Luke glanced at Gaby then back at Clare. ‘Not sure, really. He went into the restaurant trade when he came out of prison. He’s done that for a good few years now. It’s not exactly the kind of job where you make enemies – not the sort to come after you with a gun, at least.’

‘So business was good?’ Clare said.

Luke nodded. ‘Yeah, it was. But he’d been talking about getting out. Selling up.’

Gaby stared at him. ‘I didn’t know that.’

Luke shrugged. ‘He mentioned it.’

‘Did he say why?’

‘Think he’d had enough,’ Luke said. ‘Told me he’d put the word out a couple of months back and had a bit of interest.’ He nodded at this. ‘They were busy restaurants, you know? I reckon he’d have got a good price.’

Gaby took a draught of her lemonade. ‘I’m sure he would.’

Was there a slight edge to her voice? She doesn’t like being the last to know, Clare thought. Time for a change of tack. ‘Did Russell have anyone special in his life?’

Gaby shook her head. ‘I don’t think so.’ She turned to her husband. ‘Unless of course he told you.’

The tone was lost on Luke. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Not that I was aware. Mind you, Inspector, we were down in London and Russell was in Glasgow so he might have had someone.’ He looked past Clare towards the trees screening the rest of the garden. ‘I think the three lads have gone for a wander. They’d be the ones to ask.’

Clare smiled. ‘We’ll do that, thanks.’ She lifted her glass to drink then her phone rang, cutting through the birdsong. She glanced at the screen then moved away from the sun deck, excusing herself before answering the call. ‘Neil,’ she said, her voice low, ‘what can I do for you?’

‘Couple of things,’ Neil Grant said. ‘The full PM report is up on the system but I thought you’d want to know the DNA on the bullet matches the victim.’

‘No real surprise there.’

‘No indeed. But something else might be.’

Clare waited.

‘Your victim was not a well man. There was an extensive abdominal mass.’

‘Cancer?’

‘Afraid so. And pretty far gone.’

‘Would he have known about it?’

‘Oh yes. You’ll have to check with his GP but I can’t imagine he didn’t.’

‘Was it operable?’

‘In theory, yes. But it would only have bought him time, delayed the inevitable.’