Chocolate.
9
It had just gone seven-thirty when the phone woke her up. She staggered from bed, padded through to the living room. She had one hand on her forehead; the other reached for the handset.
‘Hello?’
‘Good morning, Siobhan. Didn’t wake you, did I?’
‘No, I was just making breakfast.’ She blinked a few times, then stretched her face, trying to get her eyes open. The Farmer sounded like he’d been up for hours.
‘Well, I don’t want to keep you, only I’ve just had a very interesting phone call.’
‘One of your contacts?’
‘Another early riser. He’s in the middle of writing a book about the Knights Templar, connecting them to the Masons. That’s probably why he saw it straight away.’
Siobhan was in the kitchen now. She checked there was water in the kettle and switched it on. Enough instant coffee in the jar for maybe two or three cups. She had to do a supermarket run one of these days. Crumbs of chocolate on the worktop. She pressed her finger to them, lifting them to her mouth.
‘Saw what?’ she said.
The Farmer started laughing. ‘You’re not awake yet, are you?’
‘A bit groggy, that’s all.’
‘Late night?’
‘Maybe one Rolo too many. Saw what, sir?’
‘The clue. It’s a reference to Rosslyn Chapel. You know where that is?’
‘I was there not too long ago.’ Another case; one she’d worked with Rebus.
‘Then maybe you saw it: one of the windows apparently is decorated with carvings of maize.’
‘I don’t remember.’ But she was waking up now.
‘Yet the chapel was built before maize was known in Britain.’
‘“A corny beginning”,’ she recited.
‘That’s right.’
‘And the mason’s dream?’
‘Something you must have noticed in the chapeclass="underline" two elaborate pillars. One is called the Mason’s Pillar, the other the Apprentice Pillar. The story goes, the Master Mason decided to go abroad to study the design for the pillar he was to construct. But while he was away, one of his apprentices had a dream about the way the finished pillar should look. He got to work and created the Apprentice Pillar. When the Master Mason returned, he was so jealous he went after the apprentice and bludgeoned him to death with a mallet.’
‘So the mason’s dream ended with the pillar?’
‘That’s right.’
Siobhan went through the story in her head. ‘It all fits,’ she said at last. ‘Thanks so much, sir.’
‘Mission accomplished?’
‘Well, not quite. I’ve got to go.’
‘Call me some other time, Siobhan. I want to hear how it ends.’
‘I will. Thanks again.’
She ran both hands through her hair. A corny beginning where the mason’s dream ended. Rosslyn Chapel. It was in the village of Roslin, about six miles south of the city. Siobhan picked up her phone again, ready to call Grant... But then she put it down. Over at the laptop, she sent an e-mail to Quizmaster:
The Apprentice Pillar, Rosslyn Chapel.
Then she waited. She drank a cup of weak coffee, using it to wash down two paracetamol. She went into the bathroom and had a shower. She was rubbing her hair dry with a towel when she walked back into the living room. There was still no message from Quizmaster. She sat down again, chewed her bottom lip. They hadn’t needed to go to Hart Felclass="underline" the name had been enough. In less than three hours, time would be up. Did Quizmaster want her to go to Roslin? She sent another e-maiclass="underline"
Do I stay or do I go?
Again she waited. The second cup of coffee was weaker than the first. The jar was empty now. If she wanted anything else to drink, it would have to be camomile tea. She wondered if Quizmaster could have gone somewhere. She got the feeling he would take a laptop and mobile with him wherever he went. Maybe he’d even run it twenty-four/ seven, just like she’d been doing. He’d want to know when messages came through.
So what was he playing at?
‘Can’t risk it,’ she said out loud. One final message: I’m going to the chapel. Then she went to get dressed.
She got into her car, placed the laptop on the passenger seat. She thought again about calling Grant, but decided against it. She’d be all right; she could take any flak he threw at her...
... you don’t want to share. And if that doesn’t sound like Rebus, I don’t know what does.
Grant’s words to her. Yet here she was heading off to Roslin on her own. No back-up, and having alerted Quizmaster that she was coming. Before she’d reached the top of Leith Walk she’d made up her mind. She turned the car in the direction of Grant’s flat.
It was just gone eight-fifteen when the phone woke Rebus up. It was his mobile. He’d plugged it into a wall socket last thing, charged it overnight. He slid from the bed and got his feet caught in the clothes strewn across the carpet. Down on hands and knees, he fumbled for the phone, held it to his ear.
‘Rebus,’ he said. ‘And this had better be good.’
‘You’re late,’ the voice said. Gill Templer.
‘Late for what?’
‘The big story.’
Still on hands and knees, Rebus glanced towards the bed. No sign of Jean. He wondered if she’d gone to work.
‘What big story?’
‘Your presence is requested in Holyrood Park. A body’s been found on Arthur’s Seat.’
‘Is it her?’ Rebus felt his skin suddenly go clammy.
‘Hard to judge at this stage.’
‘Oh, Christ.’ He angled his neck, eyes to the ceiling. ‘How did she die?’
‘Body’s been there a while.’
‘Are Gates and Curt on the scene?’
‘Expected shortly.’
‘I’ll go straight there.’
‘Sorry to have disturbed you. Not at Jean’s by any chance?’
‘Is that a wild guess?’
‘Maybe call it woman’s intuition.’
‘Bye, Gill.’
‘Bye, John.’
As he was switching off the phone, the door swung open and Jean Burchill walked in. She was wearing a towelling robe and carrying a tray: orange juice and toast, a cafetière full of coffee.
‘My,’ she said, ‘don’t you look fetching?’
Then she saw the look on his face and her smile vanished. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
So he told her.
Grant yawned. They’d picked up a couple of beakers of coffee from a newsagent’s, but even so he wasn’t fully awake yet. His hair was standing up at the back, and he seemed conscious of it, kept trying to press it flat with his hand.
‘Didn’t get much sleep last night,’ he said, glancing in Siobhan’s direction. She kept her eyes on the road.
‘Anything in the paper?’
He had the day’s tabloid — bought along with the coffees — open across his lap. ‘Not much.’
‘Anything about the case?’
‘I don’t think so. Relegated to oblivion.’ He had a sudden thought, started patting his pockets.
‘What?’ For a split second, she thought maybe he’d forgotten some vital medication.
‘My mobile. Must’ve left it on the table.’
‘We’ve got mine.’
‘Yes, hooked to my ISP: what happens if someone tries calling?’
‘They’ll leave a message.’
‘I suppose so... Look, about yesterday...’
‘Let’s pretend it never happened,’ she said quickly.