In the Cold Dark Ground. Stuart MacBride

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СКАЧАТЬ some cast you’ve got there, Ethan, what happened to your arm?’

      He stared back in silence.

      OK…

      Mrs Milne shook her head. ‘I love him to bits, but he can be a clumsy wee soul sometimes. Can’t you, Ethan?’

      A shrug, then Ethan went back to his orange juice.

      ‘He’s a bit shy.’ She ladled batter into the frying pan and pulled on a gleaming smile. ‘So, who’s for pancakes?’

      Logan wandered over to the window, rolling up a pancake – smeared with butter and raspberry jam – as if it were a fine cigar. Bit off the end and chewed.

      Outside, Ethan slouched through the rain, good hand held in his mother’s. The cast on his other arm pressed against his chest. A scarlet people-carrier idled at the kerb, and as they reached it the driver’s window slid down, revealing a large woman with a Lego-bob haircut who smiled at them.

      Mrs Milne bent down and kissed Ethan on the cheek, wiped the lipstick away, and saw him into the back of the car. Made sure he was belted in. Then stood there, in the rain, waving as the car wound its way out of the small development, onto the road, and away. Stood there a moment or two longer. And finally turned and trudged towards the house again.

      Tufty appeared at Logan’s elbow. Had a sip of tea from a mug with Winnie the Pooh on it. ‘Doesn’t seem like a very happy kid.’

      ‘His dad’s vanished.’

      ‘True.’

      Another bite. ‘And then there’s the broken arm.’

      ‘I was forever falling out of trees when I was five.’

      ‘Let me guess: you landed on your head a lot.’ Logan frowned out at the rain. ‘Get onto Social and see if anyone’s raised any flags about Ethan. Doctors, hospitals, teachers. Exactly how “clumsy” is he?’

      ‘Sarge.’

      A clunk, then a rattle, and Mrs Milne was back looking as if she’d just been for a swim. She grimaced at them. ‘Poor wee soul’s having a hard time at school. Some of the kids think it’s fun to wind him up, because Martin’s missing. Can you imagine anything so cruel?’ She dabbed at her long black hair with a tea towel. ‘Yesterday, someone told him Martin’s run off with a younger woman. That Martin doesn’t love him any more.’ She shuddered. ‘Well, you know what kids are like. Horrible little monsters.’

      Tufty beamed at her. ‘Sorry to be a pain, but could I use your loo? Too much tea.’

      ‘Out into the hallway, second on the right.’

      ‘Thanks.’ And he was off, unclipping his Airwave handset as he went. Not exactly subtle.

      Idiot.

      Logan polished off the pancake. Sooked his fingers clean. ‘Do you know if your husband has online banking? And if he does, can you get access to it?’

      ‘Martin hasn’t run off with some tart. He wouldn’t do that to us.’ She looked away, lowered her voice. ‘He loves us.’

      ‘Mrs Milne? The banking?’

      ‘Of course – we’ve got joint accounts.’ She went over to the Welsh dresser and opened a drawer. Pulled out a small laptop. ‘Oh, you should have heard them when we got married: “He’s far too young for her”, “He’s a toy boy”, “She’s such a dirty old lady”, “Must be like he’s shagging his mum”.’

      The laptop went on the kitchen table. Then whirred and beeped into life.

      ‘Kids aren’t the only monsters.’ She logged in. ‘Suppose that’s where they get it from.’

      Logan took the seat next to her. ‘You said Ethan was clumsy sometimes?’

      ‘Hold on, it wants to install updates…’ Mrs Milne hunched over the keyboard, fingers clattering across the plastic. ‘Do you mean his arm? He says he fell over in the playground, but I don’t know. Why didn’t the teachers see anything? Surely if a wee boy falls over and breaks his arm, they’d see something.’ Then she sat back again. ‘Here we go. What do you need?’

      Logan pointed at the bank’s summary page of accounts. ‘Can you call up all recent transactions? We want to see if Martin’s used his credit or debit card.’

      She hesitated. ‘You think he’s run away.’

      ‘We’re only looking for some clue to where he is. If he’s taking money out in Dundee, we know to get the police there looking for him.’

      She bit her bottom lip again, then fiddled with the trackpad, bringing up a list of the last ten credit card transactions. Pointed. ‘These are mostly me: Tesco, Tesco, shoes for Ethan, Tesco, Tesco again, heating oil. That one’s Martin’s: the petrol station in Peterhead on Friday. Then it’s just Tesco, Tesco, Tesco.’

      ‘What about the current account?’

      ‘Erm…’ She clicked again. ‘Nothing since Monday. I got fifty pounds out to pay the window cleaner.’

      So Milne had been missing since Sunday night and not bought a single meal on his credit card, or taken a penny out of the bank. If he really had been on the run for three days and four nights, surely he’d have to spend something. ‘And he doesn’t have any other accounts? Maybe from before you were married?’

      ‘Martin and I don’t keep secrets from one another.’ Her chin came up. ‘If he had another account I’d know about it.’

      Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Everyone had secrets.

      Logan nodded at the screen. ‘Any chance you can print off everything for the last three months or so?’

      She rested her fingers against the keys, staring at her bitten nails. ‘What if something’s happened to him? What if he…’ Mrs Milne cleared her throat. ‘What if they’re right? What if he thinks we don’t matter, and he can do better somewhere else with someone his own age? What if he’s dead?’

      He probably was, but there was no point telling her that.

      Logan placed a hand on her shoulder. The jumper was damp and cool. ‘We’re going to do everything we can.’

      She nodded. Then sniffed. Then wiped a hand across her eyes. ‘Yes. Right. I’ll download those statements.’

      Logan settled back against the work surface, a fresh cup of tea steaming away in his hand.

      The back garden was a shivering mass of bushes and low trees, slapped about by the wind. A shed sat in the bottom corner, surrounded by terracotta pots, their contents covered with white fleecy material. What looked like a vegetable plot lay along the far end of the garden. All very bucolic and genteel. Perched on the edge of the world.

      He checked his watch. Half eight and there was still no sign of Tufty. Knowing Logan’s luck, Mrs Milne had probably left the front door open and Tufty had got out. He’d be climbing trees, chasing cars, and pooping СКАЧАТЬ