The Pretender’s Gold. Scott Mariani

news internationally. ‘That was awfy. I didn’t really know Ross that well, but I was so upset when I heard.’ Holly thought about it for a moment, then added in an undertone, ‘You know, some folks’re calling it suicide. But I don’t believe it. When he was in here that night he looked way too pleased wi’ himself to be the suicidal type.’

      ‘Explain this to me,’ Ben said. ‘Ross Campbell was in here a few nights ago and had a gold coin with him, just like the one in the photo? Is that what you’re saying?’

      Holly nodded again. ‘Aye, must’ve been a day or two before … before it happened. Maybe even the very day before. I don’t remember.’

      ‘And you actually saw the coin?’

      ‘He showed it to me.’ There was nothing in her eyes but blank sincerity. She was telling the truth.

      ‘What for?’

      ‘Well, he was a wee bit pissed, to be honest. Kept going on about he’d struck it rich, found the mother lode, all that. Said he was gonnae leave this shitehole, go off to a tropical beach and never come back again. Asked me to come wi’ him. Me. Can you believe that?’ she added with a brief, wistful smile. ‘And then he was dead.’

      ‘He had just the one coin?’

      She shook her head. ‘That’s all he showed me, but he said he had a whole load more stashed away somewhere. I wiz teasin’ him about it, said, “Ross Campbell, where’d you go gettin’ yer hands on a big pile o’ gold?”’

      ‘And what did he say to that?’

      ‘Wouldnae tell me. Said it was his big secret, and he was the only one who knew about it. I said, “No much of a secret if ye’re bletherin’ on about it in this bloody place.”’

      Ben had forgotten all about showing Holly the picture of Boonzie. This was more important. Now the gold trail led back to Ewan McCulloch’s dead business partner and the whole mystery had just grown deeper. More significantly, the single coin had turned into a whole stash of them. And if Holly’s account was right, it also meant that Ross alone knew the secret of where the gold had come from. Which implied that Ewan had known little or nothing about any of this himself. He might not even have stumbled across the coin until after Ross’s death.

      Ben was about to ask her more questions, but he never got the chance. Because at that moment he felt a large, heavy presence come up behind him and a loud voice said, ‘What’s all this fuckin’ shite aboot Ross Campbell?’

      Ben turned. The guy with the flame tattoos was back, and he didn’t look very happy.