Killer's Cross

To my aunt, Moyra McDermott, who has believed in me and encouraged me every step of the way.

To my readers who have taken DI Shona McKenzie to their hearts and who make these books possible.

Chapter 1

Lying on the damp earth, listening to the grating of a rusty lock, she knows her life is about to end. She is alone in this prison. Thick darkness, like a shroud, engulfs her body in its muffled tendrils. She bites back a scream and shouts.

Help. Help me.

Ineffectual, her voice fades into the inky night. She shifts her body. No comfort. She cannot move far, chained as she is. Tense muscles strain against the rapidly cooling metal. She feels pain, unimaginable pain. Her breathing quickens as panic takes hold. She forces herself to relax. To think. To take stock. Uses her mind to explore. She uses her fingers and feet to survey her surroundings. Wood, dirt floor. The dank smell of wet earth. A shed? An outhouse? A barn?

Then, a delicate tickle against her skin. Soft, gentle it travels up her bare leg prickling along every tiny nerve end. Creeping, crawling, relentless. She kicks. Tries to push it off with her hands. The chains stop her. She can’t reach. It is still there. There is no escape. Another joins it. Myriad others. Spiders, her worst fear. They are all over her. Shaking, she screams then snaps her mouth shut as she feels them on her face. She is rigid. There is no way out.

She prays for death.

Chapter 2

Flashing an ID card the flapper steps through the dimly lit, red brick archway towards the body of the dead vicar. It’s not often you find a flapper at a crime scene. Not in Dundee anyway. Shona is the flapper, more commonly known to the good people of Dundee as, Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie. She doesn't need to look too closely at the body to know this particular vicar has not died well. His face is set in a death mask grimace, his clothes torn, and a cross has been carved on his chest.

Hoy. Laurel and Hardy get yourselves over here. Dundee CID have been to the Tayside Police Annual Charity Ball. Not that Tayside Police exists any more but in the police, like many institutions, tradition lingers.

The pair, aka Detective Sergeant Peter Johnston and Detective Constable Iain Barrow leap to it and hurry over. What do you make of this? asks Shona.

A vicar? First it’s nuns and now a vicar. What’s the world coming tae? says Peter.

Their last case had been awash with nuns, both dead and alive, but Shona is sure it has nothing to do with their current corpse. She is hoping so anyway. Arresting the ecclesiastical fraternity is not her favourite occupation.

I know there’s not much light but there doesn’t seem to be any blood. I’d expect a lot more given the chest carving. Iain can you get some photos?

I’m on it Ma’am. I’ll do what I can until Eddie from the council tips up with the lights.

Is Eddie the only person who works for the council? It always seems to be him who comes to our scenes.

He has a soft spot for you Ma'am. Being as he’s the senior bloke he says he wants to be called any time you need lights. He wants to make sure you get it done right, says Peter.

Well go Eddie. I’ve got a fan club. Who would have thought it? The Procurator Fiscal might get jealous though so I’m off to have a word with the POLSA. She wants to have an initial look before she speaks to the Police Official Licenced Search Advisor

Hurrying over to Sergeant Muir, she passes Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Munroe, and Sophia Loren. More members of her team, DC Roy MacGregor, DS Abigail Lau, and DS Nina Chakrabarti respectively. Get the gawkers away from the wall, she calls to them. How can there be so many people at this time of night? Tell them the cabaret is over. They’re cluttering up my crime scene. Shut the street if you have to. The poor unsuspecting public doesn't stand a chance with those three on their tails, thinks Shona.

Approaching Sergeant Muir, she asks, What’s the story? Who found him?

The pair of drunks sitting on the grass. Went into the archway for a quickie and got more than they bargained for. It put a right damper on their ardour.

I bet it did. Are they fit to be interviewed?

Not a snowballs chance. I’m surprised they remembered 999 never mind fire up enough brain cells to give you a coherent story.

Great. Shona calls over to her team. Abigail, take this sorry pair down to the nick. Force-feed them coffee and lots of grease. Sober them up for an interview.

As Eddie has now worked his magic with the lights Shona has a closer look at the dead vicar.

Hi Eddie. We must stop meeting like this.

Aye Shona. Much as I like seeing you it would be better at a sensible time o’ the day.

It would that Eddie. Unfortunately the murderers don’t seem to have got the memo.

The body doesn't look any better by the million watts light of an LED. Unkempt hair, needs a shave, not the sort of look she expects from a vicar. She bends down. He looks and smells like he hasn't had a wash in months. Badly bitten fingernails are ingrained with dirt. Despite this the clothes look clean and there are no signs of blood. None. Iain will get them into evidence so he can do some tests.

He’s a bit scruffy for a vicar do ye no’ think Ma’am? I’ve met a lot of vicars in my time, an’ I know some o’ the more modern ones can be a bit casual, but no’ as bad as this.

English please Peter. I’ve enough on my plate interpreting a crime scene without doing the same with your speech.

Aye Ma’am. Sorry. He doesn't look particularly sorry. This probably has something to do with the large grin on his face. Peter doesn't give a toss what Shona, or anyone else, thinks of his accent.

You seem to be akin to the Oracle of Delphi when it comes to all things Dundee. Do you know where this particular vicar hangs up his Theology Certificate?

Not a clue. I can honestly say I’ve never clapped eyes on him before in my life. I’d remember a vicar carrying that particular odour.

Do you know who the vicar is here?

No’ now. It used to belong to the Catholics but its been taken over by some trendy lot.

I’ll pin it down when I get back to the office. It shouldn’t be that hard. The Gateway is fairly well known and it'll be all over the Internet. She looks around. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of Soldier Boy yet. Find out where he is. You and Nina take one of the boys each and search the area. If you haven’t got torches in your cars then borrow them from all the uniform cops who are milling around. Soldier Boy is DC Jason Roberts, one of the newest members of her team. Jason got his nickname as he’d done a stint in the TA before joining the police. This had come in very useful in their last two big cases. There seem to be rather a lot of murders in Dundee. This might be why it is known as the murder capital of Scotland.

As Peter leaves, Shona turns to examine the corpse. She bends down to see if he has any ID in his pockets. He doesn't even have any pockets so no help there. The singular lack of blood bothers her. He’s obviously been murdered elsewhere and carried here, but surely there should be blood on his clothes or around the large cross adorning his chest. She is interrupted by a gravelly voice that she recognises instantly. It sends her nerve ends dancing with excitement. It belongs to the Procurator Fiscal, Douglas Lawson, who also happens to be her boyfriend. She turns as he says, Hi Shona. Here we go again. Dating over dead bodies. His eyes are blue and sparkle with laughter. These and his smile make Shona come over all peculiar. She must be the only woman in the history of Christendom whose love life is carried out at crime scenes.

She manages to calm down and keep a professional yet friendly manner. She's sure it doesn't fool the Procurator Fiscal one bit. Douglas. This is a strange one even for me. A dead vicar with a huge cross carved on his chest. Given that, I think we can safely say he was murdered. Unless Burke and Hare have resurrected themselves and moved to Dundee.

With you involved nothing would surprise me, he replies.

Larry Briar, the police surgeon, interrupts them. Having been at the same party as the rest of them, he is dressed as a police surgeon from the 1920’s. Larry may be excellent at his job but he is sadly lacking in imagination.

Shona, how did I know that I wouldn’t be able to get through a night out in your company, without being called to a murder?

Given the amount of murders that have happened on her watch she has the reputation of being the grim reaper of Dundee. She's given up trying to defend herself. It's easier.

It won’t take you long to certify this one, but I’d like your thoughts when you’re done.

Douglas and Shona step back to let him through the archway. It takes him under a minute.

Agreed and certified. That’s the most bloodless murder scene I’ve attended in 30 years in the job. He is wiping sweat from his brow with a large spotted hankie. Warm isn’t it?

During her time in Dundee Shona has come to realise that Dundonians always have to mention the weather. It's a national pastime.

Mary will love this one, he says.

Mary is the pathologist for the area and Shona has to agree, she does like a puzzle. He leaves and Douglas says he has to follow suit.

I’ve left Rory and Alice in the tender care of my brother in law. I’d better not stretch his willingness too far as I dragged him out of bed. He came across in his PJ’s.

I’m surprised Rory’s not here with you. Douglas’s ten-year-old son is fascinated with Shona's job and has a habit of appearing beside her corpses. She realises that is weird, but everyone who meets her soon comes to realise that her working life closely resembles an episode of the Three Stooges. Nothing ever goes to plan. Restraining the urge to kiss him, she says goodbye. Kissing beside a dead body is too way out even for her. Some people would also consider it unprofessional.

Iain has finished processing the crime scene, so she leaves the POLSA and his team to guard the body until the mortuary collects it. The Chief is still at the party, dressed as Attila the Hun, so she takes out her iPhone to give him an update. When she finishes telling him about a corpse with a cross carved in its chest and a blood free crime scene, there is silence. She waits.

Am I ever going to get an evening out without you spoiling it with tales of murder. This one is extraordinary even for you. Start the investigation and ring me in the morning. Late morning or my wife is not going to be best pleased.

She opens her mouth to reply but is stopped dead by the dial tone. Nothing new then. Here we go with his bally wife again. Why have I always got to run my investigations to the whims of the Chief’s iron fisted wife she wonders? Shoving aside thoughts of carving hooray into the Chief’s dead body she finds the team to let them know she is off back to the station.

How come you always get to go to the office and we’re left slaving over a crime scene? says Roy.

It’s one of the perks of being a DI. Persecuting you is one of my favourites. When she first met Roy she would have torn a strip off him for this. She and DC MacGregor didn’t get off to the best of starts. However, he is less like a sulky child these days. More like a spaniel - bouncy, naughty and grows on you. She is liable to give him the benefit of the doubt and he is shaping up to be a fairly useful member of the team.

Back at the office she switches on the coffee machine and adds a rich Brazilian blend that she has brought in. As it is now 3 a.m., and she has been up since the previous morning, the zip-a-dee part of her doo dah day has long gone. She is pinning her hopes on the fact that copious amounts of coffee might haul at least the zip part back.

Abigail is in the office drinking Chinese Tea. Shona’s never seen the benefits of the beverage but as Abigail is Chinese she can wax lyrical about it all day. A bit like the Scots and whisky. Talking of whisky, Shona is glad she was driving and had only one glass before being pulled out of the ball. Hangovers, and crime scenes do not make for an easy partnership.

How are the drunks? Capable of being interviewed?

Not a chance. They’re snoring their heads off in separate cells.

What on earth did you charge them with? As far as we know they haven’t done anything other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Nothing. I’ve just given them bed and board for the night. That way they’ll be here, if not exactly ready and waiting, in the morning.

Good grief woman. Wait until the Chief hears that we’re using his cells as a doss house.

We won't tell him then, Ma’am.

Shona grins. Good plan. I like the way you think. Were you as bad as this in the Highlands and Islands? Abigail transferred to Shona's team before their last big case. She is a real asset.

Much worse Ma’am. You’re getting off lightly.

I’d hate to see you at your peak. Is someone keeping an eye on them in case they choke on their own vomit?

All in hand Ma’am. They’ll be suffering from no more than a headache and a severe case of regret in the morning.

Thanks. Get it written up and we’ll speak when the others appear.

Leaving Abigail to her tea and paperwork Shona grabs her coffee and fires up the computer. They've recently been issued with Apple iMacs so she is up and running in no time. They also had new furniture a few months back. Shona managed to sneak 'top of the range' past the Chief so her desk is as fancy as the iMac. He hadn’t been a happy chappy when he’d found out but by then it was too late. Luckily she was at the blazing centre of an explosive murder enquiry at the time so she couldn't be fired. Good job really or she would now be working in McDonalds. She straightens a pencil on her pristine desk. Just the way she likes it.

She soon has all the details on the newly appointed vicar at the Gateway. Or should she say Pastor. Google informs her it is one Ms Candace Sanchez of the Dundee International Pentecostal Church of Christ. The church has an emergency contact number and she sets about ruining Ms Sanchez’s beauty sleep. She thinks about leaving it but doesn’t want the Pastor to tip up at the church unawares. Also, one of the gawkers might have been a concerned parishioner who could deliver the news before the police. Ms Sanchez is obviously used to being woken up in the middle of the night, as the early morning call doesn't seem to faze her. She agrees to come to the station and talk to them. Shona is hoping that the woman might know the identity of the dead vicar.

The Pastor turns up before most of the team, which gives Abigail and Shona a chance to interview her. In her late twenties and casually dressed she is definitely an improvement on the last pair Shona and Abigail had interviewed together - Russian twins who were right up to their thick Slavik necks in nefarious goings on. Violence was written into their DNA so it had not been a pleasant experience.

She spouts the preliminaries for the benefit of the recording, Interview with Ms Candace Sanchez. DI Shona McKenzie and DS Abigail Lau in attendance. Ms Sanchez, are you the Pastor of Dundee International Pentecostal Church of Christ?

Yes I am, but only for the past few weeks. Her accent is pure bred Southern American.

Thankfully Iain has returned to the fold so Shona passes a digital photograph across the table. Face photo only. She doesn't want to give any of the facts of the case away.

Do you know this man?

Not that I’m aware of. He doesn’t look familiar.

You haven’t seen him at any Ecumenical Meetings?

I haven’t been to any yet. I’ve only been in the UK for six weeks and this is my first Pastorate.

Could he be a member of your congregation?

Definitely not. It’s only been going for about a year so it's still small. Nine of the members came from the States with me, so I know everyone.

This is getting them nowhere. Shona decides to leave it there and do a round of all the churches in Dundee in the morning. That will be fun she thinks. Dundee has a lot of churches.

Thank you Ms Sanchez. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else.

Can I get into my church?

Not through that door but through any other door you want. It looks like the church is sealed up tight so you won’t be disturbing any evidence inside.

When the team return they congregate in the still immaculate incident room. It won't be long before it looks like the wreck of the Hesperus. All the information gathered in the course of an investigation tends to clutter the place up. Shona switches on a fan. Larry was right. It is warm. Dundee is in the middle of a heat wave and it's looking like it will be a scorcher in the morning. The concrete monstrosity that is Bell St Station could neither keep them warm in the winter, nor cool in the summer. It is hell on earth either way.

What did you find? asks Shona.

Peter takes the lead. Nothing of any import. The usual beer cans and used condoms round the back of the church. The front is well cared for and there were only a couple of bottles, which had been chucked across the wall. In the light of day we’ll need to look in the skips. I’ve earmarked Roy and Jason for that little job.

Shona sees Roy’s mouth open and forestalls him. Don’t even think about saying that we’re picking on the men here Roy. This is not a feminist thing, you guys just happen to be the tallest. His mouth snaps shut. In the