Skinner’s round

Meantime, Superintendent, you come with me.' He rose abruptly from the table and led Alison Higgins from the room and through to the bar.

Two of the five men rose to their feet as they entered, but not out of courtesy. 'Christ, another one!' said the taller of the two, in a broad Australian accent.

Ski

I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, but there's been a lot to do. I'm Bob Ski

The colour drained from Maser's ta

Ski

He glanced towards the swarthy Spaniard. `Senor Cortes, how did Mr White seem as you played. What was his mood?'

Cortes thought for a few seconds. 'He was good. He was very pleasant, very polite. He was very happy with his golf, too. After that finish at the eighteenth, he was… how you say… pleased as Paunch.'

`He didn't seem worried about anything?'

Not at all.

`Thanks.' He looked once more around the room. 'How many of you had met Michael White before this morning?'

Only one man raised a hand. 'I had. I'm Mike Morton. My company is ru

`How did you get on together?'

`Like a house on fire. Mickey was a most charming man.

He and I hit it off from day one. Christ, this is terrible. Poor guy!'

`Did he say anything to you about a problem that he might have had?'

Morton shook his brown-toupeed head. 'No. Mickey was filthy rich and happy about it. He didn't have any problems.'

Ski

Morton nodded, then spoke quietly to the Japanese. A bewildered look spread across his broad brown face, then he shook his head vigorously. In turn, Masur and the other two golfers did the same.

`Tiger says "no", Mr Ski

Other than the course staff and the steel riggers, there was no one around here. Tomorrow is set-up day for the exhibitors in the tented village, and for television. It'll be crazy then, but today, peaceful. That's why we played our little Stableford.

`God, and poor Mickey never knew he won the money.'

Morton stared out of the window for a second or two, then turned back to Ski

`Put the gate up, I should think,' said Ski

`You're not go

I don't think that's practical or necessary. It'd cause chaos. We can keep the key area sealed off. No, Mr Morton, you can have your tournament.'

He looked up again. 'Well, gentlemen, I thank you again for your patience. You may all go now, but if anything does occur to any of you, anything at all odd or out of the ordinary, please get in touch.'

He led Alison Higgins back out into the foyer. A well-dressed, slightly-built man in his early thirties stood there alone. He turned as they entered. 'Hi, Alan,' said Ski

Alan Royston, the force press officer, nodded a greeting. Afternoon, sir. Afternoon, Alison.

The tip-off industry's done its work. They all arrived, mob-handed, around ten minutes ago. I have a statement ready for them.'

He handed Ski

Tells them what they need to know. You call Edinburgh and have it issued on our press distribution network. I'll see the people outside.'

Royston looked up at him. 'Are you sure, sir? I could do that.'

`That's OK. I'm off to salvage my family Sunday, and I'm sneaking out the back way for no one. I'll deal with them as I leave.'

He turned back to Superintendent Higgins. 'Alison, you get things tidied up here. You can set up your Inquiry HQ here, or in Haddington, wherever you think best. As far as this place is concerned, I want the technicians to go over every inch of that dressing room and the Jacuzzi cubicle, then I want them sealed off and guarded round the clock by a uniformed officer. If our killer has left any trace of himself, that's where it is.'

He stopped short. Suddenly he remembered his own time as a rising CID officer, and his frustration when his ACC would arrive at the scene of one of his investigations. Ski

His smile took Superintendent Higgins by surprise. 'Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to put my big feet all over this investigation, but there's going to be pressure on us to solve this thing and I don't want to expose you unfairly. So I'll keep a personal involvement, and I'll carry the can if we don't get a result. You're the supervising officer, same as usual with a crime in your area, but on this one you report to me at every stage. Right, any thoughts on how we should go ahead?'

Higgins' cheeks were flushed with what Ski

`Good idea. You do that; I'll be in the office tomorrow. Look in sometime and give me a progress report. Unless, that is, you get lucky and make an arrest. Mind you on the basis of what we have so far, that'll take a lot of luck.

Now, I'd better go and speak to the press. See you later.'

He stepped through the automatic doors, out into the afternoon sunlight, with Alan Royston following behind. In addition to the two television operators, there were around a dozen reporters and three photographers assembled in the car park. He strolled slowly across.

Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'm going to tell you as much as I can. We are dealing with the murder of a man. He suffered a fatal cutting injury some time after midday today, and we do not see the possibility of suicide. Enquiries are under way, and you will be kept informed of their progress.'

`Who's the victim, Bob?' A husky voice came from the rear of the group.

Ski

John Hunter, a veteran Edinburgh freelance, and one of Ski

Ski