Mortal Causes

He terminated the call with promises of a visit, then scratched his nose, wondering who to take all this to: Kilpatrick or Lauderdale? He'd been seconded to SCS, but Lauderdale was in charge of the murder inquiry. He asked himself a question: would Lauderdale protect me from Kilpatrick? The answer was no. Then he changed the names around. The answer this time was yes. So he took what he had to Kilpatrick.

And then had to admit that it wasn't much.

Kilpatrick had brought Smylie into the office to join them. Sometimes Rebus wasn't sure who was in charge. Calumn Smylie would be back undercover, maybe drinking in The Dell.

'So,' said Kilpatrick, 'summing up, John, we've got the word Nemo, we've got a Latin phrase 'Much quoted by nationalists,' Smylie added, 'at least in its Scots form.’

'And we've got a shield on this coat of arms, all of which reminds you of a group called Sword and Shield who were wound up in the early '60s. You think they've sprung up again?’

Rebus visualised a spring suddenly appearing through the worn covering of an old mattress. He shrugged. 'I don't know, sir.’

'And then this source of yours mentions an organisation in the USA called Sword and Shield.’

'Sir, All I know is SaS must stand for something. Calumn Smylie's been hearing about an outfit called The Shield who might be in the market for arms. There's also a shield on the Scottish royal arms, as well as a phrase with the word Nemo. I know these are all pretty weak links, but all the same…’

Kilpatrick looked to Smylie, who gave a look indicating he was on Rebus's side.

'Maybe,' Smylie said in proof, 'we could ask our friends in the States to check for us. They'd be doing the work, there's nothing to lose, and with the back-up they've got they could probably give us an answer in a few days. As I say, we haven't lost anything.’

'I suppose not. All right then.’

Kilpatrick's hands were ready for prayer. 'John, we'll give it a go.’

'Also, sir,' Rebus added, just pushing his luck a bit, 'we might do some digging into the original Sword and Shield. If the name's been revived, it wasn't just plucked out of the air.’

'Fair point, John. I'll put Blackwood and Ormiston onto it.’

Blackwood and Ormiston: they'd thank him for this, they'd bring him flowers and chocolates.

`Thank you, sir,' said Rebus.

11

Ever since the riot, Father Leary had been trying to contact Rebus, leaving message after message at St Leonard's. So when he got to St Leonard's, Rebus relented and called the priest.

'It hasn't gone too well, father,' he said gamely.

'Then it's God's will.’

For a second, Rebus heard it as God swill. He stuck in his own apostrophe and said, 'I knew you'd say that.’

He was watching Siobhan Clarke striding towards him. She had her thumbs up and a big grin spread across her face.

'Got to go, father. Say one for me.’

'Don't I always?’

Rebus put down the receiver. 'What've you got?’

'Cafferty,' she said, throwing the file onto his desk. 'Buried way back.’

She produced a sheet of paper and handed it to him. Rebus read through it quickly.

Yes, buried, because it was only a suspicion, one of hundreds that the police had been unable to prove over the course of Cafferty's career.

'Handling dirty money,' he said.

'For the Ulster Volunteer Force.’

Cafferty had formed an unholy alliance with a Glasgow, villain called Jinky Johnson, and between them they'd offered a service, turning dirty money into clean at the behest of the UVF. Then Johnson disappeared. Rumour had it he'd either fled with the UVF's cash, or else he'd been skimming a bit and they'd found out and done away with him. Whatever, Cafferty broke his connection.

'What do you think?’

Clarke asked.

'It ties Cafferty to the Protestant paramilitaries.’

'And if they thought he knew about Johnson, it'd mean there was no love lost.’

But Rebus had doubts about the time scale. 'They wouldn't wait ten years for revenge. Then again, Cafferty did know what SaS stood for. He's heard of it.’

'A new terrorist group?’

'I think so, definitely. And they're here in Edinburgh.’

He looked up at Clarke. 'And if we're not careful, Cafferty's men are going to get to them first.’

Then he smiled.

'You don't sound overly concerned.’

'I'm so bothered by it all, I think I'll buy you a drink.’

'Deal,' said Siobhan Clarke.

As he drove home, he could smell the cigarettes and booze on his clothes. More ammo for Patience. Christ, there were those videos to take back too. She wouldn't do it, it was up to him. There'd be extra to pay, and he hadn't even watched the bloody things yet.