‘Well …’ Holly angled his head towards the sun. ‘Say this thing you’re working on … it’s confidential, right?’ He took a breath. ‘Don’t answer that. We both know already. But say someone … a journalist, for want of a better example … got hold of this story. People would want to know how he got it, and do you know who they’d look to first?’

‘Who?’

‘The liaison officer, Detective Constable Grant Hood. He’s the one with the line to the media. And if a certain journalist – the one in possession of the leak – happened to … well, indicate that his source was not a thousand miles from the liaison officer … I’m sorry, it probably sounds petty to you. You probably don’t want to see DC Hood with a bit of mud on his new starched shirt, or the flak that would head the way of DCS Templer. It’s just that sometimes when I start thinking something, I need to go the whole way. Do you know what I’m saying?’

‘Yes.’

‘We could still have that meeting. I’m free all morning. I’ve already told you what you need to know about Mountain Boy, but we could talk anyway …’

Rebus had been standing in front of Ellen Wylie’s desk a full half-minute before she seemed to realise he was there. She was staring towards the paperwork in front of her, but Rebus didn’t think she was seeing it. Then Shug Davidson wandered past, slapping Rebus on the back and saying ‘Morning, John’, and Wylie looked up.

‘Weekend that bad, was it?’ Rebus asked.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘Looking for you, though I’m beginning to wonder why I bothered.’

She seemed to pull herself together, ran a hand over her head and muttered something approaching an apology.

‘So am I right, was it a bad weekend?’

Davidson was passing again, papers in hand. ‘She was fine till ten minutes ago.’ He stopped. ‘Was it that wanker Holly?’

‘No,’ Wylie said.

‘Bet it was,’ Davidson stated, moving off again.

‘Steve Holly?’ Rebus guessed.

Wylie tapped the newspaper story. ‘I had to talk to him.’

Rebus nodded. ‘Just watch out for him, Ellen.’

‘I can handle him, don’t worry.’

He was still nodding. ‘That’s more like it. Now, do you feel like doing me a favour?’

‘Depends what it is.’

‘I got the feeling this German student thing would be driving you mental … Is that why you came back to West End?’

‘I just thought I might get more work done here.’ She threw her pen down on the desk. ‘Looks like I was wrong.’

‘Well, I’m here to offer you a break. I’ve got a couple of interviews to do, and I need a partner.’

‘Who are you interviewing?’

‘David Costello and his father.’

‘Why me?’

‘I thought I’d already explained that.’

‘Charity case, am I?’

Rebus let out a long breath. ‘Jesus, Ellen, you can be hard work sometimes.’

She looked at her watch. ‘I have a meeting at half-eleven.’