She seemed to soften, came off the bed and stood in front of him. Her eyes seemed to say, I’ll trust you, and if you let me down I won’t be surprised.

Claverhouse came back. ‘All fixed,’ he said, his examination falling on Candice. ‘She doesn’t speak any English?’

‘Not as practised in polite society.’

‘In that case,’ Ormiston said, ‘she should be fine with us.’

Three men and a young woman in a dark blue Ford Orion, heading south out of the city. It was late now, past midnight, black taxis cruising. Students were spilling from pubs.

‘They get younger every year.’

Claverhouse was never short of a cliche.

‘And more of them end up joining the force,’ Rebus commented.

Claverhouse smiled. ‘I meant prossies, not students. We pulled one in last week, said she was fifteen. Turned out she was twelve, on the run. All grown up about it.’

Rebus tried to remember Sammy at twelve. He saw her scared, in the clutches of a madman with a grievance against Rebus. She’d had lots of nightmares afterwards, till her mother had taken her to London. Rhona had phoned Rebus a few years later. She just wanted to let him know he’d robbed Sammy of her childhood.

‘I phoned ahead,’ Claverhouse said. ‘Don’t worry, we’ve used this place before. It’s perfect.’

‘She’ll need some clothes,’ Rebus said.

‘Siobhan can fetch her some in the morning.’

‘How is Siobhan?’

‘Seems fine. Hasn’t half cut into the jokes and the language though.’

‘Ach, she can take a joke,’ Ormiston said. ‘Likes a drink, too.’

This last was news to Rebus. He wondered how much Siobhan Clarke would change in order to blend with her new surroundings.

‘It’s just off the bypass,’ Claverhouse said, meaning their destination. ‘Not far now.’

The city ended suddenly. Green belt, plus the Pentland Hills. The bypass was quiet, Ormiston doing the ton between exits. They came off at Colinton and signalled into the hotel. It was a motorist’s stop, one of a nationwide chain: same prices, same rooms. The cars which crowded the parking area were salesmen’s specials, cigarette packets littering the passenger seats. The reps would be sleeping, or lying in a daze with the TV remote to hand.

Candice seemed reluctant to get out of the car, until she saw that Rebus was coming, too.

‘You light up her life,’ Ormiston offered.

At reception, they signed her in as one half of a couple - Mrs Angus Campbell. The two Crime Squad cops had the routine off pat. Rebus watched the hotel clerk, but a wink from Claverhouse told him the man was okay.

‘Make it the first floor, Malcolm,’ Ormiston said. ‘Don’t want anyone peeking in the windows.’

Room number 20. ‘Will someone be with her?’

Rebus asked as they climbed the stairs.

‘Right there in the room,’ Claverhouse said. ‘The landing’s too obvious, and we’d freeze our bums off in the car. Did you give me Colquhoun’s number?’

‘Ormiston has it.’

Ormiston was unlocking the door. ‘Who’s on first watch?’