It was near-dark on the Meadows, especially away from the lampposts that lined the various footpaths. When Brillo went bounding up to a shadowy figure, it took Rebus a few seconds to realise it was Siobhan Clarke.

‘I tried at the flat,’ she said. ‘Once upon a time, my second choice would have been the Oxford Bar.’

‘A dog can ruin your social life.’ Rebus watched her rub a hand along Brillo’s eager back. ‘But then so can CID.’

‘Outside of work we’re still friends, I hope,’ Clarke said. ‘But I have to be professional. If I’m not, then I’m nothing.’

‘I get that. And I’m sorry for sneaking into the MIT office like that.’

‘No, you’re not.’

‘No, I’m not,’ Rebus confirmed.

Clarke took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘Fox has started a list of everyone who could’ve known where Francis Haggard was holed up.’

‘That’s another circle round my name, then. But then Fox himself knew too – do we know how that came about?’

‘When Haggard contacted the ACC, he added his address.’

Rebus nodded. ‘Lettings agency will be on the list, of course. I wonder who else.’

‘It’ll all be gone into, John.’

‘Murder weapon turned up yet?’

‘Teams have been out all day – the length and breadth of Constitution Street, plus Leith Links. The contractors digging up the roads have told their workers to be on the alert.’

‘Anything useful from the post-mortem?’

‘He’d been drinking heavily, not eating.’

‘Plenty vitamin C, though.’

She gave him a look. ‘I might have guessed you would run straight to Deborah Quant.’

‘Who was every bit as cagey as you. He’d been drinking elsewhere as well – pub or a mate’s.’

‘I don’t get the sense he had many friends outside the force.’

‘Well, I doubt he’d have found a welcome from anyone in the Crew, which makes it more likely he’d been to a pub or club.’

‘We’re putting word out.’

‘And his phone and computer?’

‘We’re promised news tomorrow. I called Cafferty, by the way. That’s why I’m here.’

‘Well?’

‘Denied ever receiving a photo or anything like it. He reckons you might be in the early stages of dementia. Hasn’t seen you in weeks and says his PA will back him up on that.’

‘Surprise, surprise.’

‘He didn’t seem too enamoured of QC Lettings, though. Reckons they’ll rent a flat to anyone, up to and including bent cops. Not above using a bit of muscle when those same renters start to default.’

‘As if Cafferty didn’t do the selfsame thing when he was in the game.’

‘He got me thinking, though, so I did a bit of digging. Turns out he dated Mrs Mackenzie for a time before she was whisked away by her current husband.’

Rebus angled his face skywards. ‘Thought I recognised her from somewhere, that somewhere being Cafferty’s arm.’