Walter shrugged again, easy with the world. ‘Sure, why no? Is he no keeping too well?’

‘Alzheimer’s.’

‘Och that’s a sin. Count me in, hen. If you think it will help then I’ll tell him all about how his team’s been cheating mine for years.’

She had a tear in her eye as she bent over and kissed him on the cheek.

Chapter 58

Wednesday evening

Narey and Winter were in the back room of the Station Bar on Port Dundas Road, a Guinness and a vodka and tonic in front of them. The bar was quiet and they had the raised rear area to themselves. It was a mixed blessing because although they didn’t want to be overheard, they were having this discussion in the pub rather than at home as it would reduce the chance of them shouting at each other.

It was the first opportunity they’d had to sit down and talk about it. About them.

Just less than forty-eight hours since Winter had scaled the tower and McCormack had walked into the trap they’d set for him. Two days of interviews and legal argument, elation and frustration. Two days in which they’d been able to do nothing more than hug each other. He was drained and she was working furiously. Catching her man was one thing, keeping him was another.

Rico’s work with Orient and Saturn had managed to take the edge off her exasperation at McCormack’s bail and her talk with Walter had put a smile on her face. She was ready for this conversation, even if Tony wasn’t.

‘Look, it’s worked out fine. We got him and you’ll put him away in court. Can’t we just leave it at that?’

‘No. We need to talk about it.’

‘I’d rather not.’

‘Of course you’d rather not. It means talking about emotion and feelings. And you’d rather run a mile than do that. But sometimes you have to. Like now.’

He drew deep on his Guinness and nodded glumly. ‘Okay. Go.’

She shook her head, knowing she was probably going to have to do all the work, but fine, it was better than it not being done. ‘Okay. Do you understand why I was so angry with you when I found out what you’d been doing?’

He sighed. ‘Yes I do. But do you realize it was a two-way thing? I was angry too.’

She let out an incredulous gasp. ‘The difference is that I had a reason to be angry. You’d gone behind my back, broken the law, risked your life, endangered my investigation and risked everything we had together. And you knew you were doing all that.’

He tilted his head to one side and blew out air. ‘But apart from that, what have the Romans ever done for us, right? Okay . . . I get it. I really do. And I didn’t want to do any of those things. I wasn’t thinking about the consequences, only what I felt I had to do.’

‘But—’

‘And I’m not saying that’s right. I don’t want to do anything behind your back. And I definitely don’t want to do anything to harm us. It’s too important to me.’

‘So why do it? It’s easy to say but I can only go on what you actually did.’

‘Because Euan was my friend and I let him down. I treated him badly and I wasn’t there when he needed me. I had to put that right. I owed him. Look, I don’t want to drag your dad into this but you know what it’s like when it’s too late to help someone you care for but you still feel you have to do something for them.’

She narrowed her eyes at him but conceded the point. ‘That’s a bit of a cheap shot but yes, I get that. I do. But—’

‘But nothing. You’re asking me to change my nature and I can’t do that.’

‘What? How did this turn round so that it’s my fault? I’m asking you to change your behaviour, not your nature. I’m asking you not to be such a dick. Above all, I’m asking you to be honest with me.’

‘Honest I can do. But it might mean telling you something honestly that you won’t like.’

‘Fine. I’d rather it was that way. If you’re going to kill yourself or get arrested then at least I’ll know about it.’

‘Fine. So we’re sorted.’

She laughed. ‘No we’re not. Look, you’re who you are and I love you. So fine, I accept there’s times you will need to be you and do what you need to do, however crazy and risky it is. I can live with that but what I still can’t live with is it crossing into my professional life. I’ve got a career and you can’t mess with that. Take your own risks, not mine.’

He pulled a hand through his hair and exhaled hard. ‘Okay, so it’s the problem it’s always been from the start. I work with the police, you are the police. That line that’s always been there will always be there.’

‘Yes. And I don’t think I can change that.’

‘Maybe I can.’

‘What?’

‘If that can be sorted then we can be sorted. If whatever I’m doing doesn’t cross that line, doesn’t interfere, doesn’t compromise your job then we can make it work. Right?’

‘Yes but I don’t see—’

‘I don’t want to explain right now but if I can . . .’

They were so in the middle of it that they didn’t hear Addison approach until he’d placed two pints of Guinness, a vodka and tonic and a newspaper in front of them.

‘Evening, campers. That bastard McCormack may be at home with his feet up but here’s a reason to celebrate and the drinks to do it with. Don’t say I’m not good to you.’

The newspaper was the Scottish Standard. Plastered across its front page and two inside were a report and photographs of the Rosewood Hotel. The words were Winter’s, the photos were Euan Hepburn’s and the headline, Hellhole, was the newspaper’s.

‘Nice work,’ Addison admitted grudgingly. ‘I didn’t even know you could write sentences.’

Winter shrugged it off. ‘The work was all Euan’s. I just wrote it up from his notes and from what I saw in the photographs. And from what Rachel told me about what it was like in there. It was easy enough.’

Hellhole. The shame of the Rosewood Hotel. Exclusive investigation by Euan Hepburn.

‘Were they okay with putting a dead man’s byline on the piece?’

‘They didn’t have any choice. I told them it was the only way they were getting the story.’

Addison nodded. ‘How much did they pay?’

‘A thousand for the front page and the two-page spread inside. I gave the money to the City Mission. Seemed the right thing to do.’

‘Very generous,’ Addison raised his glass in salute. ‘I’m sure that guy Colvin at the Mission will be pleased. He might even take Rachel out to show how grateful he is.’

Narey sighed theatrically. ‘Very funny. You did do the right thing, Tony. I’m sure Euan would have been happy with the Mission getting the money. And he’d have been even happier knowing the place is going to be closed down.’

‘It is?’

‘Yes.’ Addison confirmed it. ‘Your story, Hepburn’s story, kicked it all off this morning. Local MSPs and a couple of MPs have jumped on the bandwagon and they’ve forced the council to act at last. They’ve said they’ll review the Rosewood’s licence and privately they’ve let it be known they’ll withdraw it. The Department for Work and Pensions is feeling the heat too so basically the shit has hit the fan as far as the owners are concerned. Kilgannon and Wells are going to pull the plug and close the place down before they’re told to.’

‘Great but . . .’ Winter’s glass was still half-empty. ‘Kilgannon and Wells still get away with having run that place the way they did.’

‘No. They won’t. Thanks to Rachel, they’ll still pay a price.’

Winter looked at her questioningly. Wondering not only what Addison meant but why she hadn’t told him.