it.”
After what Alison had told me about the man, I felt rising hackles.
“Did he threaten you?”
“Not in so many words.”
“What did you say?”
She lowered her voice, until it was little more than a whisper. “I told him that I was about to ask our Group chairman, the Lord Provost, to call for a review of the City Council purchasing policy, and second, that I planned to show the original contracts to my boyfriend, a detective inspector, and ask him to have his experts check whether any of the figures had been altered after signature.”
“How did he react?”
“He got reasonable. He told me that I was clearly upset, and he asked how he could make it up to me. I thought about asking him for one and a half million, but if that had gone back into the books I’d have had to tell our auditors where it had come from. So instead I told him I wanted six free photocopiers for the next five years.
“He said yes, just like that. I told him that in that case he could tender for my business in the normal way. I’ve bought a few things from him since then; his service is very good, and his prices tend to be sharp too. I’ve let myself believe his story that he had a rogue salesman working for him when the dodgy contracts were signed.”
“But deep down, you still think he’s a Great White Shark?”
“Yup.”
“What you’ve told me could be useful, in that case.”
“Don’t tell your pal, for Christ’s sake!”
“No, I wouldn’t do that; but if I have to I might let Torrent know that I’m involved. If he’s that smart he’ll know of the connection between you and me and he might get the message to go easy on Alison.”
“There won’t be a problem, though, if you can deliver Ewan Capperauld.”
“I’m not sure I want to, if the guy’s like that.”
“Just do it if you can. Don’t get yourself involved in an argument with Torrent.”
I grinned. “As someone said to me today, I wouldn’t get my own hands dirty. I know the very guy who could carry the message for me.”
“Who’s that?”
“No one you’ve ever met, as far as I know; a blast from my past, that’s all.”
Eighteen.
Ethel knocked on the bedroom door just after seven-thirty, but she didn’t really have to. Wee Janet had wakened the household by then.
Susie took the baby from her and plugged her into the mains once more. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use; there was too much gurgling and slurping going on.
“Do you two want breakfast?” Ethel called, once the process was complete and I was doing my burping bit. “It’s not part of the service, mind, but I’m making my own anyway. It’ll be ready in half-an-hour if you want to get up for it.”
She makes bloody good scrambled eggs, does our Nanny; plus, she knows how coffee really should be made. I asked her if she’d spent any time in the States. “No,” she said, ‘but I did spend some time in Canada, when I was younger. I’m very fond of maple syrup as a result, but it’s hard to find over here.” The woman was growing on me by the minute.
Susie wanted to get back into a working routine, so she was at her desk by nine-fifteen, sorting through the letters that the postman had delivered, and another bundle that had been couriered from the Gantry Group head office on the south side of the city. She was engrossed in it, and I felt a bit superfluous, so after I’d played with Janet some more, I said my goodbyes and headed back to Edinburgh.
I had nothing planned for that day, other than maybe another session in the gym, so I killed some time in the monster new shopping centre at the top of Buchanan Street. On a whim, I bought myself a new Rolex to celebrate my impending divorce and who knew what else, then headed for Queen Street Station.
I was almost there when my cellphone rang. I had put the apartment phone on divert to its number, so it could have been anyone, but part
After what Alison had told me about the man, I felt rising hackles.
“Did he threaten you?”
“Not in so many words.”
“What did you say?”
She lowered her voice, until it was little more than a whisper. “I told him that I was about to ask our Group chairman, the Lord Provost, to call for a review of the City Council purchasing policy, and second, that I planned to show the original contracts to my boyfriend, a detective inspector, and ask him to have his experts check whether any of the figures had been altered after signature.”
“How did he react?”
“He got reasonable. He told me that I was clearly upset, and he asked how he could make it up to me. I thought about asking him for one and a half million, but if that had gone back into the books I’d have had to tell our auditors where it had come from. So instead I told him I wanted six free photocopiers for the next five years.
“He said yes, just like that. I told him that in that case he could tender for my business in the normal way. I’ve bought a few things from him since then; his service is very good, and his prices tend to be sharp too. I’ve let myself believe his story that he had a rogue salesman working for him when the dodgy contracts were signed.”
“But deep down, you still think he’s a Great White Shark?”
“Yup.”
“What you’ve told me could be useful, in that case.”
“Don’t tell your pal, for Christ’s sake!”
“No, I wouldn’t do that; but if I have to I might let Torrent know that I’m involved. If he’s that smart he’ll know of the connection between you and me and he might get the message to go easy on Alison.”
“There won’t be a problem, though, if you can deliver Ewan Capperauld.”
“I’m not sure I want to, if the guy’s like that.”
“Just do it if you can. Don’t get yourself involved in an argument with Torrent.”
I grinned. “As someone said to me today, I wouldn’t get my own hands dirty. I know the very guy who could carry the message for me.”
“Who’s that?”
“No one you’ve ever met, as far as I know; a blast from my past, that’s all.”
Eighteen.
Ethel knocked on the bedroom door just after seven-thirty, but she didn’t really have to. Wee Janet had wakened the household by then.
Susie took the baby from her and plugged her into the mains once more. I tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use; there was too much gurgling and slurping going on.
“Do you two want breakfast?” Ethel called, once the process was complete and I was doing my burping bit. “It’s not part of the service, mind, but I’m making my own anyway. It’ll be ready in half-an-hour if you want to get up for it.”
She makes bloody good scrambled eggs, does our Nanny; plus, she knows how coffee really should be made. I asked her if she’d spent any time in the States. “No,” she said, ‘but I did spend some time in Canada, when I was younger. I’m very fond of maple syrup as a result, but it’s hard to find over here.” The woman was growing on me by the minute.
Susie wanted to get back into a working routine, so she was at her desk by nine-fifteen, sorting through the letters that the postman had delivered, and another bundle that had been couriered from the Gantry Group head office on the south side of the city. She was engrossed in it, and I felt a bit superfluous, so after I’d played with Janet some more, I said my goodbyes and headed back to Edinburgh.
I had nothing planned for that day, other than maybe another session in the gym, so I killed some time in the monster new shopping centre at the top of Buchanan Street. On a whim, I bought myself a new Rolex to celebrate my impending divorce and who knew what else, then headed for Queen Street Station.
I was almost there when my cellphone rang. I had put the apartment phone on divert to its number, so it could have been anyone, but part
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