Devil in the Detail (Scott Cullen Mysteries) Read Online Free PDF

look on her face made Cullen feel out of his depth. "We usually go at this time of year but Andrew's been too busy to take leave."
    Cullen racked his brain for anything else they hadn't asked and came up blank. He thanked her for her time and handed her his card.  
    "If you hear of anything or recall anything that might help then please do not hesitate to give me a call."
    *
    Cullen and Caldwell returned to the crime scene at Balgone Ponds, looking for Bain and Lamb. Cullen wondered if they were any closer to discovering if it was the scene of the murder or just where the body was dumped.
    The young PC still stood guard at the police cordon, shivering in the cold and the rain. Cullen knew from bitter experience that he would likely be posted there for the rest of his shift, the promise of overtime being the only consolation. Cullen chatted to him - his name was PC Johnny Watson. He found out that the SOCO van had left, the body had been removed and at least half of the officers had left. Cullen thanked him and they headed off.
    They found Bain and Lamb stuck in a heated discussion. Murray was listening in but keeping a distance from the two stags. Cullen shared a look of raised eyebrows with Murray as they approached. Law was looking bewildered - Cullen had thought that she had a certain look of cool detachment earlier, but having two senior officers at the point of battering each other had obviously fazed her. McLaren was nowhere to be seen.  
    "Let me be clear, DS Lamb, and remind you that I have rank here," said Bain, his voice almost a hiss. "I'm the Senior Investigating Officer on this case and you are a Detective Sergeant."
    Lamb didn't reply immediately, just held Bain's look.  
    Cullen imagined that his thoughts were along the lines of City cops coming into his patch and stealing his case and any attached glory. The structure of Lothian & Borders CID was such that each division had its contingent of Detectives. Edinburgh City - A Division - had by far the largest concentration but crucially had the higher ranks as well. Pretty much every regional station that Cullen had ever been in had one DS with two or three DCs, like Lamb had, which was sufficient to cope with their usual caseload - burglary, drugs and the occasional attack. The ranks of DI and above were central administrative roles in the regional stations, rather than active investigating officers like Bain. Cullen knew that cases like this were always a sore point with the local police when the likes of Bain would be called in to spearhead a high profile investigation. This case had clearly looked like murder when they found the body, hence Edinburgh CID being called out so early on.  
    To Cullen, though, Lamb could be a useful foil for Bain. He knew the area, all the nooks and crannies of East Lothian. He also knew the people - he had the contacts that years of working in a community would give, that a week or so on a murder case like this could never. He'd also got Bain's back up so early on which, to Cullen, meant one more potential ally if Bain got into yet another vendetta.
    "Fair enough," said Lamb, stepping back. He did so with a flounce, smiling as he did it to show there wasn't an issue to the junior officers present.
    Bain looked like he wasn't finished with Lamb but his gaze settled on Cullen. "That was quick," said Bain. "Hope you two weren't arsin' about."
    "Hardly," drawled Cullen.
    He updated Bain and Lamb on the visit to Morag Tattersall and the news that the couple who owned the gatehouse were probably away skiing. He passed on the names and address of Tattersall's neighbours who walked the Jack Russell every day – there had been no answer on the way over.
    Bain digested the information for a few seconds.
    "I think we should interview all of the residents," said Cullen. He'd hesitated in suggesting it, fearing that he'd be asked to do it. "Something has clearly happened here between Mandy going to bed last night and Morag Tattersall