McGlynn shook his head. “He came to me looking for a favor, actually. Couple of years back, this was. I own a few car parks in Glasgow, and Bell was interested. No way I wanted him as a partner, though—or anywhere near my firm. But I did seem to whet his appetite. Next thing, he’d got himself a couple of multistories—one by Edinburgh Airport and the other in Livingston.”

“The airport?”

McGlynn nodded. “Your ears seem to have pricked up.”

“Might be something or nothing.” Near the crash scene…Bell’s niece’s pals going off the road…

“Would that be a genuine something or nothing or a policeman’s something or nothing?” McGlynn was smiling.

“Do I need to answer that?”

“Not really.”

“Anything else you can share regarding Rory Bell?”

“He’s left me and mine well alone—I’d hate to think that might change because I’ve talked to you.”

“It won’t.”

“I’m only here because of Stefan.”

Rebus nodded slowly. “You’ve known Stefan a while?”

“A few years.”

“Get on well with him?”

“I’ve no complaints.” McGlynn checked the time.

“He’s had a bit of bad publicity lately—you reckon he’s coping with it?”

“He’s Stefan Gilmour—bullets bounce off him.” McGlynn was rising to his feet, extending a hand for Rebus to shake. “Are you telling me his armor might be weakening?”

“Would that cause something of a feeding frenzy?”

“Business is business, Mr. Rebus. Lot of hungry mouths out there…”

With a farewell nod, McGlynn walked in the direction of the restaurant, a member of staff giving a little bow as they met. Rebus headed out front, where his car was parked. The tram works were just as bad this end of Princes Street. He listened to the gripes of the Balmoral’s liveried doorman as he smoked a cigarette.

“Place deserves better than this,” the doorman told him. “Capital city? Makes what we’re doing to it a capital crime.”

“So tell me who to arrest,” Rebus offered.

“What would be the point? Damage is already done.”

“True enough,” Rebus said, unlocking the Saab and getting in.

He preferred Glasgow to Edinburgh, though he chose to live in neither. Partly it was the people—too many of them, mostly just passing through. Then there was the narrowness of the streets, which felt claustrophobic. The layout made no sense until you drove into the New Town, and even there the roadworks and diversions meant you could not rely on satnav. No matter how much time you’d given yourself, it almost always took longer to get anywhere.