‘The professor went home after he and Ms Marge Balfour had given their statements. I believe he’s expecting you to call.’

I bet he is, thought McNab.

Ringing off, McNab listened for a moment in case his raised voice had wakened Ellie, but when all was quiet, he went and closed the bedroom door. Now wide awake, he realized the thing he needed was coffee, so he set about putting on the machine. Then he had a swift shower.

Dressed, with one strong coffee drunk and another poured, McNab decided he was now able to talk to Pirie.

The call was answered immediately, suggesting Pirie was not only up and about, but already had the mobile in his hand.

McNab got in first. ‘Why didn’t you call back when you found a crime scene at the house?’

There was a short silence as though Pirie was working out the least confrontational thing to say.

‘I explained to the local police about Karen. They said they would deal with it and contact you, which I’m assuming they did?’

‘I would rather have heard last night,’ McNab said, although that wasn’t strictly true.

‘I apologize. I should have called when I got back, but it was very late and you sounded as though you had company.’

McNab couldn’t argue with that. Plus he’d been drinking so would have had to organize a driver to take him to Stirling. None of which he told Pirie, of course.

‘We need to talk,’ Pirie said. ‘There are things Marge told me about Karen that I believe may be pertinent to the investigation.’

‘Okay,’ McNab said cautiously. ‘Where?’

McNab sent a message to Ellie, indicating he had to go into work and he would see her later, then slipped quietly out. The Merchant City was quiet at this hour, so parking wasn’t a problem, although the cafe, where they’d arranged to meet, was open and reasonably busy. As McNab entered he spotted Pirie in conversation with two young women, student types like most of the others in there.

The females were smiling and nodding at whatever words of wisdom Pirie was bestowing on them. Not for the first time, McNab wondered why he’d never heard of Pirie having a partner, since the Orcadian was obviously a big hit with the women.

Spotting McNab’s entry, Pirie said his goodbyes and came across.

‘What’s with the fan club?’ McNab said.

‘Students in my forensic psychology class,’ Pirie said. ‘I’ve ordered for us.’

They took a seat near the window, McNab conscious of the fact that the two girls’ interest in their professor also now appeared to encompass him.

‘They knew you were a police officer as soon as you walked in,’ Pirie said with a small smile.

‘Maybe I’ve just arrested them, or one of their pals,’ McNab offered, taking a mouthful of the strong Americano that Pirie had chosen for him.

‘You underestimate your effect on the ladies,’ Pirie countered.

McNab could have said, ‘Much like yourself, Professor’, but didn’t. Instead he said, ‘So what do I need to know?’