The Complaints

Fox nodded his agreement.

‘Preferably a big one,’ Breck continued, ‘and keep it half starved.’

‘Did you work with him often?’

‘Hardly at all – I’m assuming that’s why you never bothered to interview me.’

‘We had everything we needed.’

‘But you still gave Billy Giles a grilling?’

‘Just for a spot of fun.’

‘I didn’t think “fun” was in the dictionary, so far as the Complaints are concerned.’ Breck considered for a moment. ‘I dare say by now you know more about Glen Heaton than I do – how long did you have him under surveillance?’

‘Months.’ Fox shifted in his chair, less comfortable now.

‘Should we even be discussing him?’ Breck asked, seeming to take the hint.

‘Probably not. But now you know he was breaking every rule in the book, how do you feel about him?’

‘Way Billy Giles tells it, Heaton only broke a rule if he stood to gain a result. He’d trade gen with criminals, but the stuff he got in return put plenty of bad guys away.’

‘And that makes it all right?’ When Breck shrugged, Fox gave a sigh. ‘Change of subject – any other news on Vince Faulkner?’

‘We still don’t have any sightings from Sunday or Monday.’

‘And no pools of blood to report from the vicinity of that building site?’

Breck shook his head. ‘Billy Giles thinks he was maybe killed Saturday night and kept somewhere… By Monday, the killer’s nerve was starting to go, and that’s when the body got dumped.’

Fox nodded slowly, staring down at the carpet.

‘One last thing,’ Breck added. ‘Two youths were seen having a bit of a shouting match with a guy at a bus stop on Dalry Road – not too far from Marooned and about thirty or forty minutes after Faulkner left the place.’

‘Meaning what sort of time?’

‘Around half past nine.’

‘Does the description fit?’

‘There isn’t much of a description. A woman saw it from her tenement window. She was two floors up and fifty yards across the other side of the street. But she’s a law-abiding busybody, so she came forward to tell us.’

‘What does she say happened?’

‘Couple of younger guys arguing with an older guy. He seemed to be waiting for a bus as they were walking past. Words were exchanged. A taxi came along and the man stuck his hand out. Got in, and one of the kids gave the back of the cab a bit of a kick as it headed off.’

‘Which direction?’

‘Haymarket.’

Fox was thoughtful. ‘Which buses go that route?’

Breck shook his head. ‘Needle in a haystack, Malcolm – they go all over: west towards Corstorphine and the Gyle, north to Barnton, east to the likes of Ocean Terminal…’

‘Vince used to go to a casino near Ocean Terminal,’ Fox mused. ‘Him and his gaffer, plus the gaffer’s wife and my sister…’

‘Is that the Oliver?’ Breck asked, sounding interested. Fox nodded.

‘Why?’ he asked.

‘No real reason. You ever been there?’

‘No.’

‘Me neither.’ Breck had something on his mind. He was rubbing the underside of his jaw with the back of his hand.

‘Are you trying to track down the taxi driver?’ Fox asked into the silence.

‘Yes.’

‘Shouldn’t be too hard – if nothing else, he’ll remember the kicking his cab got.’

‘Mmm.’ Breck seemed to make up his mind, slapping his hands against his knees. ‘I really do fancy a drink, Malcolm – are you allowed to join me?’

‘I don’t drink.’

‘I meant, can you come out to the pub?’

‘Sure,’ Fox said after a moment’s hesitation. He checked his watch. They’d have picked up the van by now… checked its equipment. They’d be discussing tactics before heading out. ‘But it’s getting pretty late.’

Breck looked at his own watch and raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s not even ten.’

‘All I meant was, just a quick one.’

‘A quick one,’ Breck agreed. ‘Is it all right if we take your car?’

‘Where did you have in mind?’

‘The Oliver. I’m guessing it’ll have a bar.’

Fox’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t thinking about options now, but consequences. ‘Why there?’

‘Maybe we can ask if Vince Faulkner visited on Saturday night.’

‘That’s not exactly going by the rules, Jamie. Your boss’ll have a fit if he finds out.’

‘Rules are there to be broken, Malcolm.’

Fox wagged a finger. ‘Careful who you say that to.’

Breck just smiled and got to his feet. ‘Are you game?’ he asked.

‘Long way to go for one drink…’ Breck was neither budging nor about to say anything. With a sigh, Fox placed his hands on the arms of his chair and began to rise.

The area around Ocean Terminal was an odd amalgam of dockside wasteland, warehouse conversions and new buildings. Ocean Terminal itself was a shopping centre and cinema complex, with the royal yacht Brita

‘Accepted nationwide,’ he’d said, waving it in Fox’s face. So they’d parked between a Mercedes and a sporty Toyota in the car park. Liveried doormen stood guard at the well-lit entrance. Breck pointed out the CCTV camera to Fox, though Fox had already spotted it. He was wondering if he should text Kaye to let him know there was no point in tonight’s stakeout. On the other hand, if they did only stay for the one drink…

‘Good evening,’ one of the doormen said. It sounded more warning than greeting.

‘How are you doing?’ Breck asked. ‘Busy, is it?’

‘Just starting to be.’ The man looked him up and down, eyes lingering on the denim jacket. ‘Sightseeing trip, is it?’

Breck patted his pocket. ‘I’ve got some cash burning a hole.’

The other man was staring at Fox. ‘This one’s a cop,’ he informed his colleague. ‘I’d bet my life on it.’

‘Are cops not allowed a night off?’ Fox asked him, taking a step forward so he was in the man’s face.

‘Long as you’re not looking for freebies,’ the first doorman said.

‘We can pay our way,’ Breck assured him.

‘You better,’ the man warned him. And then they were in. Breck left his jacket at the cloakroom, which helped him blend in a little. At first glance the place offered glitz, but it was fairly casual: businessmen playing some tables, their wives and girlfriends the others. A few onlookers stood around, sizing things up. One of them looked to Fox like the waiter who’d taken his order earlier at the Chinese restaurant – confirmed when the man gri

‘Friend of yours?’ Breck asked.

There were slot machines as well as the tables for cards, dice and roulette, plus a well-lit bar. Each croupier had someone from the house staff watching over them, just to be on the safe side. Fox had heard stories of croupiers who were too regular in their actions; meant the players could work out which quadrant of the wheel the roulette ball was most likely to stop, cutting the odds. Down the years, a few cops had got into trouble over gambling debts, entering the orbit of the Complaints as a result – not everyone was good at reading cards and roulette wheels.

A curving staircase, each step artfully illuminated, led to the mezzanine level. Fox followed Breck up. There was another bar here, and the casino’s restaurant off to one side. The restaurant itself was just half a dozen booths and three or four extra tables, doing no business at all tonight. All the stools at the bar were taken, and other drinkers were watching the action beneath from the relative safety of the balcony.