‘Mr McDade, I’m so sorry, I’m just so sorry,’ she had said. ‘I didn’t know who else to turn to. I know you told me to leave it to you, and I should have, I really should have, I know that now. But I just … I was so worried for Jim. I’ve got nobody else. I had to find out what I could, but, God, it’s just been so awful. People shooting at us and this Fallan guy, this psycho …’

She’d even managed tears at this point; the sound of them anyway.

‘Hang on, calm down, hen. Calm down. Keep it together. What’s happened?’

‘Too much to say. I’ve got myself in way over my head. I’ve found out some things and I’m really, really scared. This guy you told me about, Glen Fallan, he isn’t dead. I thought he was someone else at first, and I thought he was going to help me, but he’s everything you said, and there’s people trying to kill him and now he’s been arrested and I’ve got nobody if they come after me, and there’s these photographs and I don’t know—’

‘Woah, steady the Buffs. Stay calm. He’s been arrested?’

‘Yes. He tried to shoot these police officers, and he took my car to do it, and now I’m scared they’ll think I was involved. I know you said to sit tight and stay out of this, but I think everything that’s gone on is connected with whatever’s happened to my uncle Jim. Have you found anything out?’

‘I’ve made a few inquiries. Nothing as dramatic as you, by the sounds of it. Did you say something about photographs?’

‘It’s these infrared photographs that Jim ordered. Overhead shots of the landscape, north of Glasgow, mostly the Campsie Hills, taken in late 1983. The guy he ordered them from said that they show up body heat, even from cemeteries. I think Jim was trying to find where some bodies might be buried, and I think somebody might have killed him to prevent that. I’m scared they’re coming for me next. But if I give the photos to you, you’ll be able to look into it, won’t you? You’ll find out what’s going on, and find out who’s doing this, and I’ll be safe, and—’

‘Keep it together, hen. Don’t worry. It’ll all be okay. Are the photos with you just now?’

‘Yes. I’m at Jim’s office. I thought it was the safest place because they’ve already burgled it. Can you come and meet me here? Please? Quickly?’

‘You sit tight, hen. Sit tight. I’ll be with you soon.’