Read Online Dark Suits and Sad Songs by Denzil Meyrick - Free Book Online Page B

in through the door. Fearing a stampede, he stood beside Shaw and held his arms out. At six feet three, he more or less dominated the room, apart from a couple of gangly youths, who looked impossibly tall.
    ‘Right!’ Daley shouted. ‘What’s this all about? Norrie, you first.’
    ‘Aye, well, it’s like this, Mr Daley,’ said Norrie, a balding middle-aged fisherman. ‘You know fine I’m no’ prone tae any kind o’ histrionics. I’m a straightforward, honest man.’At that, there was some sniggering. ‘That incident wae the quotas was nothing tae dae wae me. I was asleep below deck when the fishery officer came aboard.’
    ‘Please, ladies and gentleman,’ Daley called, ‘can we just hear what Norrie has to say.’
    ‘Thank you, Mr Daley. Tae cut a long story short, we had a bit o’ engine trouble last night, and by the time we’d fixed the bloody thing it was well efter midnight. Me an’ the boy were jeest passing Paterson’s Point on the way hame, aboot three this morning, when we saw it.’
    ‘Saw what?’
    ‘They lights in the sky, Mr Daley. They were in the distance, at first, flashing lights o’er Arran. Is that no’ right, Kenny?’
    ‘Aye, you’re on the right track there, Norrie,’ agreed one of the tall young men.
    ‘In whoot only could’ve been seconds, this ball o’ colour, whootever it was, jeest shot intae the air an’ came right at us. Came clear o’er the top o’ us, maybe two or three hundred feet above the boat. Aye, no’ a whisper, nothing, quiet as a moose.’
    ‘Have yous been on that Navy Rum again?’ someone called from the crowd.
    ‘I’ll jeest ignore that,’ Norrie said, with a glower in the general direction of the insult.
    ‘There was a hoor o’ a racket no’ long aft er, Norrie,’ said Kenny.
    ‘Aye, you’re right, son. A kinda rushing noise, like the wind, Mr Daley. An’ then, jeest a wee while later, this massive explosion.’
    There was silence for a heartbeat, then, as though on cue, the voices raised into a rabble once more.
    ‘OK!’ Daley shouted, raising his arms. ‘I take it you’re all here to report similar experiences?’ This was greeted with shouts of agreement. ‘Right, in that case, I want each one of you to make a written statement. Sergeant Shaw here will take you one by one into an interview room. We have to do this in an ordered way, so please try to be patient. Norrie, you first.’
    ‘Aye, thanks, Mr Daley. I wisna sure whoot the polis would think o’ this. I’m glad it wisna jeest us that saw the bloody thing.’
    ‘No,’ Daley said, searching the worried faces. ‘I can tell you’ve all seen something, whatever it was.’
    ‘Aye, you have the right o’ it, Mr Daley,’ said Norrie, as he was being shown into an interview room by Shaw. ‘You’ll be wantin’ tae see Kenny’s video, tae, I’ve nae doubt.’
    ‘Video?’
    ‘Aye, he filmed maist o’ it on his phone, did you no’, Kenny?’
    ‘Aye, Mr Daley. I’ve got it a’ here.’ Kenny held his smartphone up for Daley to see.
    ‘Dae you no’ think you should be giein’ Mr Daley a call?’ Annie asked, looking at Scott with concern. He had polished off nearly a bottle of whisky and she noted that most of the plate of food she had placed in front of him had been left untouched.
    ‘Ach, it’ll be fine, Annie. You’re a dreadful woman for worrying,’ Scott slurred. ‘When you’ve known big Jimmy for a’ the years I have, well, you have a mutual respect, regardless o’ what pips are on whose shoulder, if you know what I mean. And if you don’t mind me sayin’, Annie, my dear, I’ve always thought you were a fine-lookin’ woman.’
    ‘Ach, away wae you, you auld charmer. I’ll get you a cup o’ black coffee, an’ we’ll phone the police office, how’s that?’
    ‘Black coffee, fuck all. I’ll have another quick dram; one for the ditch, you understand. Noo, where the fuck are they fuckin’ keys?’ Scott stood unsteadily, searching his