Chapter 58
EDINBURGH
Brodie entered Alice’s kitchen and dialled Moira’s number, trying to get a hold of her again. When the call was answered, it wasn’t Moira’s voice.
‘You do surprise me, Liam. I didn’t think you would call on the day of the anniversary,’ the man said.
‘We found your latest victim. Karen. By chance, of course, but we did find her. There was a little piece of material sticking out from under a gravestone.’
‘Ah. I was careless. It’s always the little details that make you slip up. But it doesn’t matter now. I presume you understand why this was done?’
‘I do,’ Brodie answered.
‘Did you speak with Alice? She’s the one who caused it all. I left her alive so she could tell you about things. Not so with Moira. However, I’ll let her go if you come and meet me. Alone.’
‘I can do that.’
The man laughed. ‘That’s what they all say. Then the reinforcements are in the background. I don’t want that happening here, Liam, so I have a little incentive for you.’
Brodie listened to the sound of a struggle in the background, followed by a yell. He expected to hear his sister’s voice, but he was shocked to hear another one instead.
‘Liam. Don’t come here. Fuck him,’ Ruth shouted, then Brodie heard a slap and Ruth was quiet.
‘Quite a fighter is our Ruthie, but there won’t be any fight left in her if I see you with any other detective. I’ll kill her and Moira both and I have a way out of here that not even the council knows about.’
‘Where’s here?’
‘Where it all ended for Gabriel Kane, Liam. Where you first met me. And where it’s going to finish. Come when it’s dark outside. And remember, come alone.’
He hung up and Brodie stood looking at his phone for a minute.
Lucy approached him, the two of them alone in the quiet kitchen. ‘You okay, boss?’
He looked at her, trying to get his breathing under control. ‘He has Moira, but he also has Ruth. My incentive to go alone.’
‘Where are they?’
‘Where we caught Kane, he says.’
‘I’m coming with you.’
‘No, Lucy. I’m going alone. He wants me there after dark. That’s because the traffic will be lighter then and easier for him to get away.’
‘You’re not going alone. He’ll kill you if you do.’
‘He’ll kill Moira and Ruth if I don’t.’
‘Not going to happen.’ She placed a hand on his arm.
‘I have an idea, but if it’s going to work, we need to move now.
We have three hours. It’s a very long shot, and it’s going to require a lot of people to co-operate, but if we start now, it might just work.
And if it doesn’t, I’m still going with you. I’m not letting you go in there alone.’
She told him what she was thinking.
‘If it all works out, then I won’t be going in alone, will I?’ he said.
‘I’m still going to be there. There’s nothing you can say or do that will stop me.’
He nodded. ‘Okay. Let’s get going.’