Page 24 of The High Island

Abandoning their stance at the window, they went downstairs, where Magnus set about making what he called a real pot of coffee. No instant for him. Instead, a choreographed performance of choosing which beans he thought appropriate, followed by the enticing scent on grinding, through to the filled pot now sitting between them at the kitchen table.

It was worth the wait, Erling decided, as he took his first sip.

‘How long are you back for?’ he asked.

‘A week or so,’ Magnus told him.

‘Good,’ Erling said. ‘Have you heard what’s been happening on Hoy? Before the fire, that is?’

Magnus nodded. ‘My near neighbour told me all on my arrival. Not sure what was true and what was gossip,’ he added.

‘Try me,’ Erling encouraged.

‘Two bodies found at the old Mowat croft. Woman and child. Possibly wartime. Woven into the story was an eco-house, thedeath of Ivor Mowat and a family feud,’ he added with an inquisitive smile.

‘You’re pretty well up to date,’ Erling told him. ‘Although the call from Willie Halcro was to tell me the fire was arson, and began with the burning of the digger that had unearthed the coffin in the first place.’

Magnus contemplated all this before responding.

‘The digger, I take it, had been given the job of preparing the building site for this locally unpopular eco-house?’ he asked.

When Erling indicated the truth of this, Magnus continued. ‘So you have a possible historical murder case on your hands, plus now a case of arson?’ He gave a sympathetic smile.

Erling nodded. ‘In the first instance, I’d like to identify the victims and that will involve talking to someone about wartime Hoy.’

‘And that might be me?’ Magnus said.

‘It might be, if you have the time. And the inclination?’ Erling added hopefully.

‘This victim and her child?’ Magnus said. ‘You have evidence to indicate when she died?’

Erling confirmed this. ‘Plus we believe she was likely on Hoy with the workers associated with the troops stationed there. We also think her Christian name may have been Stella.’

‘And you discovered this how?’

‘Auld Mackie, neighbour of mine and pal to Ivor back in the day.’ He explained about the letter and his visit toMackie’s place. ‘Also, my father’s been helping me put together a family tree of the Mowats, seeing as my grandfather Sandy and Ivor were best mates. That’s where I was earlier tonight. Is that something you’d be interested in?’

Magnus looked intrigued, as Erling had hoped he might be.

‘Okay, I’m in,’ he said finally.

‘Good.’ Erling smiled. ‘I’ll fetch what Tommy’s already done from the car. Hopefully you can expand and update where possible.’

As he drove home, he was pleased to see that the light on Hoy had gone out, which more than made up for the rain on the windscreen. He had only to hope that any rain falling on Hoy hadn’t destroyed the evidence of the arson attack Willie Halcro had seemed so certain about.

11

Erling woke at dawn, the light finding its way in through the small but uncurtained window.

It was probably time for the blackout blind again, he thought, as he gave up on another hour in bed and headed for the shower.

Rory, coming from the southern city of Liverpool, had decided thesimmer dimof Orkney was fine at night, glorious even. But as for being wakened at four o’clock in the morning come midsummer, no way was that allowed. Hence his insistence on the purchase of a blackout blind, which Erling dutifully hung over the single bedroom window as soon as the mornings grew lighter.

That thought, having highlighted Rory’s continued absence, also reinforced Erling’s hope that it would end soon. Although, even when he was here, their work schedules often clashed. Which, of course, made their time together all the more important. The last message he’d had from Rory indicated he would be with him come the weekend, when hopefully Erling too would have some time off.

Pushing the eagerly anticipated reunion to the back of his mind, he reviewed last night’s proceedings while he ate breakfast. Firstly, the visit to his father, which had proved fruitful on the subject of the Mowat clan. Even though, he thought, it had stirred up some sad memories for Tommy.

On heading to the car last night, Erling had heard music start up, and immediately recognized the voice as that of his late mother’s favourite country and western singer, Charlie Pride. Despite Tommy’s insistence that he was bound for bed, his dad had reallywanted to be alone with his thoughts of the past, and Erling’s mum, Ada, had clearly been foremost in his mind.