‘I need a room.’
‘Are you claiming social security?’
Rebus winged it. ‘I’d be paying cash, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
‘No, it’s just that you’ve caught me at a bad time, John. Bit of pressure on me at the moment, if you know what I mean.’
‘I know all about pressure.’
‘So I’m not really opening any new transactions right this minute.’ There was a pause. ‘Did you say cash? Would you need a rentbook?’
‘Cash, no rentbook.’
‘Tell you what, John, can we maybe meet?’
Rebus’s smile didn’t translate to his voice. ‘What’s the address?’
‘No address. Do you know Leith cop shop?’
Rebus stopped smiling. He’d been rumbled. But Duggan misinterpreted his silence.
‘Not keen, eh? Been in trouble, have you?’
‘A little bit.’
‘We’re only meeting outside. I can take you to a flat near there, down by the Shore. And that area’s coming up in the world, by the way.’
Rebus almost admired the cheek. ‘What time?’
‘Five on the dot.’
‘I’ll be there,’ said Rebus.
He phoned Brian Holmes back. ‘Rachman’s portfolio, anything down near the Shore?’
‘Leith? No,’ said Holmes, ‘nearest one to Leith’s the place in Granton. Why?’
‘Just that you haven’t tracked them all down yet, that’s all.’
At five minutes to five, he was across the road from the police station. He stood two steps up from the pavement in the doorway of a disused building. Leith was taking a few faltering steps towards respectability. Trendy cafes and restaurants had opened in hastily refurbished premises, usually carved out of larger blocks of unrented space. There was a temporary feel to these new businesses; they always seemed to be ‘under new management’. Leith’s revival had begun down on the Shore and had all but stopped there, with warehouse conversions and a couple of upmarket bars. Now the revival had been given fresh momentum: the new Scottish Office HQ was under construction at Victoria Dock, and a sailors’ home had been turned into a luxury hotel on Queen’s Quay.
But Leith still retained its old, unique charm: it was still just about the only part of the city where you’d see prostitutes in daytime, freezing in short skirts and skimpy jackets. Rebus had passed some on his way down Bernard Street, readying themselves for the going-home trade: one quick leap for the homeward bound.
He stood in the doorway for quarter of an hour before Paul Duggan turned up. The young man was wearing an ankle-length black woollen coat, its collar turned up. On his feet were white trainers, so new they were almost luminous when caught in the headlamps of the passing traffic.
Duggan didn’t pay any attention to Rebus as Rebus crossed the road; he was on the look-out for someone entirely different.
‘Waiting for me?’ Rebus asked.
It took Duggan a moment to place him. ‘Christ, what do you want?’
‘It was me that phoned. We didn’t know you had another place on the Shore.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Come on, Paul, let’s have a chat.’
‘In there?’
Rebus looked towards the police station. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not in there. This is just between us, understood?’
Rebus started walking, a hand on the sleeve of Duggan’s coat.
‘Where are we going?’ Duggan asked.
‘We’re just walking, that’s all. I’ve got a question for you. We know about four or five of your properties, and we know the Saughton let was the best of them by a fair old margin. So how come you only picked up two rents from it?’
Duggan stopped dead. ‘Is this a trap? Are you miked up?’
Rebus laughed. ‘For a tadpole like you? Behave, son, you’re the council’s problem, not mine.’
Rebus started walking again. Duggan caught him up. ‘So what’s the game?’
‘I’m interested in Willie and Dixie, that’s all. You told me you were their friend, so now I’m a wee bit interested in you, too.’
‘That’s why I gave them the house,’ Duggan blurted out, thinking on his feet. ‘They were my pals.’
‘You
‘Oh … oh aye, they paid rent. What I meant was — ’
‘Don’t bother, son, don’t compound one lie with another, you’ll never keep track. My guess is they worked for you. What did they do?’
Duggan bit his lip. ‘They collected the rents,’ he said at last.
‘And got free rent in return? That makes more sense. When I look at you, I see a skinny young kid, a sap. The kind of tenants you must deal with, you’d need back-up, isn’t that right? Just in case someone decided not to pay.’ Duggan nodded.
‘They’d’ve been perfect for that,’ Rebus continued.
‘Willie had brains, he could reason with the non-payers, and if that didn’t work, crazy Dixie could go to work. Is that about the score?’
‘That’s it.’
Rebus sniffed, and seemed to be thinking. ‘Whose idea was the kidnap ruse?’ he said casually.
‘I’ve told you, I didn’t know anything about that! They just asked for my car!’
‘Must have been Willie’s idea,’ Rebus went on, as if Duggan hadn’t spoken. ‘Dixie didn’t have the brains.’ He turned to Duggan. ‘Unless it was your idea, of course.’
Duggan made to protest, but thought better of it. They walked on in silence. ‘OK,’ he said at last. ‘OK, between you and me, right?’
Rebus shrugged. ‘Like I said, I’m not after you particularly, Paul, unless you lie to me. Lying to me is not advisable.’
‘I knew what they were up to.’
‘Of course you did. A tight-fisted wee bastard like you wouldn’t lend someone the steam from his breath without there being a pay-off.’ Rebus produced the photo of Kirstie Kennedy. ‘You saw her with Willie and Dixie, didn’t you?’
‘No.’
‘What about Dalgety?’
‘Eh?’ The name clearly meant nothing to Duggan.
‘Come on,’ Rebus said, ‘I
‘No, I don’t.’
‘You told me yourself your cards are up on half a dozen noticeboards. How do they get there: by magic?’ Rebus pushed the photo towards Duggan. ‘You’ve seen her.’
‘No.’
‘You’re lying. What are you afraid of, Paul?’
They were down on the Shore, and Duggan was just realising it. They walked close to the water’s edge, across the street from the bars. Soon they’d be up to the dock entrance. Rebus stopped and tugged on Duggan’s arm. ‘Look at her!’ he spat. Duggan averted his face. ‘Look at her!’
Duggan glanced at the photo, then away again. His eyes were glinting in the streetlight.
‘She knew Willie well enough to leave something in his bedroom. She
Duggan blinked. ‘What did she leave in his bedroom?’ he asked quietly.
