Bottleneck by Ed James Read Free Book Online Page A

happened. I still play the piano occasionally, but nothing serious. I barely listen to anything with a guitar in it these days. I started my PhD, which I will hopefully finish next summer at my current rate of progress."
    "What about the other band members?" said Buxton.
    "Alex, the lead guitarist, is still performing in Glasgow," said Johnson. "I've met up with him a couple of times for dinner."
    "And Beth Williamson?" said Buxton.
    "Beth was like myself," said Johnson. "She got married and gave up music. I don't really keep in touch with her, I'm afraid. Just the occasional text."
    "We've been trying to get in contact with them," said Buxton. "Do you have numbers for either?"
    Johnson nodded, fishing his mobile out. He took great pains to ensure Buxton copied the numbers down correctly.
    "We need a bit more information about Mr Strang," said Cullen. "Where did he work?"
    "In a record shop in Stockbridge," said Johnson. "It's closed down now. I think it became a Starbucks."
    "He didn't work anywhere else?" said Cullen.
    Johnson shook his head. "He was working there when I met him at university and he was still there by the time he vanished."
    "What about friends?" said Cullen.
    "He never had many close friends," said Johnson, "just lots of acquaintances."
    "Anyone off the top of your head?" said Cullen.
    "I'd have to come back to you on that, I'm afraid."
    "What about people in other bands?" said Buxton.
    "Other bands?" Johnson drummed his fingers on the desk for a few seconds. "There were a couple he was friendly with, but mainly to get gigs with them and so on." He frowned. "He was good friends with the singer and the bass player in Expect Delays."
    Cullen scribbled it down.
    "What about flatmates?" said Buxton.
    "He lived in a shared flat," said Johnson, "but I don't think he mixed with his flatmates much. They were annoyed by how drunk he got and the noise he made recording demos on his four-track."
    "Can you give us the address?" said Buxton.
    "I'll try and recall it," said Johnson.
    "Is there anyone who had a grudge against him?" said Cullen. "Someone he'd done over or let down?"
    Johnson shrugged his shoulders. "Not that I can think, sorry."
    Cullen thanked him and got to his feet. "We'll likely be in touch again, Mr Johnson."
    "What about his family?" said Buxton.
    Cullen cringed as he sat down. Schoolboy error.
    "He was from a small town called Dalhousie, I believe," said Johnson, "but he didn't talk about it much. I know both of his parents were alive and well back in two thousand and eleven, but other than that, I'm afraid I can't help."
    "Okay, you're free to go," said Buxton, ending the interview.
    Johnson got up and hurried out of the room, led away by the uniform.
    "I hope they kept his mouth shut in press interviews," said Buxton.

CHAPTER 14

    After a few minutes of searching, Cullen rounded up Methven and Chantal and took them into a vacant meeting room. He spent ten minutes recounting edited highlights of the interview with Johnson, stopping occasionally for Methven's questions.
    "So, in summary," said Methven, eyelids closing, "we have a positive ID on the victim, then?"
    "We obviously need to confirm it by formal means," said Cullen. He looked at Chantal. "Can you make sure Deeley and Anderson know about James Strang and check for DNA, dental records and so on?"
    "Already on it, sir." The sir snapped out of her mouth.
    "And this band you were speaking to," said Methven, "the ones who found the body in the first place?"
    "Nothing suspicious, sir," said Chantal. "They check out. It looks like none of them knew him. Two were still at school at the time. One was in St Andrews and the other Inverness. The drummer is proving a bit trickier. He's a good ten years older."
    "Keep on it," said Methven.
    "There's something else, sir," said Chantal. "The singer is the one from St Andrews. His brother was studying in Edinburgh at the time and he visited him on a few occasions."
    "Any suspicion?" said Methven.
    She