‘As if she stumbled into it and it came off when she climbed out?’ the distillery owner suggested.
‘Possibly,’ Torquil replied, pulling out his phone and taking photographs of the trainer, the disturbed mud in the ditch and the ditch itself. When he finished, he stood up, and said, ‘This could be a big help. Thank you for calling it in.’
‘I couldn’t do anything else. Poor kid. The whole island is praying that she’s all right.’
Torquil nodded and took a polythene bag out of a pocket of his leather jacket. ‘I’ll need to get it back to compare with the one we have at the station.’
Once he had bagged the trainer he went back to the Bullet and deposited it in a pannier, then took out a roll of police tape.
‘I’m just going to mark this area as a scene, if we need to get further tests done. No need for you to stay any longer. I understand you’ve got the ferry to catch.’
‘Aye, I have some business on Lewis.’
‘You’ve taken the long way to Kyleshiffin though.’
George Corlin-MacLeod nodded. ‘I’ve got a lot on my mind, Inspector. I thought a longer drive might clear my head. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. Escaping, you might call it. Like playing golf with your uncle.’ He pursed his lips and nodded as he got back into his car. ‘Well, I suppose I’d better go and catch that ferry.’
With a press of his key fob the supercar’s wing doors closed, the engine fired and the distillery owner accelerated away, leaving Torquil with the distinct impression that he wanted him to know that he’d been playing golf with the Padre.
The station was full of uniformed officers when Torquil arrived back. They had been staying at the Commercial Hotel in between the daytime searches. All of them knew Torquil and they exchanged greetings with him as he let himself through the counter-flap.
Suddenly a familiar voice began shouting from the rest room.
‘Superintendent Lumsden is not in a good mood, Piper,’ said one of the officers, a fellow piper who played with the Lewis Pipe Band. ‘He’s dressing down Morag and Ewan.’
‘Aye, he gave us much the same last night when he arrived at the hotel and found us having a pint in the bar,’ added another, a burly officer who usually came second to Ewan in the hammer throwing events in the games circuit.
‘Thanks, lads,’ Torquil said, going through to find Superintendent Kenneth Lumsden addressing Morag and Ewan, who were both standing to attention. Penny Faversham was standing apart, clearly feeling very awkward.
‘Never in all my years have I come across such a shambles. Your station has been burgled?’
‘Good morning, Superintendent Lunsden,’ Torquil said calmly.
The uniformed officer spun round, his eyes flashing at sight of Torquil. ‘Ah, Detective Inspector McKinnon, you do know that you’ve been burgled?’
‘I do, although I had to go out urgently. We’ve found another trainer.’
Superintendent Lumsden looked down at the bag containing the trainer. ‘You’re sure it is a match?’
‘That’s what I’m about to find out,’ Torquil replied. ‘I’m going to compare it —’
‘Good luck with that, then. Were you listening when I said your station was burgled?’
Torquil ignored the heavy sarcasm he was used to from all his past encounters with his former superior officer. Since he was moved over to join the Criminal Investigation Department after the changes of 2013 it had been a relief to no longer be under his command.
‘The trainer was among things stolen, sir,’ said Morag in her best diplomatic tone. ‘Along with the petty cash tin, a mobile phone, a couple of old tennis balls and various debris produced by the search. Then some torches, a couple of tins of baked beans from the kitchen, a loaf of bread and a bottle of lemonade.’
‘And my murder shoes, I mean, my hammer boots,’ added Ewan.
Torquil held up the bagged trainer. ‘But we have photographs so we can still check it.’
He told them all where it had been found by George Corlin-MacLeod.
‘Well, I’ve made a decision,’ went on Superintendent Lumsden. ‘I’m personally taking over the search. Where is this library van you say you’ve been using as an operational base?’
‘It’s parked behind the station, sir,’ replied Morag.
‘Right, give me a map and the exact location of the second trainer. I’m going to use that point as the new base and we’ll spread out from there.’
‘I’ve put a police tape around the area in the ditch where the trainer was found on the West Coast Road,’ Torquil informed him. ‘You cannot miss it.’
Lumsden snorted derisively.
‘The map is in the library van, sir,’ said Morag. ‘I’ll show you on the way.’
‘You’re not coming, Sergeant. You can stay here and supervise this station. Sort out this burglary and find the nutter who robbed you of your petty cash tin and the constable’s hammer boots or whatever.’ He looked at Ewan and shook his head. ‘Constable McPhee, you’ll stay, too. You can look after lost kittens and things within your capability.’’
‘Sergeant Driscoll has done a good job and Constable McPhee is highly capable,’ Torquil said quickly. ‘Don’t you think you should have people who know the island?’
‘The girl is still lost, isn’t she?’ he returned bullishly. ‘It looks like she hasn’t been found because you’ve been looking in the wrong place. I just hope it isn’t a corpse that we find. You’ve already lost one teenager.’ He turned to Morag, whose eyes were moist from holding back tears. ‘Come on, Sergeant, show me that map and give me the keys of this vehicle. My officers will follow. Lastly, how have the civilians been notified?’
‘We’ve been helped by the West Uist Chronicle, sir. They have been sending out emails and blogs.’
‘The local rag and social media! That’s how you run this place, is it? Well, if that’s the best there is get onto the editor and tell him to get a message out about the new location. I’ll be directing the search from there. Have we got dogs?’
‘We will have, but they are civilian animals,’ replied Morag. ‘It was one of our islander’s dog that found the first trainer.’
‘Well, I’ll need the second trainer to see if they can pick up a scent,’ returned the superintendent.
‘I need to check it first, Superintendent,’ said Torquil, holding the bag firmly by his side. ‘Once I’m sure it’s a match I’ll get it out to you.’
Lumsden’s jaw muscles twitched and he seemed on the verge of erupting, but instead he snapped, ‘Do that.’ He gave a bullish call to the constables waiting in the front office and then nodded at Morag to lead him out to the library van. The uniformed officers marched through quickly to follow them, grimacing sympathetically at their West Uist colleagues.
‘Bloody fool!’ Torquil exclaimed, after they had gone.
‘I’d heard all about him from Detective Superintendent Ross,’ said Penny. ‘He’s a typical bully boy.’
‘I’m afraid he’s transferred his antipathy towards me onto Morag,’ said Torquil. ‘But let’s have a look at the photographs of the other trainer. Let’s make sure it is Vicky’s. If it is it gives some hope that she may still be wandering around out there.’
When Morag came back some minutes later Torquil put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Don’t let him get to you, Morag. You’ve done all that you can and we all support you.’
‘I’ve not found her, Torquil. If she’s lying dead in a ditch I’ll never forgive myself.’