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know why. They’ll start crucifying us all over again.’
    ‘ It doesn’t have to get out,’ said Steven. ‘It can be done discreetly.’
    ‘ But Christ, man! Little was as guilty as sin,’ said McClintock, becoming animated. ‘The evidence was rock-solid, a perfect DNA match. What more do you need? A ribbon round his dick proclaiming, I fucked Julie Summers then throttled the life out of her?’
    ‘ I want to know about her broken fingers,’ said Steven, remaining calm. ‘I want to know if the lab found anything under her nails and I want to know why no mention of her fingers was made at the trial.’
    McClintock took a long drag on his cigarette and looked at Steven without speaking as if weighing up his chances of winning the argument. Finally, he looked away, exhaled out the side of his mouth and said quietly, ‘The prosecution didn’t need anything else. They had more than enough as it was.’
    ‘ I know they did,’ said Steven. ‘But I’d still like to know what was available in the shape of back-up evidence.’
    A cloud came over McClintock’s face and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘There might be a problem with that,’ he said. ‘Ronnie Lee didn’t exactly run a tight ship.’
    ‘ Lee was the forensic pathologist?’
    McClintock nodded. ‘He was also a premier league piss artist.’
    ‘ Meaning?’
    ‘ Meaning his work suffered. Two or three cases went arse over tit when they got to court because of Ronnie’s fuck-ups. Important cases. Big name villains walked free. The Fiscal’s office wasn’t too amused but nothing was done about it except that they preferred not to rely too much on forensics after that.’
    ‘ Let me get this straight,’ said Steven. ‘You’re telling me that the Fiscal’s office would present a minimum of forensic evidence because they couldn’t trust the lab?’
    ‘ More or less.’
    ‘ Jesus,’ said Steven. ‘How long did that situation go on?’
    ‘ A couple of years. That’s the reason they took the opportunity to get rid of Lee along with the others in the big clear-out after what happened to the Mulveys.’
    ‘ Nice to know something good came out of their deaths,’ said Steven sourly.
    ‘ It’s never easy getting rid of someone in Lee’s position,’ said McClintock defensively. ‘People tend to look the other way, make allowances; colleagues cover up as best they can. You wouldn’t believe the number of pathologists I’ve known who’ve had a problem with the bottle.’
    ‘ Yes I would,’ said Steven without elaboration.
    McClintock smiled and said, ‘Sorry, I guess you would. Mind you, Can’t be easy seeing the sights they see every day of their lives.’
    ‘ It’s more the smells,’ said Steven.
    ‘ I’ll take your word for it,’ said McClintock, screwing up his face.
    ‘ Another pint?’
    ‘ Why not.’
    Steven fetched two more beers from the bar and asked, ‘How many of the original murder investigation team are still around?’
    ‘ None of the principals,’ said McClintock. ‘Chisholm, Currie, Hutton and Lee all fell on their swords. Jane went off to push trolleys.’
    Steven gave him a quizzical look.
    ‘ Cabin crew, British Airways.’
    Steven nodded with a smile. He’d been thinking of Tesco’s car park.
    ‘ I can’t think where the wooden-tops ended up, probably all over the place,’ said McClintock.
    ‘ What about Lee’s forensic team?’ asked Steven.
    ‘ Couldn’t really say. We don’t have much to do with the lab on a personal level. We just send in the samples and read the reports.’
    ‘ I think maybe I’d like to visit the lab,’ said Steven.
    McClintock looked at his watch. ‘It’s a bit late now,’ he said. ‘They’ll be closed by the time we get there. Civil service hours.’
    Steven nodded and said, ‘Then I’ll stay over.’
    ‘ Are you sure this is really necessary?’ asked McClintock again. There was no aggression in his voice this time. It was more of an appeal.
    ‘ I