‘And?’ he encouraged her.

‘And you’ll have some agenda going.’

‘Actually I don’t … not particularly.’

‘Then why did you do it?’

‘It was the quickest way, the simplest. If I’d bothered to think for a moment … maybe I’d have kept my mouth shut.’ He poured water and milk into the mugs, handed one over. Siobhan looked at the tea-bag floating there. ‘Spoon it out when it’s strong enough,’ he suggested.

‘Yummy.’

‘Sure I can’t tempt you with a ham roll?’

She shook her head. ‘Don’t let me stop you.’

‘Maybe later,’ he said, leading them through to the living room. ‘Everything calm at base camp?’

‘Say what you like about Carswell, he’s a pretty good motivator. Everyone thinks it was that speech of his that made you feel guilty.’

‘And they’re now working harder than ever?’ He waited till she’d nodded. ‘A team of happy gardeners with no nasty moles to bother them.’

Siobhan grinned. ‘It was pretty bloody corny, wasn’t it?’ She looked around. ‘Where are you going to go when you sell this place?’

‘Got a spare room, have you?’

‘Depends for how long.’

‘I’m just joking, Siobhan. I’ll be fine.’ He took a gulp of tea. ‘So what exactly does bring you here?’

‘You mean apart from checking up on you?’

‘I’m guessing that wasn’t all.’

She reached down to place her mug on the floor. ‘I got another message.’

‘Quizmaster?’ She nodded. ‘Saying what exactly?’

She unfolded some sheets from her pocket, reached over towards him with them. Their fingers touched as he took them. The first was an e-mail from Siobhan:

Still awaiting Stricture.

‘I sent that first thing this morning,’ she said. ‘Thought maybe he wouldn’t have heard.’

Rebus turned to the second sheet. It was from Quizmaster.

I’m disappointed in you, Siobhan. I’m taking my ball home now.

Then Siobhan:

Don’t believe everything you read. I still want to play.

Quizmaster:

And go yapping to your bosses?

Siobhan:

You and me this time, that’s a promise.

Quizmaster:

How can I trust you?

Siobhan:

I’ve been trusting you, haven’t I? And you always know where to find me. I still don’t have the first clue about you.

‘I had to wait a while after that. The final sheet came in about’ – she checked her watch – ‘forty minutes ago.’

‘And you came straight here?’

She shrugged. ‘More or less.’

‘You didn’t show it to Brains?’

‘He’s off on some errand for Crime Squad.’

‘Anyone else?’ She shook her head. ‘Why me?’

‘Now that I’m here,’ she said, ‘I don’t really know.’

‘Grant’s the one with the puzzle mind.’

‘Right now he’s too busy puzzling over how to keep his job.’

Rebus nodded slowly and re-read the final sheet: