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

finding her. Someone in those cottages might have seen something.
    Bain nodded slowly.  
    At that moment, DS Alan Irvine appeared, his jaws pounding on the best part of a packet of chewing gum, DC McLaren trailing in his wake. Irvine was tall, overweight and prematurely bald. He was Cullen's DS now, Cullen and Sharon having been separated by DCI Turnbull, Bain's boss, the previous September when they had finally announced they were an item and not just another in Cullen's long line of flings. Sharon initially appeared to have lucked out by getting away from Bain but then she now reported into DI Paul Wilkinson - she once referred to it as being 'out of the frying pan into the knackered gas cooker that doesn't give a shite'. Irvine had once been a hot shot in Lothian & Borders but, to Cullen, he was now content to just put the hours in and brown nose the senior officers.
    "You better be keepin' my crime scene clean," said Bain. "Don't want any fuckin' nonsense, all right?"
    "Aye, no bother, gaffer," said Irvine. "Got six people managing this place. Nobody's getting in or out without signing a form."  
    Cullen would be very surprised if the forms were legible by the time they needed to be used. Both forms that he'd signed were already damp, despite the plastic covering.
    Irvine looked at Cullen. "Pish result for your boys on Saturday."
    Cullen had avoided the usual Monday morning football banter with Irvine in the canteen that morning – after the comment about Miller's birthday, Cullen had left Irvine in the queue.
    "One all at Ibrox isn't that bad," said Cullen.
    "Depends on who you fuckin' support," said Bain. "Rangers are goin' to the fuckin' wall. I thought all this shite with the Inland Revenue was enough, but drawing at home to Cullen's lot is the last fuckin' straw."
    While Bain supported Rangers, Cullen was an Aberdeen fan – the nearest clubs to his hometown of Dalhousie would be the Dundee clubs, several lower league clubs or Aberdeen. Cullen's old man was a season ticket holder at Pittodrie, seemingly one of the very few remaining, and he still made the long drive up the A90 every second Saturday.
    "Aye, well," said Irvine, "I was at Tynecastle to watch us get turned over by Caley Thistle."
    Bain shook his head. "I'm surprised you bring football up these days with the way Hearts are playing," he said. "How's the investigation going with those SOCOs?"
    "Anderson said he'll fast track the forensic report," said Irvine, "but he's not confident he'll have anything decent to show 'cos of the rain."
    "Right," said Bain, shaking his head. "Never gets any fuckin' easier this, does it?"
    Irvine took a tub of Wrigley's Extra out of his pocket, shook it and threw another couple of pieces in his mouth. He pocketed it again without offering it around. Cullen reckoned Irvine went through three or four of the tubs a week - one day he might start counting if he became particularly bored.
    "So what do you want us to do then?" asked Cullen.
    "I want Lamb setting up an Incident Room," said Bain. "We've talked this through already - Haddington is too far, so we'll set up in the Garleton nick instead."
    "And I'm sure they'll love us coming in and trying to grab a room," said Lamb.
    Bain glared at him. "Aye, well, they've no choice in the matter," he said. He looked at Cullen and Caldwell. "Sundance, I want you and Batgirl here with me. We're going to interview the deceased's family and friends. I want to know what happened from before she went to bed last night till they noticed she was gone. I want to know everything about that wee girl. Somebody's seen something and I want them in a room giving a statement."
    "Fine," said Cullen with a nod.
    Bain pointed at Murray and Law. "You two are with us." Murray nodded. Bain walked closer to Cullen. He took a deep breath then spoke in an undertone. "Sundance, we've got that fuckin' Burns Supper tonight," he said, "so I want this wrapped up sharp-ish. I need a shit, shower, shag, shave before