Page 94 of Better the Devil

Logan’s eyebrows continued on their downward trajectory until they formed a V above the bridge of his nose. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Tyler talked about the film in great detail and at some length. Told us about the plot, discussed his favourite bits. He actually looked the Assistant Chief Constable in the eye and told him he should never trust a sea witch.’

Logan’s lips moved silently as he processed this new information.

‘I mean, it’s sound advice, I suppose,’ he eventually conceded.

‘He hummed one of the tunes for a bit, and then told us he cries at the part where she gets legs.’

‘When who gets legs?’ Logan asked, which drew a sharp, reprimanding tut from the detective superintendent.

‘The Little Mermaid. Obviously.’

Logan didn’t bother to hide his confusion. ‘Why’s she not got—? Oh, right. She’s a fish, aye. Course.’

‘I genuinely thought he was having a breakdown, or some sort of psychotic episode,’ Mitchell said.

Logan was forced to admit that this wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility, but Mitchell had already dismissed the idea.

‘He was throwing it. The interview. The whole thing,’ she said. ‘When I realised, I asked him if that was the case. He denied it. Said he was just nervous, and that he’d do better next time.’

She rocked on her heels, like she needed a moment to process the next part.

‘Then he sang the first two verses ofUnder the Seain a Jamaican accent.’

‘Bloody hell,’ Logan muttered.

Mitchell exhaled slowly through her nose. ‘Like I said.Extraordinary.’

‘Sounds it, aye. I’ll talk to him, see what he was thinking.’

Logan checked his watch. One forty. Olivia would be nearly home.

‘I’d better get off.’

‘Yes, yes, of course. Don’t let me keep you. I’m sure you’ve got enormous resourcing bills to be running up somewhere. A few hundred drones and a bomb disposal robot, maybe.’

Logan grunted out a half-laugh. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

Down at floor level, Taggart got to his feet, sensing a departure was imminent. Logan had one final question to ask before they left, though.

‘Sinead said they might not find out until tomorrow?’

The thought seemed to amuse the detective superintendent.

‘Oh, based on what I saw in there? I don’t think the panel members are going to have to spend too much time mulling this one over…’

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

It was almost three.Three o’clock on a Friday afternoon, and Olivia was nowhere to be found.

School finished at lunchtime. Twelve-something. One, maybe. He could never remember. But it was a short walk from there to the house.

And Olivia was nowhere to be found.

He hadn’t tried calling her. Not yet. He’d fought the urge for the past hour, pacing from room to room, taking calls from the office, keeping up to date with the latest developments.

Callum Walker and his nosy neighbour had drawn a blank on Victor Belov being in a relationship with anyone in Aviemore. He was apparently quite distraught over this failure.