Read Online The Book of Souls (The Inspector McLean Mysteries) by James Oswald - Free Book Online Page B

his breath. Cheeky bitch had got herself a new number. Most of the city's more persistent reporters were already in his phonebook precisely so he could avoid talking to them, and Dalgliesh was right there at the top of his list. He thought about hanging up, but before he could do so, the reporter started up again.
    'Body found out at Gladhouse. Young woman. Killing bears some similarities to your old friend Donald Anderson.'
    'Goodbye Ms Dalgliesh.' McLean took the phone from his ear, hearing the tinny voice recede as his thumb hovered over the off switch.
    'Her name's Audrey...' and he lost the rest in his hurry to clamp the phone back where it had been.
    'What did you say?'
    'Ah. I thought that might get your attention. You've been treating her as a Jane Doe, haven't you.'
    'How the hell could you know who she is? You haven't even seen her?'
    'Actually, I have. Your young constable MacBride circulated an e-fit around all the papers about half an hour ago. The news editor just sent it to my phone. Lucky I bothered looking at it.'
    'Lucky?' McLean could think of other adjectives. 'So who is she then? How come you know her?'
    'Ah now, Inspector. You know how it goes. I show you mine, you show me yours. What's in it for me?'
    McLean shuddered at the thought. There was nothing about Joanne Dalgliesh he imagined ever wanting to see not covered by her manky old raincoat.
    'Do I need to remind you that we're investigating a murder here, Ms Dalgliesh?'
    'Please, call me Jo. And aye, I'm just teasing. She's a wanderer. A vagrant. That's why nobody bothered to report her missing. Well, not round here, anyways.'
    McLean pictured the dead body in his mind, recalled the post mortem he'd just witnessed. She'd been thin, sure, but not emaciated. In overall good health, Angus had said. Apart from the lack of blood and being dead bit.
    'You sure about this?' he asked. 'I've just been at her post mortem and there was no sign of drug abuse.'
    'Aye, well, there wouldn't be. Strongest stuff Aud ever touched was a bit of blow. She wasn't living on the street because she had to, she was there because she wanted to. Told me she was going to write a book about it some day.'
    'Told you? When did you last see her?'
    ''bout a week back. Supposed to meet her again last Tuesday, but she never showed.'
    'And you didn't think to report her missing?'
    Dalgliesh laughed. 'Jings no. If I called the polis every time one of my sources didn't turn up you'd have no time for real work.'
    McLean realised he'd stopped walking. 'Look, why were you meeting with this Audrey...'
    'Carpenter. Audrey Carpenter. I was going to do one of those in depth profiles for the Sunday supplement. Probably still will, but I'll need to change things a bit now. Do a bit more background. See Carpenter wasn't the name she was christened with. No, that was her mum's name. Aud took it to get away from her father.'
    'And this is leading somewhere?' McLean fumbled for his notebook, dropped it into the gutter, then realised he wouldn't have been able to write anything down anyway.
    'Does the name Jim MacDougal mean anything to you?'
    'What, Razors MacDougal?'
    'Aye, that's him. When he wasn't busy carving out his wee empire in Tongland he married his childhood sweetheart, Jenny Carpenter. They had a daughter, Violet Audrey. Seems old Jim was rather too fond of sitting young Audrey on his knee, if you know what I'm saying. She did a runner about two years back. Been living in squats ever since.'
    'Shit.' McLean rubbed at his face with his free hand. The last thing he needed was a link to a Glasgow crime lord. But there was potential motive there, and he at least had an ID to work with.
    'Look, Ms Dalgliesh, I really need you to come down to the station and make a statement. Anything you can tell us about Audrey's movements before she went missing could be crucial in catching her killer.'
    'Aye, well it'll have tae wait til tomorrow. My train's jest coming into Dundee.'
    'Dundee? What're you