Tooth for a Tooth (Di Gilchrist 3)

Fife Constabulary’s Crime Management Department, to be precise.’
    ‘Quite a mouthful,’ said Gilchrist.
    ‘Quite a title.’
    Gilchrist ran his fingers over his lips. ‘Well, Gina, you have me at a disadvantage.’
    ‘Which doesn’t happen often, I hear.’
    ‘You seem to know more about me than I do about you.’
    ‘We could change that.’ She turned to Fast Eddy. ‘I’ll have a double Tanqueray and tonic. Ten, if you’ve got it. And plenty of ice.’
    ‘No Ten, I’m afraid. Just regular.’
    ‘You need to get Ten in.’ Then back to Gilchrist. ‘Pint of Eighty-Shilling, is it?’
    ‘I’ve just got one.’
    ‘And another Eighty-Shilling for Detective Chief Inspector Gilchrist.’
    ‘Must be my birthday,’ he said. ‘That makes two.’
    ‘Your birthday’s not for another two months.’
    Gilchrist paused mid-sip.
    ‘Born December thirty-first, nineteen fifty-six, to Jack and May Gilchrist. Lived in St Andrews most of your life. Married Gail Jamieson from Glasgow at the age of twenty. Have two children, Jack and Maureen, both now living in Glasgow. Divorced your wife eight years ago for adultery.’
    Gilchrist clapped his pint on the counter.
    Fast Eddy stopped slicing his lemon.
    ‘My name is Gina Belli,’ she said, ‘and before you let me have it, I’m not prying.’
    ‘Define
prying.’
    ‘I’m an author. And a psychic. I write true crime stories for a living. You may have heard of me.’
    ‘
The
Gina Belli,’ chirped Fast Eddy, placing her gin and tonic in front of her.
    She raised one eyebrow. ‘What was the title of my last book?’
    ‘Slipped my mind. But I’ll be buying a copy if you promise to sign it.’
    She chuckled, raised her gin and tonic to Gilchrist. ‘To my next case study.’ Her dark eyes twinkled as she eyed him over the rim of her glass. ‘DCI Andy Gilchrist.’
    ‘I always told him he would be famous one day,’ Fast Eddy said. ‘Didn’t I tell you that, Andy? And let me tell you something, Gina, my darling. Never has there been a finer detective chief inspector to cross my threshold. Write that down in your book, darling. There you go, Andy.’
    Another frothy pint of Eighty slid across the counter, but Gilchrist only stared at it.
    ‘You don’t look pleased,’ she said. ‘Which is not uncommon. You’re suffering mixed emotions. Anger at what you consider to be the violation of your private life, although as a prominent member of Fife Constabulary that seems pretentious. Flattered at my interest in writing you into my next book. And curious as to why.’
    ‘I can assure you I’m neither angry nor flattered, although I am a little curious. But I’m also not interested.’
    She shook her head. ‘Doesn’t matter. I’m going ahead whether you’re interested or not, with or without your approval. Of course,’ she added, and slid closer so that her chest pressed against his upper arm, ‘I always find it more gratifying working with someone who approves of what I’m doing.’
    She looked older, close up. Her powdered skin hid tiny acne scars that punctured her cheeks. He saw, too, how her eyebrows were black, thinned and powdered to lighten them. Her blonde hair seemed clear of dark roots, so he assumed she’d been at the salon in the last day or so. Gina Belli, it seemed, was not from old money, but gave the impression of having clawed her way to the peak of whatever pile she thought she now stood on top of.
    Gilchrist shifted his stance, freed his arm from the pressure of her chest.
    She breathed him in. ‘Is that Aramis?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Must be Dunhill, then.’
    Gilchrist thought he kept his surprise hidden.
    She laughed, stepped back, finished her gin with a flourish. ‘Give me another,’ she ordered, then lowered her head and eyed Gilchrist over the top of imaginary glasses. ‘I could get to like you, Andy.’
    He finished off his beer and surprised himself by lifting the second pint. ‘Well, Ms Belli,’ he said, ‘before I leave, I’d like to ask a question.’
    ‘Gina. Please.’
    ‘Why me?’
    ‘You’re famous.’
    ‘Since when?’
    ‘Since you solved the Stabber case.’
    ‘I was only one of an entire investigation team—’
    ‘Who was suspended and battled on alone.’
    ‘It took the entire Force to—’
    ‘Modest, too. I like that,’ she said, and before Gilchrist could complain, added, ‘And photogenic. I’ve seen some press coverage. We can do better than that. But most important of all, people