching, one of them carrying a body bag.
“Nice night for it,” he commented. “All done and dusted, Tam?”
“Doctor’s not arrived yet.”
The attendant checked his watch. “Think he’ll be long?”
Tam just shrugged. “Depends who’s drawn the short straw.”
The attendant puffed air out from his cheeks. “Going to be a long night,” he said.
“Long night,” his partner echoed.
“Know they’ve had us move some of the bodies out of the morgue?”
“Why’s that?” Rebus asked.
“In case any of these rallies and marches turns nasty.”
“Courts and cells are empty and waiting, too,” Tam added.
“ERs on standby,” the attendant countered.