‘It’s a prestige thing, Shug. If he can empty the place, it’ll make his name. He’ll have beaten Cafferty hands down.’

It was the same with the fire-bombings: they weren’t just a message to Cafferty, but a sort of ‘red carpet’ for Mr Pink Eyes - welcome to Edinburgh, and look what I can do.

‘I’m telling you,’ Davidson said, ‘there’s no way in. Christ, that’s cheap!’ Davidson’s attention had been diverted by signs on the window of the corner shop. Rebus looked, too. Cut-price cigarettes. Cheap sandwiches and hot rolls. Plus five pence off any morning paper.

‘Competition around here must be crippling,’ Davidson said. ‘Fancy a roll?’

Rebus was watching workers leaving the gates of Maclean’s. Afternoon break maybe. Saw them cross the road, dodging traffic. Counting small change from their pockets as they pushed open the door to the shop.

‘Yes,’ Rebus said quietly, ‘why not?’

The small shop was packed out. Davidson got in the queue, while Rebus looked at the rack of papers and magazines. The workers were sharing jokes and gossip. Two staff worked behind the counter young males, mixing banter with less-than-efficient service.

‘What do you fancy, John? Bacon?’

‘Fine,’ Rebus said. Remembered he hadn’t had lunch. ‘Make it two.’

Two bacon rolls came in at one pound exactly. They sat in the car to eat.

‘You know, Shug, the usual ploy with a shop like that is to take a beating on one or two necessities to get the punters in.’

Davidson nodded, attacked his roll. ‘But that place looked like Bargain City.’

Rebus had stopped eating. ‘Do us both a favour: find out the shop’s history, who owns it, who those two are behind the counter.’

Davidson’s chewing slowed. ‘You think ... ?’

‘Just check it out, all right?’

22

Back at St Leonard’s, his telephone was ringing. He sat down and prised the lid from a beaker of coffee. On the drive back he’d been thinking about Candice. Two swigs of coffee and he lifted the receiver.

‘DI Rebus,’ he said.

‘What the fuck is that little shite up to?’

The voice of Big Ger Cafferty.

‘Where are you?’

‘Where do you think I am?’

‘Sounds like a mobile.’

‘Amazing the things that find their way into Barlinnie. Now tell me, what is happening over there?’

‘You’ve heard then.’

‘He torched my house! My house! Am I supposed to let him get away with that?’

‘Look, I think I may have found a way to get to him.’

Cafferty calmed a little. ‘Tell me?’

‘Not yet, I want to -’

‘And all my taxis,’ Cafferty exploded again. ‘The little bastard!’ ‘Look, the point is: what’s he expecting you to do? He’s waiting for instant retaliation.’

‘And he’s going to get it.’

‘He’ll be ready. Wouldn’t it be better to catch him off-guard?’

‘That little bastard hasn’t been off-guard since he was lifted from the cradle.’

‘Shall I tell you why he did it?’

Cafferty’s anger ebbed again. ‘Why?’

‘Because he says you killed Matsumoto.’