Иэн Рэнкин: In a House of Lies

‘Me or Brillo?’ Rebus enquired, stuffing vinegary chips into his mouth.

They were seated in the living room. Fox had added cans of cola and Irn-Bru to his purchases, Rebus opening one of the latter.

‘Caffeine’s probably the last thing I need,’ Clarke said, sticking to the peppermint tea she’d made. Having eaten from the wrappings, she dropped them to the floor, leaned her head against the back of her armchair and closed her eyes.

‘You won’t sleep,’ Rebus told her. ‘This is the cops’ equivalent of Christmas Eve.’

‘What if the lab comes up short? Right now it’s just Carlton’s word against Hazard’s. If the farmer’s prints and DNA are all we find on the car...’

‘Jesus, you’re cheery. I thought I was supposed to be the cynical one.’

‘Shiv’s right, though,’ Fox said. ‘The car was on Carlton’s land; Carlton and Bloom were both extras in one of Jackie Ness’s films so maybe knew each other better than Carlton says.’

‘You saying the farmer’s a closet gay and that’s why he killed Bloom?’

‘Bloom spots him at Rogues. Maybe they even have a snog. Bumps into him again during filming. Carlton’s—’

‘So embarrassed he kills him?’ Rebus said, not bothering to hide his disbelief. ‘I don’t see that at all.’ Brillo had climbed on to his lap and was dozing, Rebus rubbing him behind his ears.

‘So why did Hazard do it then? A drug deal gone wrong? Money owed?’

Rebus held up one hand, fingers splayed, his meaning clear to Fox: five minutes with him...

‘Doesn’t matter why it happened,’ Clarke said sleepily, eyelids still closed. ‘We just have to show that one or the other of them did do it.’ She seemed to remember something, rousing herself a little, eyes suddenly on Rebus.

‘You had news for me, John.’

He nodded. ‘Ellis Meikle is covering for his sister.’

‘Billie?’

‘I probably couldn’t prove it in a court of law, but I know that’s what happened.’

‘What will you tell the uncle?’

‘We’ve already spoken.’

‘He’ll give us Steele and Edwards?’

‘Well, to be precise, he’ll make a complaint to PIRC, leaving you out of it as far as possible.’

‘Meaning what?’

‘Meaning he never acted on the Chuggabugs’ suggestion that he use your mobile number — a number they handed him — to harass you.’

‘His word against theirs?’

‘Not quite.’

‘You reckon they might not worm their way out of this one?’

‘Steele’s going down for something , Shiv, trust me.’

She stared at him. ‘What do you know that I don’t?’

‘Well for one thing, I can name every Rolling Stones B-side from the 1960s.’

‘Would you put money on it, though?’ Fox asked.

Rebus started counting on his fingers. ‘“I Want to Be Loved”, “Stoned”, “Little by Little”...’

‘Don’t encourage him,’ Clarke said to Fox. ‘It’s just his way of ducking the question.’

‘She knows me too well,’ Rebus agreed with a shrug in Fox’s direction. Then, to Clarke: ‘Has Hazard said anything at all that gets us closer to knowing what happened?’

‘He didn’t know Stuart Bloom, never met Stuart Bloom, never sold drugs, didn’t move away and change his identity because he was fleeing any sort of crime, has no idea why Andrew Carlton would concoct such a story — except that farmers everywhere are feeling the economic strain and maybe the balance of his mind has become disturbed.’

‘That last sounds like a lawyer talking.’

‘Most of what I’ve just said came from the lawyer. Hazard just sits there like he’s made of granite.’

‘He’s not, though, which means we can get to him.’

‘How?’

‘John here,’ Fox interrupted, ‘wants a bit of time alone with the suspect.’

‘Well that’s not going to happen,’ Clarke stated, closing her eyes again.

‘Not necessarily alone,’ Rebus reasoned. ‘One of you could come along for the ride.’

‘Hazard’s legal team would have a field day. This isn’t Miss Marple, John. You don’t get to walk all over the inquiry.’

‘I got a lot wrong last time, Siobhan. I’d just like the chance to make up for that.’

‘You can’t always get what you want.’

He stared at her, then at Fox. ‘B-side of “Honky Tonk Women”,’ he intoned. ‘Still want to take that bet?’

Just before midnight, having made up his mind, Rebus asked to be excused for an hour. Brillo’s ears pricked up, but Rebus shook his head. He left the flat on his own and headed for his car. It was a quick drive, the city quiet, lit by sodium and illuminated shop windows. A few drinkers were huddled outside their favoured bars, sharing cigarettes and stories. Rebus wished for a moment that he were among them. Instead of which, he switched one piece of gum for another and kept driving.

The tenement door was locked, so he pushed the buzzer. This time of night, he’d probably be taken for a passing prankster, so he pressed it again. At the third time of trying, the intercom crackled into life.

‘Wrong fucking flat,’ Charles Meikle said.

‘It’s John Rebus. I need a quick word.’

‘At this time of night?’

‘Thought it best to wait till Billie was asleep.’

There was silence for a moment, then a buzzing as Meikle unlocked the door. Rebus took his time climbing the stairs. Even so, he was breathing heavily as he reached Meikle’s floor.

‘You about to peg out on me?’ the man asked from the open doorway.

Rebus shook his head. ‘I could do with a glass of water, though.’

‘So long as you promise to keep your voice down.’

Rebus nodded and followed Meikle into the kitchen. He didn’t think he’d woken the man. Meikle was still fully dressed and fully alert. He turned from the sink with a half-filled glass. Rebus took it from him, but instead of taking a sip, he placed it on the worktop.

‘Last time I was here,’ he said, ‘this is where you rested your fists. I remember thinking it was a bit odd. You had your palms raised when you did it, like you were trying to hide something.’ He gestured towards the worktop. ‘I see you got rid of it.’

‘Rid of what?’

‘The knife block with the one blade missing.’

‘Says who?’

Rebus ignored this. He finally lifted the glass and sipped from it. ‘Know what that told me? It told me you knew. Well of course you did — where else was Ellis going to take Billie afterwards? She was spattered with blood. He needed to get her back and into clean clothes.’ He paused. ‘All of which makes you an accessory.’

‘None of which you can prove.’

‘Maybe not.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Let’s say I were to talk to Billie herself...’

The look the man gave him, Rebus suspected that if the knife block had still been there, he’d have snatched another blade from it.

Rebus held up a hand. ‘Thing is, I’m not sure I need to. She’s smart and she’s sensitive. No way she’s going to be able to put it behind her. It’s like a shadow she’ll always carry, meaning you’re always going to be on edge, wondering if and when she’ll crack. Same goes for her brother. Whole family’s under a life sentence, not just Ellis.’ He raised his voice a notch. ‘Isn’t that right, Billie?’

She emerged from the darkened hall into the doorway, looking pale and fragile in her full-length nightgown.

‘It’s all right, petal,’ her father told her. ‘That was a promise then and it’s a promise now.’ Then, to Rebus, his voice taking on a threatening tone. ‘You should bugger off now. Come round here again, I swear I’ll wring your neck.’