‘I hope you took a bath afterwards.’

‘Half a dozen at least.’

‘No new leads then?’

‘Nothing.’

‘You think he’s local?’

Lumsden shrugged. ‘I don’t think anything: you need to keep an open mind. Why the interest?’

‘What?’

‘The interest in Johnny Bible.’

It was Rebus’s turn to shrug. They sat in silence for a moment, until Rebus thought of a question. ‘What does an Oil Liaison Officer do?’

‘Blunt answer: liaises with the oil industry. It’s a major player up here. The thing is, Grampian Police isn’t just a dry-land force – our beat includes the offshore installations. If there’s a theft on a platform, or a fight, or whatever, anything they bother to report, it’s down to us to investigate. You can end up flying three hours out to the middle of hell on a paraffin budgie.’

‘Paraffin budgie?’

‘Helicopter. Three hours out, chucking your guts up along the way, so you can investigate some minor complaint. Thank Christ we don’t usually get involved. It’s a real frontier out there, with frontier policing.’

One of the Glasgow uniforms had said the same about Uncle Joe’s estate.

‘You mean they police themselves?’

‘It’s a bit naughty, but effective. And if it saves me a six-hour round trip I won’t say I’m sorry.’

‘What about Aberdeen itself?’

‘Reasonably quiet, except at weekends. Union Street on a Saturday night can be like downtown Saigon. There are a lot of frustrated kids around. They’ve grown up with money and stories of money. Now they want their share, only it’s not there any more. Christ, that was quick.’ Rebus saw that he’d finished his pint; only the top inch was missing from Lumsden’s. ‘I like a man who’s not afraid to bevvy.’

‘I’ll get this one,’ Rebus said. The barman was standing ready. Lumsden didn’t want another, so Rebus ordered an abstemious half. First impressions and all that.

‘The room’s yours for as long as you need it,’ Lumsden said. ‘Don’t pay cash for that drink, charge it to the room. Meals aren’t included, but I can let you have a few addresses. Tell them you’re a cop, you’ll find the bill pretty reasonable.’

‘Tut tut,’ Rebus said.

Lumsden smiled again. ‘Some fellow officers I wouldn’t tell that to, but somehow I think we’re on the same wavelength. Am I right?’

‘You could be.’

‘I’m not often wrong. Who knows, my next posting could be Edinburgh. A friendly face is always an asset.’

‘Speaking of which, I don’t want my presence here broadcast.’

‘Oh?’

‘The media are after me. They’re making a programme about a case, ancient history, and they want to talk to me.’

‘I get the idea.’

‘They may try tracking me down, phoning up pretending to be colleagues …’

‘Well, no one knows you’re here except me and DC Shanks. I’ll try to keep it that way.’

‘I’d appreciate it. They may try using the name Ancram. That’s the reporter.’

Lumsden winked, finished the bowl of peanuts. ‘Your secret’s safe with me.’