‘I know it,’ I said.
His eyes hardened. ‘But you’re not a cop any more.’
I relaxed in my chair and grinned at him. ‘That’s very true; now ask yourself this, Cameron. Is that a reassuring thought or might it be just a wee bit scary?’
I didn’t give him time to answer; instead I leaned forward. ‘So here’s the situation,’ I continued. ‘I could take this to the SIO in the Coyle investigation. If I could steer my old protégé Jack McGurk in the right direction, that might be no bad thing for him. I have a hunch that in Andy Martin’s new Police Utopia, everything will be measured and judged by statistics, even though we know what they say about those.
‘However, even if I did that, it’s long odds against Jack ever catching the bloke, and suppose he did, it’s absolutely fucking impossible that he could link him to you, because any instruction will have been given at second, third or fourth hand, and your name would be nowhere near it.
‘Because of all that, and because Ignacio’s going to have enough to deal with when he’s released, it stays where it is. Now, please, call your head waiter and let me pay for our excellent lunch.’
McCullough nodded, and reached across to a buzzer on the wall. ‘You can have the staff discount,’ he said.
‘I couldn’t accept that. Full price, please.’
‘Bob,’ Mia exclaimed, ‘if you’re not going to do anything with this theory of yours, what’s all this been about? Is it just a big ego trip for you?’
‘It probably is, in part,’ I admitted freely, ‘but there is a serious side to it. I want you both to know, just in case anyone is worried about Linton Baillie trying the same stunt, that when Tommy Coyle died, so did he. All his stuff, all his research material, that’s gone too. I propose that his whole business, it ends here and now. In the absence of any counter-proposal, I’ll take that as agreed.’
A door behind me opened. I gave the head waiter a credit card, without looking at the bill.
As the man left to fetch his card reader, I saw that McCullough was smiling. ‘Here’s something for you to think on,’ he said, ‘while you’re heading back home. Mia and I are getting married. That means that your son will be my stepson as well. Some fucking irony, eh?’
I nodded agreement. ‘In which case,’ I countered, ‘we’d both better steer him in the same direction.’
It occurred to me to add that if Cameron looked at Ignacio’s history, he should take care to be good to his mother, but I left that unsaid. Instead I paid up, and headed down the road, back to my new, unconstrained, happy family life.
That night after a very light supper, I told Sarah all about my day, to the last detail.
‘Did Mia think that Coyle and Baillie were one and the same?’ she wondered.
‘I didn’t ask her,’ I confessed. ‘However, if she thought that paying him off would have stopped publication, it suggests she did. I couldn’t leave it to chance, though.’
‘Hence your warning to the pair of them. To protect Ben McNeish, I take it?’
‘Yes, although he’s no threat to our boy any more. He’s safe in Polmont, and the secret won’t be a secret for long. I’m going to give June Crampsey a Saltire exclusive on the day he’s released.’
‘Will there be problems, with Ignacio being under McCullough’s influence?’ she asked.
‘It’ll always be less than mine,’ I said. ‘I’ll make sure of that.’
‘Good luck with that one,’ she replied. ‘You’ve only known the kid for a few months. You’re both starting from scratch.
‘By the way,’ she added as I pondered the truth of her observation, ‘that came for you in the mail, when you were on the golf course.’ She pointed to a letter in a pale blue envelope, lying on the coffee table.
I picked it up. As I opened it a card fell out, but I let it lie as I took out a single sheet, unfolded it, and saw a clear, handwritten script. There was no heading, only the date. I began to read, murmuring the words aloud:
Dear Bob
This is a blast from the past. I hesitate to contact you on the basis of a brief acquaintanceship; indeed I hope you remember me. However, a certain problem has arisen in my life and I need advice in dealing with it. I wonder if you might be available, in your new status, for consultation on a professional basis.
If you are interested, please call me on the number enclosed.
I laughed out loud. ‘My God, not another,’ I exclaimed.
Then I saw the signature: a tide of memories flowed into my mind, and swept me away.
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