Rebus had also worked on the Spaven case with a former boss, Geddes; despite having arrested Spaven and found him with the victim's handbag, Rebus (and the press) are not convinced that the evidence wasn't planted.
ɹᵻbjˈuːz hæd ˈɔːlsoʊ wˈɜːkt ɔnðə spˈeɪvən kˈeɪs wɪð ɐ fˈɔːɹmɚ bˈɔs, ɡˈɛdz; dᵻspˈaɪt hˌævɪŋ ɚɹˈɛstᵻd spˈeɪvən ænd fˈaʊnd hˌɪm wɪððə vˈɪktɪmz hˈændbæɡ, ɹᵻbjˈuːz ænd ðə pɹˈɛs ɑːɹ nˌɑːt kənvˈɪnst ðætðɪ ˈɛvɪdəns wˈʌzn̩t plˈæntᵻd.