‘I started off as a debt collector for a gangster called Tony McGill. I say gangster, but Tony never really had a gang. In my experience, organised crime in Glasgow was never very organised. But representing Tony’s interests, you crossed a lot of paths, made a lot of connections. It was like Facebook for criminals. And I never forget a face.’

He spoke this last statement not with pride or menace, but with the most bitter self-recrimination.

In the silence that followed, Jasmine felt her anger at his deception recede as she began to glimpse the true nature of what underlay it. He had abandoned his name in an attempt to leave his former self behind, but remained burdened by Glen Fallan’s sins. And with that in mind, she belatedly understood the act of self-sacrifice he had just committed on her behalf.

‘Bain didn’t recognise you until you forced him to. You could have kept your identity secret, but you gave it up in there to help me.’ She swallowed, feeling a lump rise in her throat as she often did these days whenever someone surprised her with a kindness. ‘Thank you.’

‘I didn’t give it up in there. I knew I was giving it up when I decided to come back to Glasgow with you. It was only a matter of time after that.’

‘Still, I appreciate it.’

‘You may want to save the thanks until you find out what else comes with the package.’

‘Why did you decide to come back here with me?’ she asked, figuring she’d chance her arm while his defences appeared to be down.

He stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

‘I’ve made a lot of enemies in my time. Left a lot of UXBs in my wake. I’ve learned to react to the warning signs whenever one might be threatening to go off. Who was the call from?’ he added, changing the subject so conspicuously as to unambiguously close its predecessor.

‘It was for Jim, but it was nothing. Gas Board, doing some kind of survey. I think they were trying to flog him a new boiler.’

‘Is that another number accounted for on your list, then?’

‘I forgot to check.’

‘May I?’ he asked, lifting Jasmine’s phone from where it was resting in front of the gearstick.

‘Sure.’

Ingrams reached into the back seat and retrieved the list, then thumbed his way to Jasmine’s call log.

‘Yep. There it is: outgoing call. Here’s a thing, though. Did you know Bain’s number appears on the incoming list as well as the outgoing?’

‘I hadn’t spotted that, no. Guess he could have been returning Jim’s call or checking a missed number. It’s also possible I duplicated it by mistake,’ she admitted. ‘I was trying to be methodical, but it’s not my natural métier.’

Just then, Jasmine’s phone rang in Ingrams’ hand.