‘What a bitch,’ Abernethy said. He was making for the exit.

‘She’s a friend of mine.’

‘And they say you can choose your friends ...’

Abernethy shook his head.

‘What brings you back?’

‘You have to ask?’

‘Lintz is dead. Case closed as far as you’re concerned.’

They emerged from the building.

‘So?’

‘So,’ Rebus persisted, ‘why come all the way back here? What is there that couldn’t be done with a phone or fax?’

Abernethy stopped, turned to face him. ‘Loose ends.’

‘What loose ends?’

‘There aren’t any.’

Abernethy gave a cheerless smile and took a key from his pocket. As they approached his car, he used the remote to unlock it and disable the alarm.

‘What’s going on, Abernethy?’

‘Nothing to worry your pretty little head about.’

He opened the driver’s-side door.

‘Are you glad he’s dead?’

‘What?’

‘Lintz. How do you feel about him being murdered?’

‘I’ve no feelings either way. He’s dead, which means I can cross him off my list.’

‘That last time you came up here, you were warning him.’

‘Not true.’

‘Was his phone bugged?’

Abernethy just snorted. ‘Did you know he might be killed?’

Abernethy turned on Rebus. ‘What’s it to you? I’ll tell you: nothing. Leith CID are on the murder, and you’re out of it. End of story.’

‘Is it the Rat Line? Too embarrassing if it all came to light?’

‘Christ, what is it with you? Just give it a rest.’

Abernethy got into the car, closed the door. Rebus didn’t move. The engine turned and caught, Abernethy’s window slid down. Rebus was ready.

‘They sent you four hundred miles just to check there were no loose ends.’

‘So?’

‘So there’s rather a large loose end, isn’t there?’

Rebus paused. ‘Unless you know who Lintz’s killer was.’

‘I leave that sort of thing to you guys.’

‘Heading down to Leith?’

‘I have to talk to Hogan.’

Abernethy stared at Rebus. ‘You’re a hard bastard, aren’t you? Maybe even a bit selfish.’

‘How’s that?’

‘If I’d a daughter in hospital, police work would be the last thing on my mind.’

As Rebus lunged towards the open window, Abernethy gunned the car. Footsteps behind: Siobhan Clarke.

‘Good riddance,’ she said, watching the car speed off. A finger appeared from Abernethy’s window. She gave a two fingered reply. ‘I didn’t want to say anything in the office ...’

she began.

‘I took the test yesterday,’ Rebus lied.

‘It’ll be negative.’

‘Are you positive?’

She smiled a little longer than the joke merited. ‘Ormiston chucked your tea away, said he was going to disinfect the mug.’

‘Abernethy has that effect on people.’

He looked at her. ‘Remember, Ormiston and Claverhouse go back years.’

‘I know. I think Claverhouse has a crush on me. It’ll pass, but until it does ...’

‘Tread carefully.’

They started walking back towards the main entrance. ‘And don’t let him tempt you into the broom cupboard.’

19

Rebus went back to St Leonard’s, saw that the office was coping quite well without him, and headed over to the hospital with Dr Morrison’s Iron Maiden t-shirt in a plastic bag. A third bed had been moved into Sammy’s room. An elderly woman lay in it. Though awake, she stared fixedly at the ceiling. Rhona was at Sammy’s bedside, reading a book.