Free Absolution - The First Book Of The Vampire Immortalis Trilogy by Elizabeth Mitchell Page A

started down the hill towards the abbey, they saw a police car pull up. Two officers got out and disappeared down an alley that ran alongside the abbey. Nick quickened his pace. “Look lively, Miller. Those two coppers look like they are on to something.”
     
    * * *
     
    There were only three goths in the park when the two policemen came to talk to them.
    “Don't worry about that,” said the older one on seeing Muckle trying to hide a bottle of Buckfast. “We've bigger fish to fry at the moment than you and a bottle of Buckie.”
    “Can I start by asking for some names please?” said the other officer, pen and notebook at the ready.
    “Lisa McIntyre.”
    “Michael Renton, but the ladies call me Muckle.”
    The policeman taking the notes stopped writing and looked up. “Do I look like a lady to you, son?”
    “No,” said Muckle. “Do I look like your son?”
    “Is that your idea of funny, Michael Renton? Because I can do funny too. Like taking you home in the back of a polis car to Mummy and Daddy. Do you think they would be pleased to know you were causing a public nuisance in the town, Michael Renton?”
    Muckle stayed silent.
    “And you, son?” said the policeman to Liam. “What's your name?”
    “Liam Cameron.”
    “Right, now we know who we're talking to, can you all take a look at this photo and tell me if you've seen him before.”
    “That's the guy from New Zealand that got murdered,” said Lisa, “but I never saw him in Melrose. Only on the news.”
    “Same for me,” said Muckle.
    “What about you, Liam?”
    “Nope. Doesn't ring any bells.”
    “Were any of you in this park last Saturday night?” asked the other officer.
    “Aye, we were all here,” said Lisa.
    “Do you know at what time?”
    “From about seven until about eleven o'clock,” said Lisa.
    “Did you see anyone acting suspicious that evening or hear any noises from the public toilets over there?”
    “No, nothing,” said Lisa. The two boys shook their heads in agreement. Muckle was about to repeat his joke about wee Alan's dirty bomb, but thought better of it.
    “And where did you go after eleven?”
    “Home”, said Lisa and Liam at the same time.
    “Aye, home,” added Muckle.
    “Okay, that'll do for now. I'm going to give you one of these leaflets that we are handing out to members of the public regarding the two recent murders. We are asking for any information that may be of use in our investigation. There's a number on there to call. If you could show it to your friends, we'd much appreciate it.”
    As the two police officers made their way back to their car, they passed Nick Webster and Walter Miller in the alleyway.
    “Evening officers,” said Nick.
    “Evening, gentlemen.”
    “Causing a nuisance were they, the little blighters?”
    One of the policeman stopped and looked directly at Nick. “No more than you, sir. No more than you.”
     
     
     
    DCI Andrew Buchan was at his desk, looking through some paperwork, when there was a knock on his office door. “Come in.”
    “Something interesting from uniforms, sir,” said DS Jane Carver. “One of the names of the teenagers they talked to earlier this afternoon, Liam Cameron. Eighteen year old male, one of the goths who hangs around the park by the abbey in the evenings. They ran a routine check and he's in the system. In March of this year he was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for malicious mischief. He was caught spray painting graffiti on the wall of the old train station. The graffiti was satanic in nature.”
    “Right. Bring the lad in for questioning,” said Buchan.
     
     
     
    Peter Cameron was looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. The sore on his neck now resembled a large mouth ulcer and there were now two other swollen lumps just below it. He wasn't in any real pain, but he felt under the weather and there were the spells of feeling cold, even when in the house with the heating on. Just as worrying as the lumps, he was unable to