Free Dyed in the Wool by Ed James Page A

from his parents. Then again, he was the product of a severely broken home. Most football fans were superstitious - sitting in the same seat on the coach on match day, wearing the same shoes - and it wasn't much of a stretch to believe that luck was a factor in marriage. Rangers fans weren't fanatical about their Protestantism, unlike their Celtic counterparts and the Catholic faith, the sectarian divide being more of a tribal thing than a point of ecclesiastical principle. Gangs. Us versus them.
    Demi fiddled with the ring. "We were going to have a white wedding in a castle. I'd been planning it for months. It was going to be perfect."
    Cullen made another note. Where was the money coming from? A call centre worker and an M&S till girl weren't going to have those resources. Aitken's parents wouldn't even be able to afford the bus ticket to the registry office. From the decor in the house, it didn't look like Demi's parents were loaded. Besides, the girl was seventeen if a day - surely she'd have been coerced into some form of further education if they had money.
    Caldwell smiled at her. "Mr Aitken's flatmate, Kenneth Souness, was also found dead. Do you have any idea who would've wanted to harm them both?"
    "Was Kenny in the car as well?"
    "No, he was found at their flat. He died from a knife wound."
    "Jesus Christ." Demi pinged the ring pull on the can of Coke for a few seconds. "Can't think of anyone. They were well thought of in Ravencraig. They had a load of pals they used to go to the football with. Ravencraig's pretty much all Rangers, so there was none of the fighting like in Bathgate."
    "Is there anybody you can think of at all?"
    "No."
    Caldwell looked at Rowley. "I think that's us." She tossed her card on the table. "If you think of anything, please give me a call, okay?"
    Demi swallowed. "I will."
    They got up and left her with Rowley.
    Cullen shut the front door behind him. "Unbelievable."
    "What, her or the fact she hadn't been told?"
    "Both. She's living in a fantasy world. How the hell were they going to pay for a wedding like that?"
    "A girl's got to have a dream. Ours was just a registry office job, but a lot of my pals did the whole castle thing. Always ends up the same way. Why waste the money?"
    "Catch the romantic cynic."
    "Scott, I'm just realistic now, that's all. These days, I want to be with someone who doesn't piss me off and who wants to spend some time with me."
    "I can understand that."
    "Back to the Incident Room, then?"
    Cullen looked at the darkening sky - it was going to rain soon. "Seeing as how we're out this way, there are a few things I want to check out."
    Caldwell scowled. "Remember this is your decision. If Methven gives anyone a bollocking, it's you."
    "My, my, Angela. You've changed."
    "If I have, it's working with cowboys like you that did it."

    ***

    The police Range Rover dropped them off at the scene of the wreckage, the bing looming over them. The cordons were still in force, guarded by two PCs - Cullen wasn't sure how much longer they'd get away with the expense.
    Cullen walked up to the constable managing the outer cordon, a young Asian officer, vaguely recognising his face from somewhere out west. He flashed his warrant card and signed into the crime scene.
    "You DC Cullen?"
    Cullen nodded. "Aye."
    The officer held out a hand. "Kamal Johal. Used to be based in Bathgate with you."
    Cullen pointed at him. "Thought I knew you from somewhere." He nodded towards the tent. "Is the car still here?"
    Johal looked across the field. "Supposed to have been picked up this morning but it's still not been shifted. Wish they'd bloody hurry up. It's starting to get bloody cold."
    "Thought the SOCOs had been over it?"
    "They did a search on it here but not a full one. Still got a couple of people here."
    "Anyone else been out?"
    "A DS Methven paid us a visit. Asked pretty much the same things as you."
    Cullen looked over to the bing - a rough path ran up the mound. "Has anyone been up to the