The Farmer stared at his desk. `You're busy on Villefranche.’
`I want the job, sir.’
`John, liaison means diplomacy. It's never been your strongest suit.’
So Rebus explained about Candice, and how he was already tied into the case. `And since I'm already in, sir,' he concluded, `I might as well act as liaison.’
`What about Villefranche?’
`That remains a priority, sir.’
The Farmer looked into his eyes. Rebus didn't blink. `All right then,' he said at last.
`You'll let Fettes know?’
`I'll let them know.’
`Thank you, sir.’
Rebus turned to leave.
`John…?’
The Farmer was standing behind his desk. `You know what I'm going to say.’
`You're going to tell me not to tread on too many toes, not to go off on my own little crusade, to keep in regular contact with you, and not betray your trust in me. Does that just about do it, sir?’
The Farmer shook his head, smiling. `Bugger off,' he said.
Rebus buggered off.
When he walked into the room, Candice rose so quickly from her chair that it fell to the floor. She came forward and gave him a hug, while Rebus looked at the faces around them – Ormiston, Claverhouse, Dr Colquhoun, and a WPC.
They were in an Interview Room at Fettes, Lothian and Borders Police HQ Colquhoun was wearing the same suit as the previous day and the same nervous look. Ormiston was picking up Candice's chair. He'd been standing against one wall. Claverhouse was seated at the table beside Colquhoun, a pad of paper in front of him, pen poised above it.
`She says she's happy to see you,' Colquhoun translated.
`I'd never have guessed.’
Candice was wearing new clothes: denims too long for her and turned up four inches at the ankle; a black woollen v-neck jumper. Her skiing jacket was hanging over the beck of her chair.
'Get her to sit down again, will you?’ Claverhouse said. `We're pushed for time.’
There was no chair for Rebus, so he stood next to Ormiston and WPC. Candice went back to the story she'd been telling, but glanced regularly towards him. He noticed that beside Claverhouse's pad of paper sat a brown folder and an A4-sized envelope. On top of the envelope sat a black and white surveillance shot of Tommy Telford.
`This man,' Claverhouse asked, tapping the photo, `she knows him?’
Colquhoun asked, then listened to her answer. `She…’
He cleared his throat. `She hasn't had any direct dealings with him.’
Her two-minute commentary reduced to this. Claverhouse dipped into the envelope, spread more photos before her. Candice tapped one of them.
`Pretty-Boy,' Claverhouse said. He picked up the photo of Telford again. `But she's had dealings with this man, too?’
`She's…’
Colquhoun mopped his face. `She's saying something about Japanese people… Oriental businessmen.’
Rebus shared a look with Ormiston, who shrugged.
`Where was this?’
Claverhouse asked.
`In a car… more than one car. You know, a sort of convoy.’
`She was in one of the cars?’
`Yes.’
`Where did they go?’
`They headed out of town, stopping once or twice.’
`Juniper Green,' Candice said, quite clearly.
`Juniper Green,' Colquhoun repeated.
`They stopped there?’
`No, they stopped before that.’
`To do what?’
Colquhoun spoke with Candice again. `She doesn't know. She thinks one of the drivers went into a shop for some cigarettes. The others all seemed to be looking at a building, as if they were interested in it, but not saying anything.’
`What building?’
`She doesn't know.’
Claverhouse looked exasperated. She wasn't giving him much of anything, and Rebus knew that if there was nothing she could trade, Crime Squad would dump her straight back on the street. Colquhoun was all wrong for this job, completely out of his depth.
`Where did they go after Juniper Green?’
`Just drove around the countryside. For two or three hours, she thinks. They would stop sometimes and get out, but just to look at the scenery. Lots of hills and…’
Colquhoun checked something. 'Hills and flags.’
`Flags? Flying from buildings?’
`No, stuck into the ground.’
Claverhouse gave Ormiston a look of hopelessness.
`Golf courses,' Rebus said. `Try describing a golf course to her, Dr Colquhoun.’
Colquhoun did so, and she nodded agreement, beaming at Rebus. Claverhouse was looking at him, too.
`Just a guess,' Rebus said with a shrug. `Japanese businessmen, it's what they like about Scotland.’
Claverhouse turned back to Candice. `Ask her if she… accommodated any of these men.’
Colquhoun cleared his throat again, colour flooding his cheeks as he spoke. Candice looked down at the table, moved her head in the affirmative, started to speak.
`She says that's why she was there. She was fooled at first. She thought maybe they just wanted a pretty woman to look at. They had a nice lunch… the beautiful drive… But then they came back into town, dropped the Japanese off at a hotel, and she was taken up to one of the hotel rooms. Three of them… she, as you put it yourself, D S Claverhouse, she "accommodated" three of them.’
`Does she remember the name of the hotel?’
She didn't.
`Where did they have lunch?’
`A restaurant next to flags and…’
Colquhoun corrected himself. `Next to a golf course.’
`How long ago was this?’
`Two or three weeks.’
`And how many of them were there?’
Colquhoun checked. `The three Japanese, and maybe four other men.’
`Ask her how long she's been in Edinburgh,' Rebus asked.
Colquhoun did so. `She thinks maybe a month.’
`A month working the street… funny we haven't picked her up.’
`She was put there as a punishment.’
`For what?’ Claverhouse asked.
Rebus had the answer.
`For making herself ugly.’
He turned to Candice. `Ask her why she cuts herself.’
Candice looked at him and shrugged.
`What's your point?’ Ormiston asked.
`She thinks the scars will deter punters. Which means she doesn't like the life she's been leading.’
`And helping us is her only sure ticket out?’
`Something like that.’
So Colquhoun asked her again, then said: `They don't like that she does it. That's why she does it.’
`Tell her if she helps us, she won't ever have to do anything like that again.’
Colquhoun translated, glancing at his watch.
`Does the name Newcastle mean anything to her?’
Claverhouse asked.
Colquhoun tried the name. `I've explained to her that it's a town in England, built on a river.’
`Don't forget the bridges,' Rebus said.
Colquhoun added a few words, but Candice only shrugged. She looked upset that she was failing them. Rebus gave her another smile.
`What about the man she worked for?’
Claverhouse asked. `The one before she came to Edinburgh.’
She seemed to have plenty to say about this, and kept touching her face with her fingers while she talked. Colquhoun nodded, made her stop from time to time so he could translate.
`A big man… fat. He was the boss. Something about his skin… a birthmark maybe, certainly something distinctive. And glasses, like sunglasses but not quite.’
Rebus saw Claverhouse and Ormiston exchange another look. It was all too vague to be much use. Colquhoun checked his watch again. `And cars, a lot of cars. This man crashed them.’
`Maybe he got a scar on his face,' Ormiston offered.
`Glasses and a scar aren't going to get us very far,' Claverhouse added.
`Gentlemen,' Colquhoun said, while Candice looked towards Rebus, `I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave.’
`Any chance of coming back in later, sir?’ Claverhouse asked.
`You mean today?’
`I thought maybe this evening…?’
'Look, I do have other commitments.’
`We appreciate that, sir. Meantime, DC Ormiston will run you back into town.’