He was making to get up, but Rebus stopped him. ‘I’m suspended, remember? Just you keep it warm for me.’ He closed the drawer, not having found anything. ‘So what’s Benzie doing here?’

‘One of the e-mails, I got Special Branch to trace it.’

Rebus whistled. ‘Claire Benzie sent it?’

‘Well, it was sent from her account.’

Rebus considered this. ‘Not quite the same thing?’

‘Siobhan’s the sceptical one.’

‘Is she in with Benzie?’ Rebus waited till Bain nodded. ‘But you’re out here?’

‘DCS Templer.’

‘Ah,’ Rebus said, no further explanation needed.

Gill Templer burst into the CID office. ‘I want Ranald Marr brought in for questioning. Who wants to fetch him?’

She got two volunteers straight away – Hi-Ho Silvers and Tommy Fleming. Others were trying to place the name, wondering what it could have to do with Claire Benzie and Quizmaster. When Gill turned round, Siobhan was standing behind her.

‘That was good work in there.’

‘Was it?’ Siobhan asked. ‘I’m not so sure.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘When I talk to her, it’s like I’m asking her things she wants to be asked. It’s as if she’s in control.’

‘I didn’t see that.’ Gill touched Siobhan’s shoulder. ‘Take a break. We’ll let someone else have a shot at Ranald Marr.’ She looked around the room. ‘The rest of you, back to work.’ Her eyes met those of John Rebus. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

Rebus opened another drawer, this time pulling out a pack of cigarettes and shaking them.

‘Just came to collect a few personal items, ma’am.’

Gill pursed her lips, stalked out of the room. McCoist was in the corridor with Claire. The three started a short discussion. Siobhan approached Rebus.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’

‘You look shattered.’

‘I see your silver tongue’s as rusty as ever.’

‘Boss told you to take a break, and as luck would have it, I’m buying. While you’ve been busy scaring wee lassies, I’ve been doing the important stuff …’

Siobhan was sticking to orange juice, and kept playing with her mobile: Bain was under strictest orders to call her if and when there was news.

‘I need to get back,’ she said, not for the first time. Then she checked the mobile’s display again, just in case the battery needed recharging or the signal had been lost.

‘Have you eaten?’ Rebus asked. When she shook her head, he came back from the bar with a couple of packets of Scampi Fries, which she was devouring when she heard him say:

‘That’s when it struck me.’

‘When what struck you?’

‘Christ, Siobhan, wake up.’

‘John, I feel like my head’s about to explode. I honestly think it might.’

‘You don’t think Claire Benzie’s guilty, that much I understand. And now she says Flip Balfour was getting her end away with Ranald Marr.’