Black Book

‘And to identify the killer?’ Siobhan guessed.

But Rebus shook his head. ‘To place Big Ger at the scene.’

‘There’s no evidence he was anywhere near.’

‘And maybe there never will be. But all the sam…We still don’t know who was at the poker game. It can’t just have been the Bru-Head Brothers.’

‘We could talk to all the hotel’s customers that night.’

‘Yes, we could.’ Rebus didn’t sound enthusiastic.

‘Or we could find the brothers-always supposing they’re still alive-and ask them.’

‘Their cousin might know where they are.’

‘Who? Radiator McCallum?’

Rebus nodded. ‘But then we don’t know where he is either. Eddie Ringan was there, but he was never on the official list. Black Aengus wasn’t on the list, and neither were the Bru-Head Brothers. I’m surprised we got any names at all.’

‘We are talking about a long time ago.’ Siobhan sounded more relaxed with Michael out of the room.

‘We’re also talking about long memories. Maybe I should have another go at Black Aengus.’

‘Not if you know what’s good for you.’ Siobhan could have said something about Dundee, but she wanted it to be confirmed first, and she wanted it to be a surprise. She’d know by Monday.

The phone rang. Rebus picked it up.

‘John? It’s Patience.’

‘Oh, hello there.’

‘Hello yourself. I thought maybe we’d fix up that date.’

‘Oh, right. For a drink?’

‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? No, I know what it is: you’re just playing hard to get. Don’t push it too far, Rebus.’

‘No, it’s not that, I’m just a bit busy right this minute.’ Siobhan seemed to take a hint, and got up, motioning that she’d make some coffee in the kitchen. Rebus nodded.

‘Well, I’m sorry to interrupt whatever it is you’re — ’

‘Don’t take it the wrong way, Patience. I’ve just got things on my mind.’

‘And I’m not included?’

Rebus made an exasperated sound. From the kitchen there came the louder sound of a sneeze. Aye, those Easter Road terraces could be snell. ‘John,’ said Patience, ‘is there a woman in the flat?’

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘One of the students?’

He seldom lied to her. ‘No, a colleague. We’re working through some case-notes.’

‘I see.’

Christ, he should have tried lying. His head was too full of the Central Hotel to be able to cope with Patience’s jousting. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘have you got a time and place in mind for that drink?’

But Patience had rung off. Rebus stared at the receiver, shrugged, and placed it on the carpet. He didn’t want any more interruptions. ‘Coffee’s on,’ said Siobhan.

‘Great.’

‘Was it something I said?’

‘What? No, no, jus…nothing.’

But Siobhan was canny. ‘She heard me sneeze and thought you had another woman here.’

‘I do have another woman here. It’s just the way her mind work…She doesn’t exactly trust me.’

‘And she should trust you?’

Rebus sighed. ‘Tell me about the Robertson brothers again.’

Siobhan sat down on the floor and started to read from the file. From the sofa, Rebus looked down on her. The top of her head, the nape of her neck with its fine pale hairs disappearing into her collar. Small pierced ears …

‘We know they get on well. It was a close family, six kids in a one-bedroom cottage.’

‘What happened to the other brothers and sisters?’

‘Four sisters,’ Siobhan read. ‘Law-abiding wives and mothers these days. The boys were the only wild ones. Both like gambling, especially cards and the horses. Tam is the better card player of the two, but Eck has more luck on the horse…Remember this stuff is six years old, and all hearsay in the first place.’

Rebus nodded. He was remembering the old man in that last pub in Lochgelly, the one who’d come cadging drinks from the painters and decorators. He’d said one of the drawings looked familiar. Then one of the painters had cut him short with a story about how he’d recognise a horse easier than a man. So the old guy was keen on the gee-gees, and so were Eck and Tam.

‘Maybe he saw him in a bookie’s,’ Rebus wondered aloud.

‘Sorry?’

So Rebus told her.

‘It’s worth a try,’ she conceded. ‘What else do we have to go on?’

Rebus had one good contact at Dunfermline CID, Detective Sergeant Hendry. It was rumoured that Hendry was too good at his job ever to merit promotion. Only the incompetent were promoted. It shuffled them out of the way. As a DI, Rebus didn’t necessarily agree. But he knew Hendry should have been an Inspector long ago, and wondered what or who was blocking him. It couldn’t be that Hendry was too abrasive: he was one of the calmest people Rebus had ever met. His hobby, bird-watching, reflected his nature. They’d exchanged home phone numbers once on a case. Yes, it was worth a try.

‘Hello there, Hendry’ he said. ‘It’s Rebus here.’

‘Rebus, trust you to disturb a working man’s rest.’

‘Been bird-watching?’

‘I saw a spotted woodpecker this morning.’

‘I saw a spotted dick once.’

‘Ah, but I’m not a man of the world like you. So what do you want?’

‘I want you to look in your local phone directory. I’m after bookie’s shops.’

‘Any one in particular?’

‘No, I’m not picky. I need the names and addresses of all of them.’

‘Which towns?’

Rebus thought. ‘Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Cardenden, Kelty, Ballingry. That’ll do for starters.’

‘This could take a bit of time. Can I phone you back?’

‘Aye, sure. And ponder on two names for me. Tom and Eck Robertson. They’re brothers.’

‘Okay. You’re at Arden Street, I hear.’

‘What?’

‘You got the heave from the doctor. What was it, your bedside manner?’

‘Who told you?’

‘Word gets around. Isn’t it true then?’

‘No, it’s not. It’s just that my brother’s here fo…. ach, forget it.’

‘Talk to you later.’

Rebus put down the phone. ‘Would you credit that? Every bugger seems to know about Patience and me. Was there a notice in the papers, or something?’

Siobhan smiled. ‘What now?’

‘Hendry’s going to get back with the details. Meantime, we could nip out and get a curry or something.’

‘What if he phones while we’re out?’

‘He’ll try again.’

‘Haven’t you got an answering machine?’

‘I could never get it to work, so I chucked it out. Besides, there are that many bookie’s shops in Fife,