‘He is not. A flying visit, I was told. Hence my decision that you should pick him up at the airport. I’m relying on you, Sergeant. To find out what you can.’

McNab was in a better state of mind exiting the boss’s domain than when he’d entered it. He headed back to his desk and gave Janice a satisfied smile.

‘So it went okay then?’

‘Of course. I’m to suss out what Cleverly is really up to as I chauffeur him round Glasgow.’

As he took his seat, he spied the coffee Janice had no doubt fetched for him in his absence. McNab toasted her with it.

‘I spoke to Jimmy Donaldson again.’

‘And?’

‘He thought you were a really nice lassie, but there were things he didn’t think he should say in front of you.’

Janice pulled a face. ‘You’re joking. What exactly?’

‘The sexy shenanigans he claims were going on in the flat where the victim was being held.’

‘Sexy shenanigans,’ Janice repeated with a smile.

‘Once it’s in your head you can’t get rid of it,’ McNab promised her. ‘However, he did say there was screaming and moaning, which may have been consensual. He’s been reading stuff in the papers about rough sex.’

‘I’m beginning to be grateful I wasn’t there,’ Janice admitted.

‘I checked with the bloke in the flat opposite, who confirmed it. It may have been operating as a brothel of some sort.’

‘With a link to Go Wild?’ Janice suggested.

‘Ollie maintains Go Wild was for high-paying customers only. Why come to a tenement in Glasgow for sex?’

‘Maybe more than just rough sex was part of the package?’

‘You mean you get to set fire to the girl afterwards?’ McNab said, his face displaying his horror at such a thought.

‘It doesn’t get rougher than that,’ Janice said.

18

Ava had spotted the police launch heading for the Orlova mid-morning and assumed it was ferrying out the two Glasgow detectives. She’d asked Erling if she might have a quick interview with them at Houton, but he’d been categorical in his refusal.

‘I’m your go-to person for information. Let’s keep it that way,’ he’d told her.

Ava had conceded to that, of course. Erling kept her in the loop with Police Scotland, but he had no jurisdiction over her own investigations. Although she wasn’t allowed on board herself, she still knew what had been found there. The information had arrived via an anonymous email which included details of the virtual games set-up, a description of the arena and the deaths of the two fighters.

Ava had no reason to disbelieve this. There was enough local info circulating from those who had boarded the ship while making it secure to suggest the information was correct. Plus she’d already discovered enough about the ship to pair it with the company known as Go Wild.