Bible John had been quick to feel the girl’s fingers on him – he’d played by the rules. But when the girl had lain there, and he’d started working at buttons and zips … her eyelids had fluttered, a smile on her lips … and she’d lain there uncomplaining, even though he knew she must be able to feel his clumsy fingers.

She’d been cheating, of course.

Now his grandmother came to him, with her constant warnings: beware women who wear too much perfume; don’t play cards with strangers on trains …

The police hadn’t said anything about the Upstart taking souvenirs. No doubt they wanted to keep it quiet; they’d have their reasons. But the Upstart would be taking souvenirs. Three so far. And he’d be hoarding them in Aberdeen. He’d slipped just a little, giving Aberdeen as his address on the reader’s card … Bible John stood up suddenly. He saw it now, saw the transaction between the librarian and ‘Peter Manuel’. The Upstart claiming that he needed the use of a reference library. The librarian asking for details, for proof of identity … The Upstart flustered, saying he’d left all that sort of thing at home. Could he go and fetch it? Impossible, he’d come down from Aberdeen for the day. A long way to travel, so the librarian had relented, issued the ticket. But now the Upstart was obliged to give Aberdeen as his address.

He was in Aberdeen.

Revived, Bible John locked the trunk, replaced the boxes exactly as they had been, and went back downstairs. It grieved him that with John Rebus so close, he might have to move the trunk … and himself with it. In his study, he sat at his desk. Have the Upstart based in Aberdeen but mobile. Have him learn from his first mistakes. So now he plans each cull well in advance. Are the victims chosen at random, or is there some pattern there? Easier to choose prey that wasn’t random; but then easier, too, for the police to establish a pattern and eventually catch you. But the Upstart was young: maybe that was one lesson he hadn’t yet learned. His choice of ‘Peter Manuel’ showed a certain cockiness, teasing anyone who was able to track him that far. He either knew his victims or he didn’t. Two routes to follow. Route one: say he did know them, say there existed some pattern linking all three to the Upstart.

One profile: the Upstart was a travelling man – lorry driver, company rep, a job like that. Lots of travel throughout Scotland. Travelling men could be lonely men, sometimes they used the services of a prostitute. The Edinburgh victim had been a prostitute. Often they stayed in hotels. The Glasgow victim had worked as a chambermaid. The first victim – the Aberdeen cull – failed to fit that pattern.

Or did she? Was there something the police had missed, something he might find? He picked up his telephone, called Directory Enquiries.