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steal the property of a pensioner.’
                  ‘It makes me wonder if I shouldn’t put away that photograph of Neil,’ Joy suddenly said. ‘It’s the only copy we’ve got. I’d hate for something to happen to it.’
                  ‘I could take it back to Glenrothes with me and have more copies made from it. Fergus has got a friend who’s a real whizz at that sort of thing. We should have done it years ago.’
                  ‘Yes please darling, that’s a great idea.’ Joy returned to dishing up the food, seeming more contented.
                  Bill remained quiet until they were all seated at the dining table and tucking into their meal. ‘I wonder why the burglars left Christopher’s picture alone. The frame is gold-plated. I might have thought they’d have taken it. They certainly targeted all the gold jewellery on Rita’s dressing table. It would have fetched a few bob for scrap.’
                  ‘Perhaps they had a heart after all and realised it must be of sentimental value. It’s got pride of place on her mantelpiece.’ Joy took a sip from her glass of Cotês du Rhone.
                  ‘Not many burglars have a conscience,’ Louise muttered cynically.
                  ‘You’re right Louise,’ Bill added with feeling. ‘They don’t. But perhaps they were displaying a sentimentality of a different kind.’ He picked up his glass and swirled the liquid around so that it nearly touched the rim. ‘In the photo, Chris is wearing his full dress uniform. Maybe it was that fact which made the intruder hesitate to disturb it.’
                  ‘You think there might be a military connection to these break-ins?’ Louise looked interested.
                  ‘It’s certainly possible,’ her father replied.
                  ‘Well, that’s a matter for the police,’ Joy cut in firmly, determined to change the subject. ‘Now, what does everyone want for dessert?’
     
     

Chapter 7
     
     
     
    W hen DCI Bevan returned to her hotel room she discovered another text message on her phone. Sally had informed her, just as they were parting ways outside the bar, that her brother was back living in Edinburgh. She’d promised to forward his details.
                  Dani had met James Irving on a previous case. His friend had been murdered during a walking holiday in Loch Lomond. At the time, James was practising as a solicitor down in London. Sally explained that their mother had been ill recently and this prompted her younger brother to make the move back to Scotland. Dani wasn’t surprised. The man had lost his two best mates. There was nothing much left for him in London any longer. She glanced at the details, saving them to her address book. It appeared that James now had a flat in Marchmont.
                  The detective kicked off her shoes and lay down on the bedclothes, staring up at the swirling patterns in the plaster work covering the high ceiling. She decided to call the reception desk and book in for another couple of nights. It seemed as if Bevan would have a fair few visits to make whilst she was through in the east and wanted to start first thing in the morning.
     
    *
     
     
    Andy Calder met his boss on the southside of Edinburgh. She climbed into the passenger seat of his car and instructed her DC to drive them to Dalkeith. Dani filled her partner in on what she’d learned so far about the Fisher case. Calder listened in silence, apparently concentrating all his attentions on the wonders of the eastbound A7.
                  ‘So, Fisher is in his early forties with a working class background. The guy has a limited education and now runs his own building repair business. His wife is a good few years younger than him and very attractive,’ Andy finally summarised. ‘His background fits perfectly with a typical