A little chunk of Formica peeled away beneath his fingernails. ‘I need you to look after my mom and dad.’

Logan leaned back against the door and folded his arms.

‘I mean, when the McLeods find out it was me stealing from them, they’re going to go after him, aren’t they? ’ Anthony gave a little laugh. ‘Course they are. They’ll think he told me where the other farms were, but he didn’t. I followed him to work one day, saw who he spoke to. Then I followed them. Took a couple of weeks, but I worked out how the operation fits together.’

‘Your dad works for the McLeods? ’

Of course he did. Simon McLeod said he’d paid a fortune getting the best in the business over to grow for him, and according to the US Justice Department, Raymond Chung had form for growing cannabis in San Francisco.

Logan groaned. ‘Is that why your father told us the body we found was yours? He wanted his masters to think you were dead, so they wouldn’t go after you? ’

Anthony stopped picking. ‘I never stole from Dad’s farm. Simon and Creepy Colin McLeod – you wouldn’t believe how bad they’ll mess you up if they think you’re not looking after their merchandise. That’s why I never touched the weed Dad was growing.’

‘Let me guess: everyone else was fair game? ’

‘He had nothing to do with the thefts, it was all me.’

‘What a great son you are. Very thoughtful.’

‘He doesn’t deserve to get fed to the pigs.’ Anthony drew himself up. Shoulders back. ‘You get him and Mom into witness protection, and I’ll totally tell you where all the McLeods’ farms are. You can shut down the whole operation. That’s got to be worth something, right? ’

Rennie whistled. ‘And he’s giving us everything? The McLeods are going to love that.’

Logan kept going up the stairs. ‘Every time he targeted a new farm, he’d ID one of the drones and get Agnes to pay them a visit. Told her they were witches so she’d torture the details out of them. Then they go in, avoid the booby traps, and steal all the cannabis they could fit in their truck.’

‘They’re going to rip him a new one the minute he sets foot in Craiginches, aren’t they? ’

‘Of course they are. That’s why I’ve got him going in as a vulnerable prisoner.’ Logan pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it over. ‘You’re always moaning that you never get the credit for anything, so I’m giving you the happy job of going out there and telling Mr and Mrs Chung their little boy’s not dead after all. And then take the two of them into custody. It’s—’ The phone blared. Logan pulled it out. ‘McRae.’