Free Trading Reality by Michael Ridpath Page A

The crumpled man with the ravaged nose was there, looking even more crumpled. Next to him, rising, as I entered, from the main chair behind the little desk, was a tall, bald man with an impeccable tweed suit, worn just like Sergeant Cochrane’s uniform.
    ‘Good morning, Mr Fairfax. Detective Superintendent Donaldson. I believe you have already met Detective Inspector Kerr?’ I had, but the name hadn’t sunk in. ‘Take a seat.’
    We all sat down, Kerr perched on an uncomfortable stool.
    ‘I’m in charge of the investigation into your brother’s murder,’ the big man went on. He had a clear, crisp Scottish accent. Very businesslike. ‘First, let me say how sorry I am about your brother’s death.’
    I nodded. I realised I was going to receive a lot of these awkward condolences over the next few days. Difficult to give, difficult to receive.
    ‘Let me start by asking you a few questions.’
    ‘I’ve already answered two lots of questions in the last twelve hours,’ I said irritably.
    Donaldson held up his hand. ‘I know, son, but we’ve got a few more. We’re going to find whoever did this. We had nine murders in Fife last year, and we cleared up every one. And this will be no exception. But I need your help.’
    I saw he was right. ‘OK, I’m sorry. I’ll do anything I can to help you catch him. Anything.’
    ‘That’s good. Just answer some simple questions for now. The doctor places the time of death within a couple of hours of noon on Saturday. Where were you then?’
    ‘What do you mean where was I?’ I protested. ‘Surely you don’t think I did it?’
    Donaldson flinched. The crumpled man, Kerr, leaned forward ‘Of course not, son,’ he said in a kind voice, thick with fatigue. ‘But most murders are committed by people who knew the victim. That’s why we need to eliminate everyone who knew him. We just want to start with you. The Super likes to be very thorough about eliminating people, right sir?’
    Donaldson coughed. ‘Quite so. Now where were you?’
    ‘At home in London, until about eleven. Then I went racing at Ascot.’
    ‘Did you go with anyone?’
    I gave them Greg’s name and number. Kerr wrote them down. I also showed them the stub of my boarding card for the eight o’clock shuttle from Heathrow to Edinburgh.
    Donaldson took up the questioning again. ‘Do you know anyone who bore a grudge against your brother? Anyone at all now? Think carefully.’
    I had already thought. ‘No one that I know of. He wasn’t the sort of person to have enemies.’ My voice shook. My eyes stung. I took a breath. ‘No, no one.’
    Donaldson waited a moment for me to recover my composure. ‘Do you know if your brother was worried about anything.’
    ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘He was. In fact, that’s why I came up here.’
    Donaldson raised his eyebrows.
    ‘He rang me last week, and said he wanted to talk to me. He didn’t say what about. He said it was important, and he didn’t want to talk on the phone.’
    Donaldson leaned forward. ‘And do you have any idea what he was concerned about?’
    ‘No, not really.’
    ‘You must have some idea,’ he urged. ‘Guess.’
    ‘Well,’ I hesitated. ‘It might be one of two things. His company might be days away from bankruptcy. When I last saw him he said that he was running out of cash again.’
    ‘Again?’
    ‘Yes. FairSystems had a cash-flow problem last year, and I bailed it out. Or Karen, my girlfriend, and I did. It could have been the same problem again.’
    ‘And would you have helped him out a second time?’
    I paused. ‘I don’t know.’ I knew the honest answer, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. I had had no intention of throwing good money after bad. I winced at the thought.
    Donaldson was watching me closely. He understood. ‘And the second possibility?’
    ‘He thought FairSystems’ stock was being manipulated. He had spoken to Karen and me about it. He had all sorts of statistical analyses which he said suggested