Chapter 30 Chapter fifteen

"He's in place," Claverhouse said when Rebus called to inquire about Jack Morton's situation. A uniform. Now he's officially a member of the factory security team." "Does anyone else know?" "Only their big boss, whose name is Livingston. We had a long meeting with him last night." "Would the other security guards find it a little strange? A stranger suddenly appeared among them?" "It's up to Jack to convince them. He's very confident." "What is his disguise?" "Secretly a drunk, open gambler, wife has run away."

"He doesn't drink." "Yes, he told me. It doesn't matter, as long as people think he drinks." "Has he gotten into character yet?" "It's in the process. He'll be working two shifts today so he can make a few extra trips to the store, including at night. It'll be quieter then and have a better chance of getting to know Ken and Decker. We can't get in touch with him during the day, He will report to us as soon as he gets home. Only phone calls, no risky meeting." "You think they'll spy on him?" "If their work is thorough. And if they fall for this trap."

"Have you talked to Marty Jones?" "There's an appointment for tomorrow. He's going to take two big men, but they'll show mercy to Jack's men." "Will tomorrow be too hasty?" "Can we still afford to wait? They may already have someone in mind." "We're asking too much of him." "He was your idea." "I know." "You think he can't do it?" "It's not this...but he stepped into the war." "Then a ceasefire can be brokered." "really." "It's different from what I've heard..."

Rebus had just hung up the phone when he heard the same news from a colleague.He knocked on the door of the superintendent's office, where Farmer was in a meeting with Jill Templer. "Have you talked to him?" Farmer asked. "He agreed to a ceasefire," said Rebus, looking at Templer. "How's your side?" She took a deep breath: "I talked to Telford - but his lawyer was always there. I kept telling him what we wanted and the lawyer kept saying I was giving his client Reputation tarnished." "Where's Telford?" "Just sitting there, arms folded, smiling at the wall." Her face started to flush. "I don't think he even looked at me once."

"But you delivered the message." "yes." "Did you say Cafferty would cooperate?" She nodded. "Then what the hell is going on?" "We can't let things get out of hand," Farmer said. "In my opinion, it's getting out of hand." The battle situation so far: The faces of two of Cafferty's men were beaten into paste. "Fortunately their lives were saved," Farmer continued. "You know what's the problem?" Rebus said. "It's Taravitz. He's the problem. Tommy's pandering to him."

"That's when you want him to be independent," agreed Farmer, "and then we can extradite the bastard." "Why don't we?" Rebus suggested, "tell him he's not welcome here anymore." "What if he still doesn't go?" "We'll just keep an eye on him and make sure everyone knows about it. We'll play the nasty part ourselves." "You think this will work?" Jill Templer said doubtfully. "It's probably useless." Rebus agreed, and sat down in a chair dejectedly. "We've got nothing really useful," Farmer said, glancing at his watch. "It's going to upset the Chief. He wants me to be in his office in half an hour." He picked up the Called, asked for a car, and stood up.

"Listen, what tricks do you two have together?" Rebus and Templer exchanged a look. "I'll be back in an hour or two." Farmer looked around, as if suddenly lost, "lock the door when you go." He said, waved his hand, and left.The room fell silent. "The door must be locked," said Rebus, "in case someone steals his secret recipe for that damned bad coffee." "Coffee has actually gotten better lately." "Perhaps your taste buds have been damaged. So, Chief Inspector..." Rebus turned his chair and faced her, "Do you have any ideas to add up?"

She laughed: "He thinks he has nothing to do." "Is he here to be scolded?" "Probably." "Then it's up to the two of us to save him?" "I don't think we can make a dynamic duo, what do you think?" "no." "And then there's always a voice inside of you that says: Let them kill each other, as long as civilians don't get hurt in the crossfire." Reb thought of Sammy, and he thought of Candace. "The problem is," he said, "they're always going to get hurt." She looks at him. "How are you?"

"same as usual." "That bad?" "That's for me to decide." "But Linz's case is closed?" Rebus shook his head. "There's a slight chance that he's connected to Telford." "You still believe Telford was behind the hit-and-run?" "It's either Telford or Cafferty." "Cafferty?" "Framing Telford is like trying to frame Matsumoto on me." "You know it's not quite over yet, do you?" He looked at her: "Internal investigation? The people in the rubber shoes?" She nodded. "Just let them come." He sat forward a little, rubbing his temples. "There's no reason not to invite them to the party."

"What party?" "The one in my head. This party never stops." Rebus leaned over his desk and picked up the phone. "He's not here. Shall I leave him a message? I'm Inspector Rebus." After a pause, he looked at Jill Templer, "Yes, I'm working on this case." He found a pen and paper and began to record, "Well, I see. Yes, it sounds like this. He came back I'll tell him later." He stared into Jill's eyes without blinking, and then said the finishing touch, "How many people did you say died?" only one.Another, holding an arm barely attached to his shoulder, fled from the scene.He showed up at a local hospital later, requiring immediate surgery and a massive blood transfusion.

In broad daylight—not in Edinburgh, but in Paisley, Telford's hometown, the small town he still controlled.Four men, in work attire, pretended to be a road crew, but instead of picks and shovels, they held machetes and large-bore revolvers.They chased the two into a residential area.There are children riding tricycles, or playing football in the street.Women leaned out of windows, grown men eager to punch people.A machete was raised above his head, and he slashed down hard.The wounded ran wildly.His friend tried to jump over the fence, but was not quick enough.Another three feet of jumping might have saved him, but he caught one of his toes on the fence and fell.He still wanted to try to get up, but the muzzle of the gun was already on the back of his head.Two bullets, a small pool of blood and brains.The kids stopped playing and the women screamed for them to run.But those two bullets had achieved something.The four turned and sprinted across the street into a waiting van. In the heartland of Tommy Telford, a public execution is carried out. The two victims were well-known moneylenders.The one at the hospital was "Little" Stilwell Murray, twenty-two years old.The one in the morgue was Donny Trepp—he had been nicknamed "The Curtain" since he was a child, and his name was always used as a joke. Curtain turns twenty-five in two weeks.Rebus wished he had enjoyed life as much as he could in the short time he had been in this world. Paisley Police knew Telford had moved to Edinburgh, and knew that something had happened there.Out of courtesy, they called Superintendent Watson. The caller said: These two men were the smartest and most capable men in Telford's army. The caller said: "The description of the perpetrator is very vague. The caller said: The children were reluctant to speak, because they were protected by their parents and feared reprisals.They might be reluctant to speak to the police, but Rebus suspected they might not be so reserved if Tommy Telford called with questions, determined to know the answers. The situation is dire and the situation continues to escalate.Arson and beatings, these can be remedied.But murder... murder takes the game of tit for tat to a rather horrific level. "Is it necessary to talk to them again?" asked Jill Templer.They sat in the dining room with untouched sandwiches in front of them. "What do you think?" He knows what she thinks.She was talking because she felt that talking was better than doing nothing.He could have told her not to waste her words. "They used machetes," he said. "It's also used against Danny Simpson." Rebus nodded. "I have to ask..." she said. "what?" "About Linz... what did you say before?" He drank half a cup of cold coffee in one gulp. "Would you like another drink?" "John..." He looks at her. "Linz tried to hide a couple of calls he made. One of them was to Tommy Telford's office on Flynn Street. We don't yet know what the connection was, but we believe there was. Associated." "What can Linz and Telford have in common?" "Maybe Linz needs his help; maybe he's getting prostitutes from Telford. As I said, we don't know. So these things haven't been reported publicly yet." "You really want to catch Telford, don't you?" Rebus looked at her, thinking. "Now I don't think as much as before. He is no longer enough." "You still want Cafferty?" "And Taravitz... and the gang... everyone involved in this matter." She nodded: "Is this the party you mentioned just now?" He tapped his head. "They're all here, Jill. I try to kick 'em out, but they won't go." "Maybe you can stop playing the kind of music they like?" He smiled wearily. "That's a good idea. What kind of music do you think: ELP? Enid? 'Is' the best of three discs from the band?" "It's your jurisdiction, not mine, thank goodness." "You don't know what you're missing." "I know. I was there in the first round." A Scottish proverb says: He who is bullied always thinks of bullying others.That's why Rebus returned to Watson's office.The blush on Farmer's face after seeing the director has not subsided.Watson ordered Rebus to stand when he tried to sit down. "I let you sit and you sit." "Thank you, sir." "What the hell is going on, John?" "Excuse me, sir?" Farmer looked at the note Rebus had left on his desk. "what is this?" "In Paisley, one died and one was seriously injured, sir. The people from Telford. Cafferty hit his weak spot. Maybe he thinks that the defense of Telford's hometown is weak now, leaving a hole for attack. .” "Paisley." Farmer stuffed the note into a drawer. "It's not our problem." "It will, sir. It will be right under our noses when Telford returns fire." "Forget about that, Inspector. Let's talk about McKinlin Pharmaceuticals." Lei Shisi blinked and relaxed his shoulders. "I was going to tell you about it, sir." "But in the end I want to hear about it from the chief?" "It's not my baby, sir. It's the homicide squad pushing the pram." "But who put the baby in the pram?" "I was going to tell you, sir." "Do you know how ugly that makes me? I'm walking down Fetis Street and my men know something I don't know? I'm a total fool." "With respect, sir, I'm sure that's not the case." "I'm a complete fool!" Farmer slammed his palms on the table. "And it's not the first time. I've been trying to help you, you know." "Yes, sir." "It's always been fair." "Absolutely, sir." "Is this how you repay me?" "It won't happen again, sir." Farmer stared at him; Rebus accepted his gaze and stared back. "I fucking hope not." Farmer sat back in his chair.He treats swearing as psychotherapy, and he's calmed down a bit now. "Now that you're here, is there anything else you want to tell me?" "Nothing, sir. Except . . . well . . . " "Say it." Farmer moved forward a little more. "The fellow above me, sir," said Rebus, "I think he might be Lord Lucan."