Page 47 of The High Island

At this, Erling decided that the best plan would be for him to marshal Eddie, Rachael and Hugh from the room. Once they were inside Eddie’s office, he told Eddie to await his return before opening the envelope, then went back to the ruckus in the meeting room and commanded them all to take a seat and remain silent.

‘If you cannot do this, then I suggest you leave now or you will be taken to Kirkwall police station where you will be charged with a breach of the peace.’

Had the looks now being thrown at him been knives, he would have already expired in a bloody heap on the floor. But silence followed his threat, so he was content with that.

Although, to show his warning was not without teeth, he made a call to the station and ordered that an officer report immediately to the offices of Balfour Legal Services and stand guard at the entrance until further notice.

After which Erling joined the others in Eddie’s office.

21

Erling watched as Eddie extracted a letter from the envelope and began to read. Having seemingly satisfied himself as to its contents, Eddie then turned to Rachael.

‘When did you get this?’ he asked softly.

‘I found it duringDIFlett’s visit last night,’ she told him, her expression calm. ‘He’d asked me for some items belonging to Kris to send forDNApurposes along with the body they’d found at Lyrawa . . .’ Her voice broke a little at this, before strengthening again. ‘The envelope was in Kris’s toilet bag. My name on the front.’ She paused briefly. ‘I thought it was a break-up note, after what I’d said about the baby.’ She halted there briefly as though realizing what she’d let slip. ‘So I couldn’t bring myself to open it until this morning. When I saw what it was, I got a taxi over here. That’s why I was late.’

‘Baby?’ Hugh said sharply. ‘What baby are you talking about?’

Rachael appeared to brace herself before answering. ‘I’m pregnant with Kris’s child. I initially wanted to have an abortion. He didn’t,’ she added, a catch in her throat.

Hugh Mowat muttered what sounded like a curse, before demanding that he also be allowed to read the letter.

‘The letter is addressed to myself as Kris Mowat’s lawyer,’ Eddie said firmly. ‘It is therefore both a private and a legal document in this case.’

Hugh, who was obviously trying to keep a rein on his anger, said, ‘Does the delivery of this letter mean we can continue with the reading of my father’s will?’

‘I believe it does,’ Eddie said, with a glance at Rachael, ‘since Kris has requested Rachael be his proxy here today.’

Hugh gave a sharp nod. ‘Right. Let’s get started, then. Although, as I toldDIFlett, we, as a family, will be contesting all decisions made by my father in the months leading to his death, because we believe he was not of sound mind when he made them.’

Erling watched as Eddie mustered himself to answer this.

‘That’s for another time,’ he said. ‘Let’s deal with the business that brought us all here today.’

There was some murmuring on their re-entry to the room, but Erling’s reappearance led to a swift silence.

Or maybe, he thought, it was simply Hugh’s murderous expression that had brought them all, including Harald, to order.

Settling himself to the left of Eddie’s desk, behind which the lawyer had taken refuge, Erling watched as Hugh made a space beside him for Rachael by sending an annoyed Harald one place along.

Hugh was acting more of the gentleman than the Mr Angry of earlier. Erling found himself wondering why. Rachael, he noted, appeared a little more relaxed, even bestowing a faint smile on Hugh as she settled herself on the seat.

Eddie now produced a large envelope and, opening it, extracted what looked like a single sheet of paper. He began to read out its contents in his rich Orcadian voice.

As the words flowed over and around him, Erling thought of Cathy and Elspeth witnessing the writing of the short will, with no idea what it contained.

The company before him, however, heard the words stated clearly and with no possibility of misunderstanding their meaning.

‘I, Ivor John Kris Mowat, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament.

‘I revoke all prior wills and codicils.

‘I appoint my great-grandson Kris Mowat as my sole beneficiary.

‘I appoint my lawyer, Edward Balfour, as the Executor of my estate.

‘I sign this Will on this, 18th May 2025, in the presence of Cathy McCue and Elspeth Crawford.’