They exchanged the required niceties on the ascent to Magnus’s floor – focusing on the weather and work in general, wherein Alec professed to rather enjoying his current work-free existence, including no academic classes to take.

‘Alas, for me,’ Magnus said, ‘that is not an option.’

On arrival at his office, Magnus found another two of his first-year female students waiting for him outside. He didn’t remember their names, but, listening to their requests for a meeting, asked the two to email him for an appointment.

Once inside with the door firmly shut, Alec ventured, ‘I see you’re very popular, Professor Pirie. Is your popularity confined to your female students or does it cross the boundaries of gender?’

‘My popularity at present depends on what grade I gave them on their last paper,’ Magnus said firmly, ushering Alec to a chair.

‘I take it they think you scored them too low?’

‘No one comes to complain about a mark that is higher than they anticipated,’ Magnus confirmed. ‘Can I offer you a freshly brewed coffee?’

‘Yes, please.’ Alec’s eyes lit up. ‘I could smell it when I came in. Good coffee is one of the many joys of being free. That and being able to walk for miles in a straight line. Something I haven’t been able to do for fifteen years.’

Magnus busied himself pouring the coffee, while his inner voice screamed his distaste that McLaughlin should feel sorry for himself, since his victims were unlikely ever to be free of the past he’d inflicted upon them.

When he returned with the coffee mugs in hand, he found McLaughlin’s piercing eyes studying him.

‘You think I have no right to feel sorry for myself,’ he suggested, as though he’d been reading Magnus’s thoughts.

Magnus, unsure how to answer, decided not to.

McLaughlin smiled. ‘You’ll be pleased to hear that I did well in my finals and am soon to graduate with a first-class honours in Forensic Psychology. Not bad for a boy who left school at fifteen.’

‘I thought the school leaving age was raised to sixteen in 1973?’

A dark look crossed McLaughlin’s face, but it passed so swiftly Magnus might almost have imagined it.

‘I see you’ve been doing your homework on me, Professor. As for the leaving age, it mattered little to me as I spent more time out of school than in.’

‘All the more reason then to congratulate you on your degree success,’ Magnus said, somewhat belatedly.

McLaughlin smiled. ‘Thank you, Professor Pirie. Coming from such a distinguished criminal profiler, that’s high praise indeed.’ He paused, then setting down his coffee, said, ‘Now we’ve got the niceties over, shall we discuss the real reason why I’m here?’

Magnus nodded. ‘I understand it relates to the body recently discovered on the moors?’

‘Found buried on the moors,’ McLaughlin corrected him. ‘I lived two doors up from wee Mary McIntyre, Professor. And for a while I was a suspect in her abduction. I wasn’t the culprit, but the detective at the time, McCreadie was his name, had it in for me. Gave me a hard time. In fact, nowadays I could have him up for sexual assault.’ He continued, his eyes fixed on Magnus, ‘McCreadie was determined to pin it on someone and I fitted the bill.’ He gave a cold smile. ‘So I expect, if they do identify the body as Mary, someone will be back knocking on my door again.’