‘She didn’t tell you what it meant?’

‘I’ve just said …’

‘I mean, about it being part of a quiz clue.’

Claire shook her head. ‘I thought … well, I don’t know what I thought.’

‘Was anyone else there?’

‘Not at the bar, no. I was getting some drinks in when she came running up.’

‘Do you think she told anyone else?’

‘Not to my knowledge.’

‘She didn’t explain any of the others?’ Siobhan gestured towards the sheet. She was feeling an intense rush of relief. Seven fins meant she’d been working out the same clues Flip had. Part of her had worried that Quizmaster was setting her new questions, questions specific to her. Now, she felt closer to Flip than ever …

‘Has this game got something to do with her death?’ Claire was asking.

‘We don’t know yet,’ Rebus told her.

‘And you’ve no suspects, no … leads?’

‘We’ve plenty of leads,’ Rebus was quick to assure her. ‘Tell me, you said you thought David Costello was arrogant. Did it ever go beyond that?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘We hear there were some pretty wild fallings-out between him and Flip.’

‘Flip could give as good as she got.’ She stopped abruptly, stared into space. Not for the first time in his life, Rebus wished he were a mind-reader. ‘She was strangled, wasn’t she?’

‘Yes.’

‘From what I’ve seen on the forensics course, victims struggle. They’ll scratch and kick and bite.’

‘Not if they’re unconscious,’ Rebus said quietly.

Claire closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, there were tears shining there.

‘Pressure on the carotid artery,’ Rebus went on.

‘Causing ante-mortem bruising?’ Claire could have been reading from a textbook. Siobhan nodded an answer.

‘Only seems like yesterday we were schoolgirls …’

‘This was in Edinburgh?’ Rebus asked, waiting till Claire had nodded. The first interview hadn’t gone into her background, except as it related to Flip. ‘Is that where your family live?’

‘It is now. But back then, we lived in Causland.’

Rebus frowned. ‘Causland?’ He knew the name from somewhere.

‘It’s a village … more of a hamlet really. About a mile and a half from Falls.’

Rebus found himself gripping the arms of Dr Curt’s chair. ‘You know Falls then?’

‘Used to.’

‘And Junipers, the Balfours’ house?’

She nodded. ‘For a while, I was more house guest than visitor.’

‘And then your family moved away?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘My father …’ She broke off. ‘We had to move for his work.’ Rebus and Siobhan shared a look: it wasn’t what she’d been about to say.

‘Did you and Flip ever visit the waterfall?’ Rebus asked casually.

‘Do you know it?’

He nodded. ‘Been there a couple of times.’

She was smiling, eyes losing focus. ‘We used to play there, pretend it was our enchanted kingdom. Life Never-Ending we called it. If only we’d known …’