Page 102 of The High Island

He met her look. ‘As Hugh Mowat’s granddaughter. And as one of the group of kids who catch the ferry to Stromness for the high school.’

‘The ferry you work on?’ she checked.

‘Yes.’

It was beginning to sound like an official interview, so she stopped herself there and said, ‘Just tell me what you know.’

‘A ferry mate of mine was in Kirkwall last night at the club, although he left before . . . it happened,’ he said. ‘He says he saw Eilidh with Helen Mowat, Harald’s granddaughter. They’re underage, so someone let them in. Probably Ragnar, Helen’s older brother, who works there. Eilidh spent some time with a guy, tall, dark hair, not local. She seemed to be arguing with him. The two of them went outside together. He saw her a little later heading for the ladies.’

‘And the guy she spoke to?’

‘One of the Liverpool lot, but he didn’t see the bloke after that so assumed he’d cleared off. He left himself shortly afterwards.’ He halted there for a moment. ‘Maybe if he’d stayed on . . .’

He looked so worried that she said, ‘Life is full of maybes. Especially in my line of work.’

He nodded and, gathering himself, said, ‘If you need him to come in and give an official statement . . .’

‘Yes, that would be good. It helps us build up a complete picture of last night.’

‘I could give you a lift into Kirkwall?’ he offered.

She was about to say no, but realized that would be churlish. Plus she could message the station and avoid having a car sent for her.

‘Okay. Thank you,’ she said.

He seemed to relax at that, which revealed how tense he’d been.

‘So can you tell me what actually happened?’ he eventually said.

She gave him the bare bones, all of which would appear soon enough inThe Orcadian.

‘Eilidh was spotted by a visitor from their second-floor window at the Kirkwall Hotel. She was barefoot and appeared disorientated. She entered the gate to the walkway and disappeared. He called 999.A police officer and one of the pastors on duty got there and managed to pull her out of the harbour, but they couldn’t revive her. Nor could the paramedics who arrived shortly after.’

‘No way was she in that state when my mate saw her,’ he stated vehemently. ‘She must have taken something after. Or someone slipped her something.’ He met her eye. ‘The guy she was giving grief to, he wasn’t well pleased about it.’

‘Could your friendIDhim, d’you think?’

‘You could ask him.’

The call from Mackie came in as they disembarked.

‘Is there a chance you could come and see me?’ he asked in a tremulous voice. ‘I took a photo of some of the pages I found hard to read, when you were out of the room. I know I shouldn’t have done that, seeing as it’s evidence, but I thought that if I could make the image bigger on my phone, then maybe I could better make out the words. There’s something you definitely need to see.’

What he’d done was wrong, of course, but she couldn’t fault Mackie’s determination to help in any way he could.

‘Okay,’ she responded. ‘I’m approaching Houton now. On my way back to the station I’ll pop in and you can show me what you’ve found.’

Ringing off, she told Ethan that she would need to call in at Mackie’s house in Orphir, before heading to Kirkwall.

‘Auld Mackie who lives on the hill behind your boss’s house?’

Jo shook her head in silent amazement.

‘What?’ he said. ‘Mackie was a pal of Ivor Mowat’s from way back. It’s common knowledge you lot were talking to him.’ He gave her a smile. ‘What about, I have no idea.’

‘Wait for me here,’ Jo instructed Ethan when they reached Auld Mackie’s drive entrance.

‘I wouldn’t attempt to drive up that hill if you paid me,’ he informed her.