‘But you’re going anyway?’

‘According to McCreadie, I’m to blend into the background and await further orders.’

Now Janice could see where the annoyance came from. ‘That doesn’t sound like you,’ she laughed.

McNab realized she’d been doing that a lot today. Must be the engagement, he decided. Seeing he wasn’t going to rile Janice regarding Smart’s capture of their prime witness, he changed the subject.

‘So we’re still on for a drink tonight?’

‘I’ll have to check with Paula first.’

‘About what? Me or the drink?’ he joshed.

‘Oh, she’s well keen to finally meet you,’ Janice said with yet another laugh.

McNab retreated at that point, wondering if meeting his partner’s significant other was a great idea after all. On his way to the bike, he considered inviting Ellie tonight as his own significant other. Although asking Ellie to an engagement drinks party might not be a good idea. Plus there was no guarantee that she would act as an ally.

At this point McNab checked his mobile, but there still hadn’t been a response to this morning’s apology for his no-show last night. It seemed a murder wasn’t a good enough excuse.

53

Dr Walker glanced up as a suited Rhona entered, acknowledging her arrival with a welcoming nod and a pair of smiling blue eyes.

The SOCOs had finished the initial taping and photographing of the body, and Dr Walker was now examining and recording his thoughts on the wounds they’d located.

Rhona had never met Alec McLaughlin, though she’d seen his photograph at the strategy meeting and heard all about the man from both Magnus and McNab.

Magnus’s psychological reading of the deceased had been close to a recognized psychopath with a strong narcissistic streak, who was likely to re-offend in his chosen sphere, the sexual abuse of children. Because of this, he hadn’t been safe in prison. It seemed he hadn’t been safe as a free man either.

Lying on his back, the two major wounds were clearly visible. Dr Walker identified and measured the wounds and began to describe how he thought they’d come about.

For Rhona, the main reason for coming here was to have her own reading of how McLaughlin had died either verified or disputed, via a forensic pathologist’s interpretation of the wounds and how and when they’d occurred.

‘The fatal neck wound was done swiftly and without any tentative early cuts,’ Dr Walker was saying. ‘By someone who knew what they were doing. I would therefore conclude that death was caused by the severing of the carotid artery causing him to bleed out.

‘The attack on the penis may have come before. Perhaps even during the sexual act,’ he recorded. ‘As there were no injuries in the area of the anus, it’s not possible to establish whether the sex was consensual or not, but it did occur.

‘There is also no bruising on the arms or upper body to suggest the victim was physically forced to his knees and then onto all fours. If a knife was used to threaten him, then that may have been sufficient encouragement. Again, he may have conceded to undressing and getting into this position by choice.