“That’s Taggart,” Logan said. “You want to go see him?”
Jameelah wiped her eyes on the blanket Logan had secured for her from the wee cafe and shop. She nodded, so Logan took her hand and led her over to where Taggart was currently throttling himself trying to squeeze through the window.
“Alright, sir?” Sinead asked. She looked over to where Tyler and Dave were poking at the prisoner, then smiled at Jameelah and gave a little wave. “Hiya. I’m Sinead.”
“No time for that, Detective Constable,” Logan said. “We’ve got a dog to play with.”
Jameelah reached up to pat the daft mutt, then yelped and drew back her hand when Taggart’s tongue flopped across her fingers.
“He licked me!” she said, half shocked, half delighted. “He licked my hand!”
“That means he likes you,” Logan told her. “You want to sit in there with him?”
Jameelah laughed. It was a small and nervous thing, but given everything she’d been through, it chimed like a miracle. “Can I?” she asked.
Sinead quietly cleared her throat. “Forensic evidence, sir,” she said, shooting a deliberate look at the girl.
Logan winced. She had a point. Taggart would no doubt compromise a lot of the forensic evidence on the girl’s clothes. They didn’t know for sure yet what had happened to her. Aye, they had his confession, but that might not be the whole of it. Whatever the bastard had done to her—whatever evil he had inflicted—Logan was determined he was going to pay for it all.
“Tell you what,” he said, giving the girl’s hand a squeeze. “He’s a bit too excited right now. We’ll get you back to the station in the police car, get you cleaned up and let your mum and dad know you’re safe, then you can play with him for as long as you like, OK?”
Taggart gave a woof to indicate he was happy with this plan, which drew another nervous giggle from Jameelah. “OK,” she said. She let herself be escorted to the police vehicle, and she didn’t once take her eyes off the dog with his big flapping tongue.
“You got them, then,” Sinead said, once Logan had returned to the BMW.
“Aye. Thanks in a big part to Tyler,” Logan said.
“Oh, I find that very hard to believe, sir,” Sinead replied.
“Aye. I probably imagined it,” Logan agreed.
They stood watching Tyler and Dave either tending to or tormenting Alan Rigg. It was hard to tell from there. Either way, he didn’t seem to be particularly enjoying it.
“He’ll need the hospital,” Logan said.
“Will we take him in the helicopter?”
Logan started to nod, then shook his head. “Actually, no. Fuck him. We’ll let Dave drive him along that road, and put Tyler in the back with him. That’ll teach the bastard.”
Sinead chuckled. “You’re a cruel man, sir.”
“I have my moments,” Logan confessed. “I want you to go in the helicopter with Jameelah. Get her to hospital in Fort William. She’ll need checking over.” He side-eyed her. “Thoroughly. We don’t know what happened.”
Sinead’s laughter was now notable by its absence. “Got it, sir,” she said.
“Tell her the dog’s going to be waiting to play with her when she’s done.”
The DC nodded. “Will do.” She started for the 4x4, then turned so she was walking backwards. “What about you, sir? You heading back to Strontian?”
“I am,” Logan confirmed. He looked over to the sobbing Alan Rigg, then up at the lighthouse standing tall above them all. “There’s just something I have to do first.”
She was waiting for him by the door when he arrived, dressed in a stern black frock with sensible shoes and a coat in case it should rain. She looked smaller than before. Less intimidating. Although, that may just have been the lack of shotgun.
Alan had known they were coming. He’d left with just minutes to spare.
Out here, the sirens carried for miles. Long enough for her to drive the sheep out of the field. To funnel them between the fences, blocking the way.
She’d been standing in the road when they’d got to Dave’s car. She’d delayed them, just for one more moment. Just to buy him some extra time.
It had to be her who had warned him. It could only have been her. Logan had figured that out, but there was something he didn’t know.
“Why?” he asked.
“Why? I’ll tell you why. Because it’s a fucking travesty what they did to that little girl of his. It’s a bloody outrage, and no mistake. Poor little precious lamb that she was.”