Page 64 of The High Island

‘I can tell you now that Ivor had a mobile phone and a laptop, although he didn’t watch programmes on that. He preferred the television. He used his laptop to search for things. Especially the history of Orkney during the two World Wars. He loved all that stuff about the sunken ships in Scapa Flow. He was on numerous sites chatting to folk about it.’

She was silent for a moment, before adding, ‘I do remember he got quite excited when that Maitland guy wrote inTheOrcadianabout his grandfather serving on Hoy during the war. Seems he was stationed close to the Mowat croft at Lyrawa Bay.’

‘Do you know how Ivor got in touch with Kris?’ Erling tried.

‘I think Kris found Ivor, not the other way round. But I do remember Ivor was over the moon about it. And no wonder. He used to talk a lot about Betty, his granddaughter, who left Hoy when she was only seventeen. Kris’s mum, that is. It was a sad tale.’

‘Did Ivor ever mention Kris’s father?’

‘Not until just before Kris was due to visit. It seemed Kris had never met his father, but the day before he died, Ivor told me he knew who thebastardwas. His word exactly.’

‘But he didn’t give you a name?’

‘No, he didn’t. Maybe he would have told us, me and Elspeth that is, if he’d lived longer.’

‘You think he planned to tell Kris who his father was?’

‘Yes. I think that was the plan.’

When he thanked Cathy for her help, she told him to call any time. ‘I’ll send you the full list of belongings that were handed over to Hugh Mowat. And I hope with all my heart that the body on the Hoy beach isn’t Ivor’s great-grandson.’

His next call was to Hugh Mowat, who took a great deal more time than Cathy before answering. Erling imagined him staring at the screen, aware of who was calling and not keen to pick up. When he eventually did, his tone sounded upbeat but cautious.

‘Inspector Flett. Good news, I hope?’

Erling chose his words carefully. ‘I’d like you to bring Ivor’s mobile phone and laptop to the station, please, together with any correspondence and notebooks of his.’

‘May I ask why?’ came the guarded reply.

‘You asked that we verify Kris Mowat’s identity, so checking through any correspondence between Kris and Ivor would be useful in that regard,’ he said, wondering whether in fact Hugh Mowat had already done this, and his intervention at the reading of the will had been merely an attempt to delay acceptance of Kris as the rightful heir.

‘I’ll bring what I have in today,’ Hugh said.

‘I also require to speak to you regarding your visit to Ivor the night he died,’ Erling added.

The thick silence that followed this announcement was eventually broken. ‘For what reason?’ Hugh said.

‘I have a few questions for you,’ Erling told him.

Silence reigned again until Hugh said, ‘Of course, Inspector. I’llbe happy to help in any way I can. When would you like me to come in?’

‘This morning around ten,’ Erling said, thinking the sooner he asked the necessary questions the better.

‘I’ll see you then, Inspector.’ And with that he rang off.

Erling found himself forming an image of Hugh on the other end of the now silent phone. He was in little doubt that Ivor’s eldest son had the annulment of Ivor’s will in his sights, and would therefore do whatever was required of him to make sure that happened.

30

As the Orkney Mainland began to retreat and the hills of Hoy to dominate the skyline, Jo decided she would try to put thoughts ofDSGowan’s imminent arrival out of her head, at least for the duration of the crossing to Longhope. Although she wasn’t sure that was actually possible.

She’d already brought Ivan up to date with the goings-on the night before at the Stromness Hotel, during their journey to Houton together. His reaction to the disappearance of Rachael Everett had matched her own. ‘I hope to God it was Kris Mowat who came back for her,’ had been his exact words.

Once the ferry was well on its way, Ivan had gone to chat to the crew regarding the body at Lyrawa and the burning of Ian MacDougal’s digger.

The young police officer seemed to be able to extract information from the general public without giving anything away himself. He was, Jo thought, a detective in the making. Just as well, then, that Erling had sent Ivan to Hoy with her, rather than have him pick upDSGowan from the Scrabster ferry.

Such a thought sent a shiver down her spine. Just as the boss’s first mention of Gus’s name had done. Something she was sure Erling had taken note of, although he hadn’t questioned her about it as yet.