‘Look, Rebus, it’s not ...’

‘If you can’t tell us, talk to your boss. Get him to do it. Otherwise, the way we’re digging, we’re bound to throw up an old bone sooner or later.’

Abernethy stood back a pace. ‘I think I get it,’ he said. And he began to smile. ‘You’re trying to stiff me.’

He was looking at Hogan. ‘That’s what this is.’

‘Not at all,’ Rebus answered. ‘What I’m saying is: we’ll redouble our efforts. We’ll sniff into every little corner. The Rat Line, the Vatican, turning Nazis into cold war spies for the allies ... it could all count as evidence. The other men on your list, the other suspects ... we’ll need to talk to all of them, see if they knew Joseph Lintz. Maybe they met him on the trip over.’

Abernethy was shaking his head. ‘I’m not going to let you do that.’

‘You’re going to obstruct the investigation?’

‘That’s not what I said.’

‘No, but it’s what you’ll do.’

Rebus paused. ‘If you think we’re climbing the wrong tree - and, incidentally, that should be barking up - go ahead and prove it. Give us everything you’ve got on Lintz’s past.’

Abernethy’s eyes were fierce.

‘Or we go on digging and sniffing.’

Rebus opened another file, lifted out the first sheet. Hogan picked up his telephone, made another call. Siobhan Clarke looked at a list of numbers and chose one.

‘Hello, is that the City Synagogue?’

Hogan was saying. ‘Yes, it’s Detective Inspector Hogan here, Leith CID. Do you by any chance have information on a Joseph Lintz?’

Abernethy grabbed his coat, turned on his heels and left. They waited thirty seconds, then Hogan put the receiver down.

‘He looked nettled.’

‘That’s one Christmas wish I can chalk off,’ Siobhan Clarke said.

‘Thanks for your time, Siobhan,’ Rebus said.

‘Happy to oblige. But why did it have to be me?’

‘Because he knows you’re Crime Squad. I wanted him to think interest was escalating. And because the two of you didn’t exactly hit it off last time you met. Antagonism always helps.’

‘And what did we accomplish?’

Bobby Hogan asked, beginning to gather together the files, half of which belonged to other cases.

‘We rattled his cage,’ Rebus said. ‘He’s not up here for the good of his health - or yours, come to that. He’s here because Special Branch in London want to know all about the investigation. And to me, that means they’re scared of something.’

‘The Rat Line?’

‘That would be my guess. Abernethy’s been keeping an eye on all the new cases nationwide. Someone in London is getting a bit sweaty.’

‘They’re worried this Rat Line will connect to whoever killed Lintz?’

‘I’m not sure it goes that far,’ Rebus said.

‘Meaning?’

He looked at Clarke. ‘Meaning I’m not sure it goes that far.’

‘Well,’ Hogan said, ‘looks like he’s off my back for a little while at least, for which I’m grateful.’

He got to his feet. ‘Get anyone a coffee?’