‘Nothing.’ He hoisted his mug and drank from it.

‘I worked that misper case, John. Tommy Oram’s dad used to work for Cafferty, so how does the son end up working for the man Cafferty sold his lettings business to?’

‘He knows the daughter.’

‘Tommy knows Gaby Mackenzie?’

‘I think that’s what I just said.’

It was Clarke’s turn to be thoughtful. Rebus kept his eyes on hers until her brain re-entered the room.

‘It’s nothing,’ she said, anticipating his question.

‘Whole lot of nothing going on around here,’ Rebus commented, wiping his hands on a serviette.

‘Gaby’s a DJ, did you know that? I watched her do a set last night at a club on Blair Street.’

‘Any good?’

‘Pretty popular.’

‘Anything I’d know – a bit of Jeff Beck or Rod Stewart?’

‘Music’s moved on.’

‘Got worse, you mean, like everything else.’ He looked at Clarke’s plate. ‘Apart from bacon rolls. You can trust a bacon roll.’

Clarke started to wrap hers up. ‘We got into a bit of a scrap as we were leaving the club.’

‘We?’

‘Malcolm was with me.’

‘That’s some choice of dance partner.’

‘On our way out, some of the Tynie lot were heading in.’

‘I’m sure Malcolm proved equal to the moment.’

‘He didn’t back off, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘The world is full of surprises.’

‘One of the doormen calmed things down. Seemed pretty pally with the Crew.’

‘Doormen can be a good source of information. I had a few on my books back in the day.’

‘They can be sources of other things too, though?’

Rebus saw what she was getting at. He gave a slow nod.

‘You’ll probably be pulled in for questioning,’ Clarke went on, changing tack, ‘if only so that Malcolm can have some fun. We’ll be talking to Alan Fleck, too. He’s a car dealer now. Must have required a chunk of start-up money. Lives in a big house in Gullane – that wouldn’t have come cheap either.’

‘And Haggard had a swish flat on the Newhaven waterfront – what’s your point?’

‘Funding must have come from somewhere.’

‘The Scots are canny, Siobhan, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that?’ Rebus started to manoeuvre himself out of the booth. He had popped two indigestion tablets from their blister pack and was crunching down on them. ‘I just hope you don’t find my Caribbean hideaway and SLP.’ He straightened up, angling his gaze down towards her. ‘I do appreciate the heads-up, though.’

‘It’s Fleck Malcolm wants. He told me himself – not that he’d thank me for adding you to the circle of trust.’

Rebus mimed zipping his mouth closed and started to make his way out of the café.