Bottleneck by Ed James Read Free Book Online Page B

shook her head. "Got alibis. Just waiting for confirmation, but it looks like Alistair Cameron was in St Andrews that weekend getting so drunk he had his stomach pumped. His brother was visiting his girlfriend in Glasgow."
    "Excellent work, Constable," said Methven. "I want this investigation tight." His gaze shifted to Cullen. "Plan of attack, Sergeant?"
    "ADC Buxton and I will speak to the band while DC Jain carries out those additional checks on the drummer." Cullen looked at Chantal. "Can you dig into his workmates? It'll be difficult, the shop shut last year."
    "Will do," said Chantal, noting it down. "I could do with some help here."
    "I'll see what I can do," said Methven. "There may be a few hours of spare manpower somewhere we can rustle up for you." He looked at Cullen again. "And then?"
    "ADC Buxton and I will speak to his parents," said Cullen.
    Methven folded his arms. "You say he's from the same town as you?"
    Cullen nodded. "That's right, sir."
    "We need to be careful here," said Methven. "If there's a link to you at any point, we'll have to review the situation."
    "I doubt there will be, sir," said Cullen. "Strang was a good few years younger than me and I don't recognise the name. Other than waiting on any other leads to jump out of the blue, we've still got the post mortem and forensics to come."
    "Should get something back this afternoon," said Methven.
    "The only other live leads we've got," said Cullen, "are the drummer, Beth Williamson and-"
    Methven interrupted. "Can women play the drums?"
    Chantal rolled her eyes. "They have to wear trousers, sir."
    Methven blushed. "Well, of course."
    "We've managed to get an address for her," said Cullen, trying to keep himself calm despite the constant interruptions. "We'll go there just now. Hopefully, we can confirm the identity before we head to Dalhousie."
    "And the other live lead, Sergeant?" said Methven.
    "We can't get hold of the guitarist," said Cullen. "A guy called Alex Hughes."
    "Leave it with me," said Chantal.

CHAPTER 15

    Buxton rang the buzzer and they waited outside Beth Williamson's house in Dalkeith, a sprawling dormitory town just south of Edinburgh gobbling up its neighbours.
    Cullen's phone buzzed. A text from Chantal. "She's still struggling to get hold of this Alex Hughes character."
    The door opened. Beth Williamson didn't fit Cullen's picture of a female drummer. She was medium height, slight build, attractive and heavily pregnant. She'd be more at home in a washing powder advert than the main stage at T in the Park.
    Cullen showed his warrant card and introduced them. "Ms Williamson, we spoke on the phone earlier?"
    Beth swallowed. "About Jimi. You'd better come in."
    She led them to a dining room overlooking a small patch of lawn and a square of patio, fruit trees dotted around the perimeter. She sat at the end of the long dining table forcing Cullen and Buxton to sit on either side.
    "How far along are you?" said Buxton.
    "Just over eight months," said Beth. "I'll be glad when he's out, I'll be honest. At least I don't have to go to work anymore."
    "We'd like to ask you about James Strang," said Cullen.
    "Certainly," said Beth. "Hopefully I can help."
    Cullen asked the same questions they'd put to Johnson, getting roughly the same answers albeit in less flowery terms. The only difference concerned Jimi's prowess with the ladies.
    "Jimi was always with a groupie after a gig," said Beth.
    "David Johnson said you weren't that sort of band," said Cullen.
    " We might not have been," said Beth, "but Jimi was that sort of guy."
    "Did you ever have a liaison with him?" said Cullen.
    "Jimi tried it on once. Early on. We agreed it's best not to shit on your own doorstep."
    Cullen raised an eyebrow at the slip of the yummy mummy exterior revealing the rock 'n' roll drummer underneath. "Do you know the names of any women Jimi was involved with?"
    Beth shook her head. "David or Alex might, but I wasn't in the habit of tracking Jimi's bed