‘Making him difficult to track down?’ Rebus guessed. Then he read:

How can I be sure you are who you say you are?

‘He means my e-mail address,’ Siobhan explained. ‘I was using Philippa’s before; now I’m using Grant’s.’

‘What did you tell him?’

‘I told him he’d have to trust me; either that or we could always meet.’

‘And was he keen?’

She smiled. ‘Not overly. But he did send me this.’ She hit another button.

Seven fins high is king. This queen dines well before the bust.

‘Is that it?’

Siobhan nodded. ‘I asked if he could give me a clue. All he did was send me the message again.’

‘Presumably because it is the clue.’

She ran a hand through her hair. ‘I was up half the night. I don’t suppose it means anything to you?’

He shook his head. ‘You need someone who likes puzzles. Doesn’t young Grant do cryptic crosswords?’

‘Does he?’ Siobhan looked across the room to where Grant Hood was making a phone call.

‘Why don’t you go and ask?’

When Hood came off the phone, Siobhan was waiting. ‘How’s the laptop?’ he asked.

‘Fine.’ She handed him a sheet of paper. ‘I hear you like a puzzle.’

He took the sheet, but didn’t look at it. ‘Saturday night?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘Saturday night was fine.’

And it had been, too: a couple of drinks and then dinner at a decent, small restaurant in the New Town. They’d talked shop mostly, having not much else in common, but it was good to have a laugh, relive a few stories. He’d been quite the gentleman, walking her home afterwards. She hadn’t asked him up for coffee. He’d said he’d find a cab on Broughton Street.

Now, Grant nodded back and smiled. ‘Fine’ was good enough for him. Then he looked at the sheet. ‘“Seven fins high is king”,’ he read aloud. ‘What’s it mean?’

‘I was hoping maybe you’d tell me.’

He studied the message again. ‘Could be an anagram. Unlikely though: not enough vowels, it’s all i’s and e’s. “Before the bust” – drugs bust maybe?’ Siobhan just shrugged. ‘Maybe it would help if you told me a bit about it,’ Hood said.

Siobhan nodded. ‘Over a coffee, if you like,’ she said.