Page 20 of The High Island

‘We believe it to be a boy.’ Erling was aware that news travelled fast here, which meant Hugh probably knew this already.

‘God, how did they both end up buried there?’ Hugh said.

‘That’s the question I want answered. With your family’s help, of course,’ Erling added.

‘But surely the death’s so long ago that it can’t be prosecuted, even if it was suspicious?’ Hugh said.

‘We have a duty to at least try to find out what happened, and when,’ Erling said. ‘Although that would perhaps have been easier had Ivor still been alive.’

A moment’s silence followed, then . . .

‘Can I ask who told you about this Stella being a visitor to the family home during wartime?’ Hugh asked.

‘Auld Mackie, along the road from me in Orphir,’ Erling said, watching Hugh’s reaction as he did so.

Hugh seemed to consider this, before nodding. ‘Aye, Mackie and Ivor were pals back in the day, but they fell out. Badly. Hadn’t spoken in years.’ He shrugged. ‘Ivor fell out with everyone eventually.’

Erling absorbed this without comment.

‘So,’ Hugh said. ‘What’s happening about the work on this new eco-house Ivor organized behind our backs?’

‘It can’t begin until we’re finished with the site,’ Erling confirmed.

‘Good, because we plan to challenge the sale of the family croft. Ivor wasn’t right in his head at the end, and we aim to prove that,’ Hugh told him firmly.

As Hugh went to rise, Erling motioned him to wait.

‘Is there something else, Inspector?’ Hugh asked.

‘There is, Hugh,’ Erling confirmed. ‘As I said, we’re keen to establish the identity of the female and child buried on your family croft. You could help us by giving a sample of yourDNA, to eliminate the possibility that the woman, or indeed the child, was a member of the Mowat family.’

A series of emotions crossed Hugh’s face. Surprise at the request, followed by a spark of annoyance and, for a brief moment, worry. Then Hugh laughed.

‘You think the baby might have been sired by a Mowat?’

When Erling remained silent, Hugh said, ‘Okay, Inspector.Ifyou can’t work out who the girl was yourselves, you can sample myDNA. Plus I’ll ask around. See if any of the family recall the story of a girl called Stella from wartime Hoy who got herself pregnant.’

Erling watched the door close behind Hugh and the recently summonedDSGreen, and found himself relieved to see the back of the man.

He’d knownofHugh Mowat, just as he knew of countless other men who made up the local male population of Orkney. However, unlike many, Hugh Mowat had never been on the wrong side of the law.

And he wasn’t now, Erling reminded himself. In fact, he’d been helpful, although he was pretty sure he’d only heard a fraction of what Hugh Mowat might have told him.

It was Hugh’s final remark that had annoyed him, he realized. The throwaway line about Stella,who got herself pregnant.

Okay, the man was seventy years old, but what century was he living in?

His thoughts returned to Rachael, who had alsogot herself pregnant, which had seemingly freaked out her boyfriend, Kris. Then he thought of that lonely grave Rachael had visited on the hill above Lyrawa Bay. It too belonged to a young woman who hadgot herselfpregnantand was deserted by the man who had performed that miracle.

And had hanged herself because of it.

9

The recent update from Eleanor Gilmore, who headed up theSOCOteam on Hoy, indicated that they’d found nothing of interest so far, but planned to head back there tomorrow to complete their examination of the area surrounding the croft house.

‘Mr Maitland will have to keep his workers waiting at least another twenty-four hours,’ Erling said after hearing Jo’s report.

‘He’ll not be happy about that,’ Jo offered.