#Rankin. 'Even dogs in the wild.' page 171-172

As Rebus walked into the hotel, Cafferty waved to catch his attention. He was seated in the bar area, nursing a tall glass of tomato juice.

   'This where you're holing up (to stay or hide somewhere прятаться, скрываться)?' Rebus asked, sliding on to the banquette. Cafferty just tapped the side of his nose. 'Credit me with at least half a brain,' rebus went on. 'The very fact that we're meeting here rules it out as your cave.'

                                                               

   'You know I'm not in the house, though (used to introduce a fact or opinion that makes the other part of thesentence seem surprising)?'

   'Happened to be passing. Tried phoning you a couple of times too. Have you been on to Joe Stark to offer condolences?'

   'He'd tell me where to stuff them.'

   'What about Daryll Christie - spoken to him at all?'

   Cafferty made show of checking his surroundings. ' Am I  in an interview room here?'

   'Whoever set light to the Gimlet had Darryl in mind.'

   'Unless he did it himself for the insurance - you know he wants to sell the site?'

   'I'd heard a whisper. I dare say you have an alibi for last night, just in case?'

   'Why would I need one?'

   'Because if Darryl didn't do it, he's obviously going to read it as a message from Joe Stark, and a dogfight between two of them would make your year.'

   'And I torched his place to ensure that came about?' Cafferty shook his head. 'Sorry to disappoint you.' He tipped

(to move so that one side is higher than the other side, or to make something move in this way наклонять(ся)) the glass to his mouth.

   'Any vodka in that?' Rebus asked.

   'Enough to take the edge off (to make something unpleasant have less of an effect on someone ослаблять, смягчать).'

   'It's early in the day, even for you.' A waiter was hovering,

(If you hover, you stand and wait near someone or something. застыть в ожидании) but Rebus waved him away. He noticed not just how tired Cafferty looked - there was something else there. The word 'haunted

(If an unpleasant memory or feeling haunts you, you think about or feel it often. преследовать, мучить)' sprang to mind.  'So what's this favour you need from me?' he asked, his tone a little softer.

   'I don't want to get you into trouble,' Cafferty said. 'Not this sort of trouble. But I need to find this man.' He slid a paper drinks coaster (table decoration) towards Rebus. Two names written there in blue ink.

   Paul Jeffries.

   Dave Ritter.

   Neither, at first glance, meant anything to Rebus. 'Okay,' he said, 'give me a clue.'

   'They did a bit of work for me back in the eighties.'

   'And they were last heard of when?'

   'I bumped into Jeffries maybe fifteen years ago at a casino here in town. Just a couple of words in passing. Asked him what he was up to and he said something about driving. I had a taxi firm at the time so I said as much.' Cafferty paused. 'That was the extent of out chat.'

   'Did he seemed interested in the taxis?' Cafferty shook his head.

'Another kind of driving, then - lorries, deliveries…?'