Free Bottleneck by Ed James Page B

know if you'd done proper policing recently. Shouldn't even have gone up to Dalrymple or whatever the place is called."
    "Dalhousie," said Cullen, grinding his teeth. "Are there any open leads you didn't close down?"
    "What are you saying?" said McAllister.
    "Nothing," said Cullen, losing patience with him. "We're wondering if there was anything you couldn't investigate at the time. It's a murder investigation now. We've got more resources than you had back then."
    "Nothing springs to mind," said McAllister.
    Cullen nodded down at the now-closed notebook. "And in there?"
    McAllister shook his head. "Afraid not."
    Cullen got to his feet. "Thanks for your help. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes. I know how you old-timers dislike your loose ends as you head to retirement."
    "Aye, fine," said McAllister.
    Cullen marched off to the front entrance, through the security doors and out into the cold air.
    "You need to start a fan club," said Buxton. "Do you think McAllister might start one for you when he retires?"
    "Very good," said Cullen.
    "Not in the mood?"
    Cullen slumped back against the car and folded his arms. "This is a joke. We're getting nowhere with this."
    "Come on, mate," said Buxton, "it's not like your career is resting on it."
    "I thought you'd stopped trying to be funny?" said Cullen.
    Buxton held his hands up. "Calm down. Whatever happens on Monday, happens."
    Cullen could see the sense in what he said. "Right. We need to speak to the band again. I don't like not being able to get hold of Alex Hughes."
    "What tack do you want to take?" said Buxton.
    "I don't care," said Cullen. "Finding him seems to be our only hope. If we don't get anything from the pair of them, we'll need to get a search done in Glasgow."
    "Where to next, boss?" said Buxton.
    "Let's get Beth and Johnson in again," said Cullen. "See if they can point us towards Hughes."

CHAPTER 22

    Cullen and Buxton waited in the deserted canteen, eating bowls of lumpy porridge made by one of Barbara's stroppier girls, before Buxton got a call informing them Johnson and Beth had finally arrived. They raced down to the interview room.
    Beth handed Buxton a sheet of paper as he sat down. "That's the list of employees from the record shop."
    "Cheers."
    "At present," said Cullen, eyes flitting between the two, "the only active lead we have is Alex Hughes. We've so far struggled to get hold of him." He held their gaze for a few seconds each. "One of you knows something about this and I would like to get it out of you."
    Beth screwed her eyes up. "I'm pregnant . You can't do this to me."
    "Do what?" said Cullen.
    "Interrogate me like this."
    "I'm investigating the murder of a former associate of yours," said Cullen. "Nobody is being interrogated here."
    Beth folded her arms. "It feels very much like it."
    Cullen smiled. "I can charge the pair of you with obstruction and get your lawyers in if you'd rather."
    Johnson turned round to face her. "Beth, the officer is trying to do his best. I think we should assist him."
    "Fine," said Beth, waving her hand in the air and looking away.
    "What can you tell us about Mr Hughes?" said Cullen.
    Johnson started. "Alex was a bit of a drifter, always doing casual jobs, never settling into anything long term. Technically, he was a fantastic musician in some ways, capable of creating the most wonderful textures with his guitar, but he could be so unfocused. He had an unfortunate tendency to forget where different sections of the songs started, that sort of thing."
    "Jimi would shout and scream at him," said Beth.
    Cullen's interest was piqued. "Tell me more about that."
    "Nothing to tell, really," said Beth. "He just used to get angry with him." She shrugged. "Have you heard our music?"
    Cullen nodded. "I received a CD from Mr Strang's parents."
    Beth leaned forward, placing her hands on the tabletop. "Well, you'll know our sound was quite dynamic. We could make a racket, don't get me wrong, but we had some very pretty bits in