Free Garnethill by Denise Mina by Garnethill

here, the food's horrible."
    "Good fry-ups, though," said Liam.
    "Did they tell you anything about the cupboard?" she said, trying to catch the waitress's eye. She limped over to their table. Maureen ordered an ice cream and a coffee. They looked to Liam for an order. He was eating his chips eagerly now, spearing three at a time with his fork and swirling them around in the mess of ketchup on the side of the plate.
    "Does sir want anything else?" asked the waitress.
    Liam looked at her. "Nope."
    As she limped away to the kitchen Liam stabbed Maureen gently with his fork. "What was that about a cupboard?"
    "They found something in the cupboard."
    "Which cupboard?"
    "The hall cupboard."
    "The cupboard I found you in?"
    "Yeah."
    "That doesn't mean anything."
    "I don't know what it means."
    He watched her. "It could just be an accident. It isn't necessarily significant that you were found in it."
    "It could make it look like me," she said softly, "if they find out I was found in there. They might think I did it and then went and hid in there again. They might think I was in there all night and that's why I didn't phone them."
    Liam worked the final bushel of chips into his mouth and thought about it. "Yeah," he said. "They're more likely to think it's significant if you don't tell them and they find out from someone else later."
    "Who knows that except you and me?"
    "You, me and any one of the mental-health professionals who've seen your psychiatric notes."
    "It's not in my notes. I've seen my notes. It says I was hiding in the house, it doesn't mention that cupboard. Louisa at the Albert doesn't know."
    "What about that guy at the Rainbow?"
    "Naw, Angus didn't know either. I never discussed that time with him."
    "So that leaves you and me."
    "Yeah."
    "I didn't do it, Maureen."
    "I didn't mean that. I meant who knows that? Did you tell anyone?"
    "Like who?"
    "I dunno."
    "Well, I dunno either." He looked at her. "I didn't do it, Maureen."
    "I'm not saying you did. I didn't for a minute mean that it was you, Liam, I didn't mean that."
    "Did ye not like the bridie?" The waitress was at her side with a portion of ice cream and a coffee. She put them on the table and lifted Maureen's dinner plate.
    "I'm just not hungry," said Maureen quietly. She slid a spoonful of ice cream and raspberry sauce into her mouth, rolling it under her tongue, letting it dissolve slightly before swallowing.
    Liam took the teaspoon from her coffee and started eating her ice cream. "So you were at your work when it happened?"
    "Yeah," she said, frowning at her ice cream. "Someone phoned work yesterday. Liz thought it was Douglas but it might not have been. She told him I wasn't in and I wouldn't be in all day."
    "So?"
    "He phoned three times. Same guy."
    "It probably was Douglas," said Liam.
    "No, I don't know if it was. They were phoning from a phone box and he should have been at work. I don't think he'd have called back when she said I was out. Wouldn't want to seem too eager."
    Liam stole another spoon of ice cream. She pushed it toward him. "You have it. I don't want it."
    The sugar and caffeine were finding their way into Maureen's system. The shaky feeling evaporated like a hangover after a whisky and she felt relatively calm. She sipped her coffee. It was bitter and hot. She took out her cigarettes and lit one.
    "Do you think you're being set up?" asked Liam.
    "Maybe. I don't know what the cupboard thing means yet. If I could find out what was wrong with the cupboard . . ."
    "Stop trying to find things out, pet. Leave it to the police," said Liam, without a hint of irony. "They'll sort it out."
    "I'm just . . . I'm thinking."
    "Keep out of it. You don't want to get involved in this."
    "I'm already involved."
    "Okay," he said. "You don't want to get more involved, Mauri. Don't meddle."
    "I was only thinking."
    "Leave it, Maureen."
    "There's no harm in thinking about it."
    Liam was exasperated. "Look, some scary fucker cut Douglas's throat when he was