Treaty of Union

By Alan Addison

JP Associates, a Detective Agency based in Leith, Edinburgh, is run by Bob James, a consultant ex Detective Inspector of Police Scotland, and his lifelong friend Tod Peterson a recently retired Community Education Worker. As a private investigation agency, JP Associates is not constrained by the procedural restrictions imposed on Police Scotland investigations, consequently the day Bob James walked into JPs office in Leith and demanded his colleagues drop whatever they were doing to investigate the finding of a body in Leith Fort, was a day that would change them all. Their investigation would lead them too close to political events that took place in Scotland in 1997, events which some would rather remained in the past, at all costs. Treaty of Union is the second book in the JP Associates Series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781470930295

Book preview

Copyright

© 2017 Alan Addison

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4709-3029-5

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my brother-in-law Ronnie Robertson, one of the bravest individuals I know

Other Works of Fiction

Justified Sinner

Treaty of Union

Shaking hands with a Tarantula

Finding Sophie

Working for Josh

Lullaby of the Soul

Polis & Poltergeist

The Damask Weaver

The Weaver’s Daughter

Non fiction

Using Scots in Family Literacy

MacNibs’s Legacy

Teachers Notes, Scottish Book Trust

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all those past and present who have encouraged me to write: teachers, readers, listeners and proofer.

Also thanks to Unsplash.com for the cover images

CHAPTER ONE

Monday 12th May 2014

If the darling buds of May had reached Leith at all, they'd not found their way to Great Junction Street. The only colour lighting up the tenement-shaded thoroughfare was in the shop windows, the ones that were still in business anyway.

Monday afternoon had come, and was almost gone, and not one footfall across the threshold of JP Associates, Private Investigators. Nearing three o'clock and the end of her shift, Tracey Cowan, the firm’s secretary, had begun surfing the web in her search for cheap hotels for the coming May bank holiday. Harry, her man, had wanted to go to Blackpool, as always, for the karaoke competitions, but Tracey was for none of it.

Tod Peterson, her boss, was sitting at the coffee table reading the magazine he'd picked up earlier from Jake's bench at the end of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre.

When the door to their agency crashed open the two colleagues looked up simultaneously.

'Is this how you're getting through my Police Scotland pension? I'll put money on it that's a shopping channel you're on Miss Moneypenny and as for you partner, what in Heaven's name are you doing reading about Greener Leith? Leith's already far too green for my liking!' boomed Detective Inspector Bob James, recently retired from Police Scotland, partner in JP Associates and acting consultant to Police Scotland's Cold Case Squad. His Hearts’ supporter’s reference to greener Leith being a dig that the green of Easter Road; Hibs football stadium, was not too far from their office.

'Would you look what the cat's dragged in,' said Tracey. 'So, you've decided tae grace us wie your company, Inspector. We thought you might be having a wee walk down Cramond on this lovely afternoon, eh Tod.'

Bob nearly choked at the mention of Cramond. He knew full well that Tracey was referring to what she called his posh-tottie, Rebecca Stark, widow of the convicted paedophile and infamous Edinburgh banker, Richard Stark. As far as Bob was concerned his relationship with Rebecca was a subject not for discussion. 'What have I told you about mentioning Rebecca!' he shouted.

'A never mentioned Rebecca,' said Tracey, 'and anyway, A thought you called her Beccy?'

Bob’s face was growing redder by the minute and he looked as if he couldn't make up his mind whether to turn tail and head back into the street or face his provocateur head on. Tracey liked the banter with Bob, but then she'd never really got over his arresting her husband Harry for stealing copper from the Wireworks all those years before.

'Right, you two!' said Tod, putting down his magazine, 'I know you haven't seen each other in an age, but this canoodling in work's time will have to stop.'

'A'll put the kettle on,' said Tracey, 'before A head-off.'

'You don't have to go on my behalf,' said Bob, recovering slightly. 'In fact, it might be better if you are here to listen to this.'

'A finish at three o’clock.' Tracey pointed at the large, white plastic clock on the wall.

'It's only quarter to three,' replied Bob.

'What about my grand-bairn? A've tae get her fae the nursery.'

'Phone them. Tell them you've business with the police. Get them to hold on to...'

'Kylie,' said Tracey as she disappeared into the kitchen.

'Aye, Kylie,' called Bob, taking a seat at the coffee table. 'Mind, two sugars hen!'

'I see that you've decided to include Tracey in our little adventures,' whispered Tod. 'Have you been on some kind of democratic learning course? The last I’d heard from you on the subject was that she’s a mere secretary.’

'To be honest Tod, I think we're going to need the whole team on this one,' said Bob, remembering his earlier arguments about Tracey’s designation.

'The whole team?'

'You know who I mean.'

'There's your tea, big boy,' said Tracey, putting down Bob's mug and a bag of fresh doughnuts. 'A was taking them hame for the bairn but seeing as you're no just anybody, you can have one.'

Bob's face lit up. Greggs' mini-doughnuts were his sweet nibble of choice and guaranteed his compliance in the most extreme circumstances.

'So, what can we dae for you this time?' asked Tracey, lifting her A4 pad from the desk.'

'What do you mean, this time?' asked Bob.

'She didn't mean anything, did you Tracey,' interrupted Tod.

'No.'

'Enough said.’ Bob knew she’d been referring to the successful involvement of JP Associates in the Cold Case Unit’s last arrest. 'We've a small problem at the Cauld Case Squad and we've hit a brick wall. A bloody big stone wall actually, the size of Leith Fort.'

Tracey started writing.

'What sort of problem?' asked Tod, hardly believing Tracey's efficiency.

'Are you not going to phone the nursery?' commented Bob, trying to stall Tracey’s efficiency and prevent her from recording their meeting.

'Smarty pants! A texted them when A was making your tea.'

Bob merely sighed. 'Do you remember they pulled down the Fort Housing Estate last year?' They had two public archaeological digs there back in November.'

'So what?' asked Tracey.

'Well, a certain member of that public, an Elder from North Leith Kirk, discovered a body. It was buried under the garages.’

'So why the intrigue?' asked Tod. 'The Fort was built in the eighteenth-century; there must be more than one body under there, surely.’

'When I interviewed the Elder, William Norman, he swore that he saw one of the archaeologists take something from the body.’

'Let me get this right,’ asked Tod, you're about to arrest someone for thieving from an ancient cadaver, and you need our help to do it?

'Now that is what I call a cold case,’ added Tracey. ‘A thought that’s what archaeologists were supposed tae dae anywie, take stuff fae dead bodies.’

'Aye,’ said Bob, ‘the problem though is that this cadaver wasn't ancient. During the autopsy it was discovered that the body dates from the mid-nineteen-nineties. The minute that was discovered, the powers that be put the kibosh on all further investigation.'

‘What for?’ asked Tracey, still writing profusely.

'Maybe we should start at the beginning,' said Tod, 'you've got me confused too.'

'Well it goes something like this. After the second public dig and the finding of the body, we were called in to check for foul play. We thought we'd be looking at the skeletal remains of some unfortunate from the Jacobite rebellion, but it turned out to be very much later than that; nineteen-nineties to be exact. Initial autopsy results showed a powerfully built male, Caucasian, from somewhere in the Kent area.'

'Initial results?' asked Tod.

'Nineteen-nineties isn’t exact,' added Tracey ‘When in the nineteen-nineties exactly?’

'Would you two give me a break!’ said Bob, ‘this is serious! The nineteen-nineties is as close as forensics got before we were all called off and the case was put to bed. But it wasn't, was it, because they didn't allow for ex DI Bob James’s determination to see a job through.'

Tod shook his head. ‘Here we go again. Was there no identification on the body, other than what you gleaned from forensics?’

'Not a scrap. We interviewed local people involved in the dig, and the authorities, but as far as they were concerned a skeleton is a skeleton. They didn't allow for Sherlock here of course, nor for our William the Elder, who was convinced he had seen a young woman take something from the body. Of course, he didn't know who she was but thought she may have been part of the professional dig team, but before we could follow that up, we were called off, in no uncertain terms. DO NOT TOUCH!’

'I still don’t understand,’ said Tracey, ‘what's the big deal?'

'The big deal, as you put it, is that when you are called off a case as abruptly as that, it's for a reason and that reason, nine times out of ten, means that someone on high has been doing something they shouldn't. I don't like being kept in the dark Tracey, as well you know. That's why I need all the help I can get.' He looked at them both. 'I want you to investigate the death of the victim on our behalf.'

‘You never mentioned foul play before,’ said Tracey. ‘The body was a victim?’

'Our behalf?' asked Tod. ‘Don’t you mean the Cold Case Squad's behalf? Are JP associates going to be doing their work for them again? Do I suspect a possible conflict of interest here, Inspector?'

Bob ignored Tracey and focused on Tod. 'Don't go there, I get enough of that from DI Sandra Laing. The relevant facts, as far as you two are concerned, are that the Cauld Case Squad pay my wages and devoid of clients, as you two seem to be, I pay yours. Anyway, I thought conspiracy was your middle name.' He looked at Tod.

'How is Beccy, our other financial backer, keeping?' asked Tracey, stepping in to defend Tod.

'Is there no such a thing as a private life about here!' shouted Bob, standing up and heading towards the door.

'In Leith?' called Tod, to his retreating figure, 'I'm afraid not.'

As the door closed Tracey stood up and took her coat from the stand. 'Sounds interesting boss.'

'Mm,' replied Tod.

CHAPTER TWO

Wednesday 14th May

'It has been just over a month since I discovered that the man I loved was abusing under-age girls and I can’t say for certain that my own daughter was not one of them. Come to that, I don't even know if she is still alive!' shouted Rebecca.

Bob had never seen her so upset. The tears poured down her cheeks as she held on to the edge of her kitchen table. He put his hand forward to touch her shoulder but she shrugged him off. Sophie, her daughter, had indeed been one of the girls who'd suffered at the hands of her father, but so far Bob had managed to keep a tight lid on that information and apart from his boss DI Sandra Laing, he was the only one who knew the truth.

On that day in the Botanic Gardens, when Sophie had confided in him and asked him never to divulge that truth to anyone, he knew he wouldn't, not even to Beccy. But then he had to tell his DI to convince her that what they were up against was beyond evil. Doctor Jane Keen's gathering of sex perverts, which included Richard Stark, stretched far and wide.

'What have you done to help find her?' Rebecca gripped the lapels of Bob's jacket.

'Beccy, I have done everything possible to find Sophie but the truth is if she doesn't want to be found she won't be.'

'He must have abused her, why else would she have run away?'

'Beccy, I don’t know why she ran away but what I do know is she will come back in her own time, and maybe on her own terms, but she will come back.'

'Do you really believe that?’

'I honestly do. She's made of strong stuff that girl, just like her Mum.’

'Why have you come here Bob?' she asked, suddenly.

'I need your help this time, or to put it another way, JP Associates need your help.'

'Is it money again?'

'What do you mean again? You did say last year you could help if we needed it but so far, we’ve not asked. The truth is, as you know, I thought my police pension would be enough to fund our wee venture, and I’ve got my fee from the cold Case Squad but it's just not enough to meet the bills. Tod's pension’s a mere pittance and he's not taking any salary from the business. It’s the overheads like rent, network fees plus the fuel bills and Tracey’s salary that are the killers.’

'I must say, I always thought you were over optimistic about running this business.' Rebecca smiled for the first time since he’d arrived. 'How much do you need?'

'I thought rather than a lump sum you could maybe take care of the bills until we can make ends meet?'

'I think I can do that in the short-term, but there will be conditions.'

'Don’t worry you'll see all the financial paperwork, if that's what you're worried about,' said Bob.

'Not those conditions, silly, I do trust you. No Bobby, I want a piece of the action.'

'A piece of the action?' asked Bob, hardly believing she'd used that old cliché. 'You've been watching too many movies.'

'Well, surely I'm entitled to see the paperwork relating to your cases? It will help me get an insight into the running of the business and give me more of a say in how best to take things forward.'

'You mean like advising Tracey about supplies and stuff?' said Bob. 'That shouldn't be a problem.'

'No, I mean about the business; your case load, your investigations, or lack of, as seems to be the situation now. I've lots of contacts you know. Nepotism goes a long way where I come from.'

Bob knew that Rebecca moved in circles that could help JP Associates succeed. He also knew that she was no fool, and held a first from Oxford to prove it. It was not her ability that was worrying him. It was her meeting Tracey. He just couldn't see how those two could be in the same room together, let alone work as colleagues. That and the fact that he liked to keep his private life private, told him that Beccy becoming a partner in JP Associates was not such a good idea.

'Are you ashamed of me, Bob James?'

'Pardon?' asked Bob taken aback.

'You heard me, are you ashamed of me?'

'How can you think that?'

'Because I remember the last time I visited your office I was told in no uncertain terms what I should and shouldn't wear when coming to Leith. You spoke to me as if I was some sort of Cindy Doll you could dress to suit your needs.'

'Beccy, that was for your own good,' said Bob, becoming defensive.

'Listen to yourself Daddy. You are so chauvinistic at times.'

‘And you are so bloody-minded!’ Bob turned to leave the kitchen.

‘You know Bob, when you are up against the ropes you just bounce back harder. Isn’t that so?'

'Sorry,’ said Bob, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

'I think you'd better sit down and tell me what is going on here!'

He sat down opposite her. ‘It’s Tracey. I’m not sure how well you two would get on if