He walked in at eleven.

There was folk music in the back room. The front would have been quiet if it weren’t for two loud-mouths who looked like they’d been at it since their office closed for the night. They still wore work-suits, newspapers rolled in their pockets. They were drinking G&T.

Rebus asked Jack Morton what he wanted.

‘A pint of orange and lemonade.’

‘So how did it go?’

Rebus ordered the drink. In forty minutes, he’d managed to put away two Cokes, and was now on coffee.

‘They seem keen.’

‘So who was at the meeting?’

‘My sponsors from the shop, plus Telford and a couple of his men.’

‘The transmitter worked okay?’

‘Sound as a pound.’

‘Did they search you?’

Morton shook his head. ‘They were sloppy, seemed really sweaty about something. Want to hear the plan?’

Rebus nodded. ‘Middle of the night, truck arrives at the factory, and I let it through the gates. My story is, I had a phone call from the boss okaying the delivery. So I wasn’t suspicious.’

‘Only your boss never made the call?’

‘That’s right. So I was duped by a voice. And that’s all I need to tell the police.’

‘We’d sweat the truth out of you.’

‘Like I say, John, the whole plan’s half-baked. I’ll give them this though - they did check my background. Seemed satisfied.’

‘Who’s going to be in the truck?’

‘Ten men, armed to the teeth. I’m to get a rough plan of the place to Telford tomorrow, let him know how many people will be around, what the alarm system’s like ...’

‘What’s in it for you?’

‘Five grand. He’s judged that right: five gets my debts repaid and puts a wedge in my pocket.’

Five grand: the amount Joseph Lintz had taken out of his bank ...

‘Your story’s holding?’

‘They’ve staked out my flat.’

‘And they didn’t follow you here?’

Morton shook his head, and Rebus filled him in on what he’d learned and what he suspected. While Morton was taking it in, Rebus threw a question at him.

‘How does Claverhouse want to play it?’

‘The tape evidence is good: Telford talking, me making sure I called him “Mr Telford” and “Tommy” a few times. It’s obviously him on the recording. But ... Claverhouse wants Telford’s crew caught red-handed.’

‘“Got to do it right”.’

‘That seems to be his catch-phrase.’

‘Is there a date?’

‘Saturday, all being well.’

‘What’s the betting we get a tip-off on Friday?’

‘If your theory’s right.’

‘If I’m right,’ he agreed.

33

The tip-off didn’t come until Saturday lunchtime, but when it did, Rebus knew his hunch had been right.

Claverhouse was the first to congratulate him, which surprised Rebus, because Claverhouse had a lot on his plate and had acted very casually when the call had come. Pinned to the walls of the Crime Squad office were detailed maps of the drugs plant, along with staff rosters. Coloured stickers showed where personnel would be stationed. During the night, it was security only, unless some big order was demanding overtime. Tonight, the usual security ‘staff would be augmented by Lothian & Borders Police. Twenty people inside the plant, with marksmen stationed on roofs and at certain key windows. A dozen cars and vans as back-up. It was the biggest operation of Claverhouse’s career; a lot was expected of him. He kept saying ‘it has to be done right’. He said he would leave ‘nothing to chance’. Those two phrases had ‘become his mantra.