Edinburgh police inspector Jenny Logan is told that
convicted murderer Ronnie Campbell has escaped
from prison. Then, a woman’s body is discovered in
Holyrood Park. Logan and Sergeant Grant investigate.
The victim’s throat has been cut, probably by a lefthanded
killer. It is probably Morag Mackenzie, a key
prosecution witness in the trial of Ronnie Campbell,
imprisoned for the murder of Craig Sinclair. Logan
visits Jimmy Brown, Morag’s partner, and discovers
that Morag had left the flat at midday, most likely to
see her ‘main man’, a mysterious character that she
received money from. Later a car stolen by Campbell
is found in the vicinity of Morag’s flat. Logan decides
to interview Sinclair’s sister Jean Drummond. She
tells Logan that Sinclair and Campbell used to
work together, and that shortly before Sinclair was
murdered, he had boasted of becoming rich on the
proceeds of crime.
Sinclair had talked of ‘bags of money’, which Grant
realises was actually ‘Bags’s money’ – a nickname
once given to Robert Baxter, now a businessman and
suspected local king of crime. Logan interviews Baxter
at his sports centre. Strangely, he seems unsurprised
at being asked about Morag Mackenzie’s murder
and denies any connection with Craig Sinclair.
Logan also observes that he is right-handed. Logan
is then tipped off by journalist Tam MacDonald; he
explains that Campbell is begging on Princes Street.
He is apprehended and taken to London Road police
station for interrogation. Campbell claims that Morag
Mackenzie had lied in order to implicate him in
Sinclair’s murder. Logan questions Jimmy Brown
again, who admits that he had followed Morag after
she had left the flat and had seen her get in a car on
Dalry road. Unusually that day, Morag had phoned
the main man herself, rather than being phoned by
him. Logan suspects that Baxter could be Morag’s
main man.
Logan visits the site where Sinclair’s body was found.
She falls into conversation with a homeless alcoholic,
Gus MacLeod, who reveals that he had witnessed
Sinclair’s body being dumped by a big, tall man who
drove a car with an unusual number plate. Logan
chooses to believe him.
Meanwhile, the knife used in Morag’s murder has
been found, with a fingerprint matching one found
on an envelope in Morag’s pocket. Logan interrogates
Baxter again. By using the cunning ploy of throwing
him a pack of cigarettes, Logan proves that he can use
his left and right hands. Logan convinces him that a
witness saw him dump Sinclair’s body. Also, Logan
has evidence that Morag phoned Baxter on the day of
her murder. It is enough to force Baxter into confessing
to the murders of both Sinclair and Morag Mackenzie.
Sinclair had been a threat to Baxter, and Morag had
demanded extra money from him to keep quiet about
the lies she had told to the police in order to implicate
Campbell. Baxter had decided to silence Morag
permanently by murdering her.