Mark shrugged. ‘The way he explained it… I’m a good shot, Inspector. I was a keeper up on Deeside for years. The stags, they get out of hand if you don’t cull them. Part of my job, and I never let an animal suffer. Clean shot. That was me.’ He nodded to himself then he said, ‘My dad, he suffered, you know? Not just the pain. He was like a baby in the end. Had to do everything for him.’ He drew a hand across his eyes then said, ‘No one deserves to go like that, Inspector. No one.’

The room was deathly silent. Clare felt Chris shift in his seat next to her and she made a small gesture with her hand to give Mark a minute. Then she said, ‘So you agreed to carry out what you were told would be a mercy killing in return for wiping your debt clean?’

He was looking down now. ‘Aye.’

‘And if you refused, your children would be at risk, yes?’

He raised his eyes to meet Clare’s and she saw they were bright with tears. ‘Aye.’

It was as good a confession as Clare had ever heard. But they still didn’t know who the moneylender was. ‘And this man?’

Mark’s expression clouded. ‘So, here’s the thing. If I give you a name and you don’t nail him, what happens to my wee boys? To my wife? What happens if I’m not there to protect them?’

Clare sighed. He had a point. Whoever was responsible had clearly gone to the trouble of finding out about Mark and his family. And if they didn’t manage to find evidence against the moneylender, or if a jury didn’t believe Mark’s story…

‘Mark,’ she said, hoping she sounded confident, ‘we can protect them. We have people who specialise in this kind of thing. And, if you help us, I’ll make sure it’s mentioned in court. But, if you don’t, he’ll just keep on exploiting people like you.’

He sat weighing this for some minutes then he said, ‘You can look after them? My family?’

Clare nodded. ‘We can arrange for them to be moved, new names if necessary. But it usually doesn’t come to that. So, Mark, the name please?’

‘Gerrard,’ he said. ‘Doug Gerrard.’

Chapter 47

‘Charged him?’ Tony asked.

Clare shook her head. ‘Not yet. I want to see what Doug Gerrard has to say for himself.’

‘Makes sense, I suppose.’

Chris glanced at his watch. ‘Should be here soon.’

‘Make sure Jim knows to keep the two of them apart,’ Clare said. ‘I don’t want Doug intimidating Mark Mooney any further.’

Chris nodded. ‘Sorted.’

Tony leaned back in his chair. ‘So what now?’

Clare frowned. ‘We need to find evidence to back up Mark Mooney’s story. If it comes to his word against Doug Gerrard’s I wouldn’t be too sure of a conviction.’