possessions he had with him in Edinburgh?"
"Yes," said Norma. "There were a few things he'd left here, some of his more embarrassing CDs I think. They're up in the loft."
Cullen nodded, surprised how calm the woman was, but then again she was an Angus wifie. They built them differently up here - his own mother would be the same if anything happened to him or Michelle. "Did James keep a journal?"
"Not that I know of," said Norma, shaking her head. "The police weren't able to get much off his laptop."
Cullen noticed the machine on the desk, quite a dated model, blacks and reds compared with the silver sheen of the one Sharon had just bought.
"I'd like to take this in as evidence," said Cullen, knowing it would mean a trip to Charlie Kidd, their Forensic IT Analyst.
"That's fine," said Norma. "If it will help you."
As Cullen hefted the laptop - heavier than he first thought - he noticed a cache of unmarked CDs at the back of the desk. He put the laptop down and inspected them - they appeared to be The Invisibles CDs. He realised they knew next to nothing about the band, what they sounded like, other than what David Johnson and Beth Williamson had told them. "Can I take a copy of the CDs?"
"Take those," said Norma. "George put them on his computer a long time ago."
"I think that's probably all from us just now," said Cullen, handing her a card. "In case there's anything else, please give me a call in the first instance."
"I will do," said Norma.
"We'll leave you in the capable hands of PC Taggart," said Cullen.
They crept down the stairs, leaving Norma Strang in her son's bedroom staring into space.
Out on the street, Cullen dialled the new Alex Hughes number. It rang for a while, not even going to voicemail. He pocketed his phone.
"Sorry for getting caught talking about her son like that," said Buxton.
"She didn't seem to mind," said Cullen. "I wouldn't make a habit of it, though."
"I'm not a homophobe, mate. It was a genuine question."
"Okay." Cullen pointed back at the house. "What do you think of him?"
"Seen his type a lot in the music scene," said Buxton. "Introverted guy, plays his guitar, listens to loud music, then becomes a rock star when he's pissed on stage."
"Guess so," said Cullen, leaning back against his car. "We've got no suspects and we still can't get hold of Alex Hughes."
"Reckon he's one?" said Buxton.
"Why call it in if you'd killed someone?" said Cullen.
Buxton shrugged. "Good point. What are we doing now?"
Cullen thought it through for a few seconds. "You're going to the local station to ask around, see if he's got himself into mischief and been run out of town or anything."
"You hooking up with an old flame or something, Shagger?" said Buxton, a leery look in his eye.
"Worse," said Cullen. "I'm taking my parents out for dinner."
CHAPTER 18
"He does know me and Sharon were supposed to be coming up tonight, right?" said Cullen.
"You know your father, Scott," said Cullen's mother. "In fact, he's very much like his son." She took a sip of wine. "They're very busy just now and they've got a lot of deals going on. He's called a way a lot." She reached over the table and prodded him in the chest. "Anyway, the first I knew you weren't coming to stay was when you turned up on my doorstep an hour ago. I've lots of food in for the weekend. You'll have to take it home with you."
"Fine," said Cullen. "Suits me."
"A weekend with the pair of you would have been nice. How is Sharon?"
"She's got a stinker of a cold," said Cullen. "Doesn't look like we'd have been able to come up anyway. As it is, I'm going to be stuck in this case for the whole weekend."
"I worry about you, son. There's too much pressure on you."
"Aye, well," said Cullen, "I'm an Acting DS now and I'm not letting it go without a fight. Besides Sharon wants a new house. I've got a lot of responsibility, people reporting to me."
"That's good."
The waiter brought their food - pizza for his mother and a salad for Cullen,
"Yes," said Norma. "There were a few things he'd left here, some of his more embarrassing CDs I think. They're up in the loft."
Cullen nodded, surprised how calm the woman was, but then again she was an Angus wifie. They built them differently up here - his own mother would be the same if anything happened to him or Michelle. "Did James keep a journal?"
"Not that I know of," said Norma, shaking her head. "The police weren't able to get much off his laptop."
Cullen noticed the machine on the desk, quite a dated model, blacks and reds compared with the silver sheen of the one Sharon had just bought.
"I'd like to take this in as evidence," said Cullen, knowing it would mean a trip to Charlie Kidd, their Forensic IT Analyst.
"That's fine," said Norma. "If it will help you."
As Cullen hefted the laptop - heavier than he first thought - he noticed a cache of unmarked CDs at the back of the desk. He put the laptop down and inspected them - they appeared to be The Invisibles CDs. He realised they knew next to nothing about the band, what they sounded like, other than what David Johnson and Beth Williamson had told them. "Can I take a copy of the CDs?"
"Take those," said Norma. "George put them on his computer a long time ago."
"I think that's probably all from us just now," said Cullen, handing her a card. "In case there's anything else, please give me a call in the first instance."
"I will do," said Norma.
"We'll leave you in the capable hands of PC Taggart," said Cullen.
They crept down the stairs, leaving Norma Strang in her son's bedroom staring into space.
Out on the street, Cullen dialled the new Alex Hughes number. It rang for a while, not even going to voicemail. He pocketed his phone.
"Sorry for getting caught talking about her son like that," said Buxton.
"She didn't seem to mind," said Cullen. "I wouldn't make a habit of it, though."
"I'm not a homophobe, mate. It was a genuine question."
"Okay." Cullen pointed back at the house. "What do you think of him?"
"Seen his type a lot in the music scene," said Buxton. "Introverted guy, plays his guitar, listens to loud music, then becomes a rock star when he's pissed on stage."
"Guess so," said Cullen, leaning back against his car. "We've got no suspects and we still can't get hold of Alex Hughes."
"Reckon he's one?" said Buxton.
"Why call it in if you'd killed someone?" said Cullen.
Buxton shrugged. "Good point. What are we doing now?"
Cullen thought it through for a few seconds. "You're going to the local station to ask around, see if he's got himself into mischief and been run out of town or anything."
"You hooking up with an old flame or something, Shagger?" said Buxton, a leery look in his eye.
"Worse," said Cullen. "I'm taking my parents out for dinner."
CHAPTER 18
"He does know me and Sharon were supposed to be coming up tonight, right?" said Cullen.
"You know your father, Scott," said Cullen's mother. "In fact, he's very much like his son." She took a sip of wine. "They're very busy just now and they've got a lot of deals going on. He's called a way a lot." She reached over the table and prodded him in the chest. "Anyway, the first I knew you weren't coming to stay was when you turned up on my doorstep an hour ago. I've lots of food in for the weekend. You'll have to take it home with you."
"Fine," said Cullen. "Suits me."
"A weekend with the pair of you would have been nice. How is Sharon?"
"She's got a stinker of a cold," said Cullen. "Doesn't look like we'd have been able to come up anyway. As it is, I'm going to be stuck in this case for the whole weekend."
"I worry about you, son. There's too much pressure on you."
"Aye, well," said Cullen, "I'm an Acting DS now and I'm not letting it go without a fight. Besides Sharon wants a new house. I've got a lot of responsibility, people reporting to me."
"That's good."
The waiter brought their food - pizza for his mother and a salad for Cullen,
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