‘And it just so happens the man in the picture is the one responsible – it was Francis Haggard who shinned up the drainpipe.’

‘I didn’t know that.’

‘You sure?’

‘I had nothing to do with Haggard and whatever happened to him. If I’d wanted anyone punished, it would have been your good pal Fleck. Christ knows how I stopped myself.’

‘Meantime the Mackenzies have taken over your turf, the illicit along with the legal. Your old flame’s done well for herself, con­sider­ing.’

‘What has any of this got to do with the job I gave you?’ Cafferty was trying not to sound rattled. ‘You just can’t help yourself, can you, Strawman? Have to keep sticking your neb in.’

Rebus touched the sides of his nose, feeling the rawness there.

‘I’m not going to deny it,’ he said.

‘But there’s no photo any more, is there, which means nothing for any CID team to get their teeth into.’

‘The photo was taken on a phone, Cafferty. It’s not like the old days when you could torch a negative.’

‘Is this your way of stalling because you’re no nearer finding Jack Oram?’

‘I’m on his scent, don’t you worry.’

‘Never shit a shitter, Rebus.’

‘As God is my witness.’

‘Some trial proceedings those would be.’

‘It might all connect to the Moorfoot – you’ll know the place, of course?’

‘The Potter’s Bar as was?’

‘Now run by an ex-con of your acquaintance.’

‘You’ve lost me.’

‘Kenny Beecham, the man who sold you out and lost you all that money. You saw to it he went away. Now he runs the Moorfoot and pays you no doubt handsomely for the privilege of not having his throat cut again.’

‘My, my.’

‘Starting to wish I’d done a bit more slacking?’

‘You’ve been busy, granted.’

‘A friend of Beecham’s called Crosbie has his name above the door to fool the licensing board. Crosbie works as a doorman at a club owned by Beth Mackenzie’s daughter. Now did I forget anything …? Oh yes, Jack Oram’s son Tommy is a regular fixture at the Moorfoot and owes Gaby Mackenzie for his job at QC Lettings.’

‘Okay, you lost me somewhere back there.’

‘I’m not sure that I did,’ Rebus said quietly. ‘But even so, all you need to know is that I’ve got my headlights on. Doesn’t mean the whole road’s visible, but I can see enough.’

‘If the whole road isn’t visible, you might want to trade up to a new car. Maybe you even know someone who has them to spare.’

‘It must sting that he convinced you not to retaliate?’

‘It was business, Rebus. One storage facility out of dozens, one night out of thousands.’ Cafferty paused. ‘They never told you or cut you in?’

‘The sum total of a ton for setting up the meeting.’