Ostler shook his head slowly. “And I always thought you were such a nice wee lassie. Fancy you threatening to shop a fellow journalist just to get a wee bit of peace and quiet. And how much work do you think you’d get in this city if you did that?”

Lindsay shrugged. “To tell you the truth, Barry, I’ve been thinking lately that maybe journalism isn’t really my game. So being on the blacklist wouldn’t exactly break my heart. But I’ll do you a deal. You hand over the papers and I won’t shop you.”

“Lindsay, I’d gladly give you Harry Campbell’s billets doux if I had them. But what I haven’t got, I can’t part with,” Ostler countered, spreading his hands in an exaggerated Latin shrug.

“But you know where they are,” Lindsay said flatly.

“Now, how would I know that?”

“Because whoever gave you the prison privatization story also has Harry Campbell’s papers. And only someone who had seen those papers or had had them described to him would refer to them as billets doux. I never gave you any indication of what those papers were. You just gave yourself away, Barry,” Lindsay observed.

“Maybe, but a good journalist never reveals his sources.”

“Well, that lets you off the hook, Barry. Not even your best friend would describe you as a good journalist. Look, I’ve not got all day. I’ve told you the deal. You can come across now and I won’t tell the police it was you. Or you can sit there on your big fat principles and wait for the Special Branch to come knocking. What’s it to be?” Lindsay was almost beginning to relish her role as the tough nut.

Ostler sighed and lit another cigarette from the butt of the previous one. “Okay. It was me leaked the story. But I’ve no idea who did the burglary. The papers were shoved through my letterbox in a brown envelope on Monday night. I don’t know where they came from.” Lindsay stared at him, for the moment mute with a mixture of outrage and admiration at his brazen effrontery. “Sorry I can’t be more help,” he added urbanely.

Lindsay smiled in spite of herself. “That’s life,” she remarked, getting to her feet. “Well, I’d better be off now. I’ve got a policeman to see about this burglary. I’m sure they’ll be delighted to hear who was really responsible.”

Alarmed, Ostler jumped to his feet. “Now wait a minute! You said you’d do a deal.”

“That’s right. The deal was that I got Harry Campbell’s papers back. No papers, no deal. I mean, what’s in it for me otherwise?”

“But I told you,” he said desperately. “I don’t know where the papers came from!”