The scowl faded, replaced by a reluctant smile.
‘Still, gave me quite a rush, I have to admit. I’ve not been that scared since I wet myself playing hide-and-seek at junior school. God, when that young PC jumped out at me! What was his name? Duncan, I think they called him. Keen bugger, but at least he seemed human. Cute, too, come to think of it. Wonder if he’s single?’
She was still smiling as she saved the recording and started the car. Its headlights split the darkness as she pulled away in a belch of exhaust. The unhealthy rattle of its engine quickly receded once she reached the road, and, after a final crunch of gears, the night settled back into silence.
For a heartbeat nothing stirred. Then a shadow detached itself from the ground next to where the Mini had stood and slowly headed off into the dark.
CHAPTER 7
A GRUDGING DAYLIGHT was only just seeping into the sky as I showered and shaved next morning. There had been no let-up in the rain overnight, and I hoped the remains were still all right. I knew they’d lain there for several weeks already, and there was no reason to suppose the cottage’s crumbling roof wouldn’t survive a few more days, even in this weather. Even so, I’d be relieved when they could be moved somewhere safer.
I hadn’t slept well after waking from the dream. I felt grainy and tired as I accessed my emails to see if the missing persons files from Wallace had finally arrived. They had, five of them in all. There was no time to look at them now, so after transferring them on to my laptop’s hard drive I went down for breakfast.
The bar doubled as the dining room, and I’d nearly finished eating by the time Fraser trudged in. He looked red-eyed and hungover, the smell of unmetabolized alcohol noticeable even across the table. After he’d returned from the cottage the evening before, he’d settled himself in the bar with the air of a man getting down to business. I’d left him there when I’d gone to bed, and judging from his appearance he’d obviously made a night of it.
I tried not to smile as he gingerly sipped his tea. ‘I’ve some aspirin in my bag,’ I offered.
‘I’m fine,’ he growled.
He queasily regarded the plate of fried eggs, bacon and sausage that Ellen set down in front of him. Then, taking up his knife and fork, he set about eating it with the determination of a marathon runner.
‘How long will you be?’ I asked. I was keen to make a start, conscious of how short the days were up here at this time of year.
‘Not long,’ he muttered, hand shaking as he forked up a spoonful of dripping egg.
Ellen was clearing my breakfast plate from the table. ‘If you want, you can take my car. I won’t be using it today.’
‘Good idea,’ Fraser agreed quickly, through a full mouth. ‘There’s things I need to do in the village anyway. Start asking round, see if anyone knows who the dead woman is.’
It hadn’t been made public yet that the body was a woman’s. I glanced at Ellen, and saw the slip hadn’t gone unnoticed. She gave me a knowing look as he carried on eating, oblivious.
‘If you’re ready I’ll get you the car keys.’
I followed her from the bar. ‘Look, about what Sergeant Fraser said…’ I began.
‘Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,’ she smiled as she went into the kitchen. ‘You run a hotel, you learn to keep secrets.’
The kitchen was a single-storey extension, much newer than the rest of the hotel. Heavy saucepans stood on an old gas cooker, blackened with use, while a tall pine dresser was laden with mismatched crockery. A small portable gas fire hissed next to a big wooden table, on which sat a child’s colouring book and set of crayons. Ellen rooted in a drawer for the car keys, then led me out through a door into a small yard. Propane gas cylinders stood against the wall in a wire safety cage, looking like upright orange bombs. Parked in the lane just beyond them was an old VW Beetle.
‘It’s not much to look at, but it’s reliable enough,’ she said, giving me the keys. ‘And I’ve made a flask of tea and sandwiches for you all. I’d guess you won’t want to be running back here to eat.’
I thanked her as I took them. The VW grated and whined when I started it, but it rattled along happily enough. The weather hadn’t improved since the day before: grey skies, wind and rain. But at least the village was more alive this morning. There were people in the street, and children were filing through the gate towards the small but new-looking school. I looked for Anna but couldn’t make her out amongst the parkas and duffel coats. A man wearing a peaked woollen hat, emaciated-looking even in a thick coat, was ushering them inside. He paused to stare at me as I drove past. When I nodded to him he looked away without acknowledgement.
Then I was leaving the village, passing the hill where Bodach Runa, the ancient standing stone Brody had pointed out, stood watch. The island could never be described as picturesque, but it was starkly impressive: a landscape of hills and dark peat moors, dotted with sheep. The only sign of habitation was the big house I now knew belonged to the Strachans. Lights no longer burned in every window, but it was still by far the most imposing building I’d seen on the island. Its turreted granite walls and mullioned windows had been weathered by the Atlantic winds, but there remained an air of permanence about them.
Brody’s Volvo was already parked outside the cottage when I arrived. The ex-inspector and Duncan were in the camper van, a kettle hissing away on the small cooking ring. The cramped cabin smelled of stale bodies and paraffin fumes.
‘Morning,’ Brody said when I went in. He was sitting on a tattered padded bench that butted up to a fold-down table, his old dog asleep at his feet. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised to find him here. He might have retired, but he hadn’t struck me as the type who would simply be able to let go after calling this in. ‘Sergeant Fraser not with you?’
‘He had things to do in the village.’
I saw disapproval register on his face, but he made no comment. ‘Don’t mind my coming out again, do you?’ he asked, as though reading my mind. ‘I spoke to Wallace this morning. He said it was your call.’
‘In that case it’s fine by me.’
Now that Wallace knew that Brody hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d reported the body, I guessed he was probably glad the former DI was prepared to stick around. If it came to that, so was I. It might have ruffled Fraser’s feathers, but it didn’t hurt to have someone with Brody’s experience on hand.
Duncan yawned. He looked as though he hadn’t slept well, and began unwrapping the bacon and egg sandwich that Ellen had sent with the enthusiasm of a child at Christmas.
‘Apparently we had a visitor last night,’ Brody told me, giving him a meaningful look.
Through mouthfuls of sandwich, Duncan described Maggie Cassidy’s attempt to take photographs of the remains. ‘She didn’t get any,’ he insisted. ‘And I made her promise she wouldn’t try again.’
Brody raised an eyebrow sceptically, but said nothing. A thick criminology textbook sat on the table in front of Duncan, a bookmark tucked into the first few pages.
‘Been studying?’ I asked.
He blushed. ‘Not really. Just something to read, you know.’
‘Duncan was just saying he wants to apply for CID,’ Brody added.
‘Eventually,’ Duncan said quickly, still looking embarrassed. ‘I’ve not put enough time in yet.’
‘Doesn’t hurt to know what you want to do,’ Brody said. ‘I’ve been telling him about a couple of cases I worked with his father, but it doesn’t seem to have put him off.’
Duncan grinned. Leaving them to it, I opened the flight case I’d brought with me. Inside was my field kit, the basics I always took with me on a job. A dictaphone to record notes, disposable overalls, shoes and masks, latex gloves, trowels, brushes, as well as two different-sized sieves. And plastic evidence bags. Lots and lots of evidence bags.
I was down to my last few pairs of disposable gloves and overalls, having used most of them on the Grampian job. The overalls were extra-large, so they would fit over my coat. I struggled into them and snapped protective overshoes over my boots, then pulled on the latex gloves over a pair of silk liners. Normally I carried chemical hand warmers for when I worked outside, but I’d already used them all in the Grampians. For the time being I’d just have to put up with cold fingers.