Page 66 of The High Island

‘Please take a seat,’ Jo said with a smile, which wasn’t returned.

The woman did this, adjusting her chair so that she had her back to the man currently at Ivan’s table.

Now she leaned towards Jo, her expression full of trepidation.

‘Are you feeling okay?’ Jo asked, perturbed by her demeanour.

The woman gave a brief nod. ‘I don’t want them’ – she gestured towards the men with Ivan – ‘to hear what I have to say.’

‘Okay,’ Jo said quietly. ‘What is it you need to tell me?’

‘The boy, Kris, Betty Mowat’s son,’ she said in almost a whisper. ‘I know who his father is.’ She remained forward in the chair, still focusing on Jo. ‘Betty was only a lass when she got pregnant. I know who did that to her.’

Jo felt her pulse quicken, although a part of her was already thinking that this could be mere gossip, designed to attack someonethe woman might have a grudge against. Or was she about to accuse her husband of impregnating Betty?

As she waited for what might come next, the woman gestured to the notebook and pen. Reading her meaning, Jo pushed both towards her. The woman wrote something on the page then slid the notebook back.

Jo stared at the name in consternation, then at the woman.

‘Now you know what’s been going on here and why,’ the woman said, before rising and heading for the door.

31

The events of last night in Kirkwall were first up for discussion, mainly because Erling wanted those that had been on night duty to get home to their beds as soon as possible.

As it was, the report didn’t take long. It transpired that Friday night in Kirkwall had been much the same as usual. Two arrests for drunken brawling. A number of females being supplied with flip-flops by street pastors. One guy prevented from getting into his vehicle to drive home to St Margaret’s Hope. But no obvious increase in drug-related incidents.

Now into the weekend proper, Saturday night might prove more challenging and Erling checked that those who’d volunteered to be on duty knew what was required of them.

Once this was settled, Erling was then asked what was known regarding Rachael’s disappearance from the Stromness Hotel, which he answered in some detail, the concern in the room being palpable.

He explained that, as they were probably aware,SOCOwere currently at the hotel examining Rachael’s room, and that the team would get the opportunity to view the security tapes he andDSGreen had already seen.

‘In which a hooded male was seen leaving with a female I believe to be Rachael via the hotel entrance at around four p.m.,’ he added.

Erling then moved on to whether they had confirmation as yet of Kris Mowat’s identity.

It was Detective Constable Tom Gunn who responded in his usual steadfast manner.

‘On instructions fromDSGreen, we checked the credit card details supplied by the car hire company, and they do match one Kris Mowat at the address given by Ms Everett. We also established that the Kris Mowat of that address works as aDJin various locations in London.

‘The same Kris Mowat was born in a London hospital in the year stated on his passport. His mother’s name was Betty Mowat and her address at the time was a woman’s hostel.’

He continued. ‘Betty Mowat died when Kris was nine years old. Her death was drug related. The boy was then taken into care and fostered out to a number of different families until the age of sixteen.’

‘So the Kris Mowat we’re looking for is in fact Ivor’s great-grandson?’ Erling said.

‘Yes, sir,’DCGunn confirmed.

A moment of silence followed this, before Erling spoke again.

‘I’ve asked Hugh Mowat to bring in Ivor Mowat’s mobile and laptop, which were released to him by the care home on the occasion of his father’s death. Cathy McCue, who works at the home, says that Ivor spent a lot of time talking to people online about Hoy during the war. It seems that Kris made contact with Ivor and not the other way round. She also said that Ivor had discovered who Kris’s father was, just before he died, and had planned to tellKris – and I quote here – “who the bastard was” when Kris came to Orkney.’

A murmur of disquiet rose at this and Erling silenced it by telling them that Hugh Mowat was due at the station for an interview at ten o’clock. ‘In the absence ofDSGreen,DCGunn will assist me with that,’ Erling told them. ‘One last thing. There’s been a possible sighting of Kris Mowat on Flotta.’ He brought up Rory’s photograph on the main screen, side by side with the one given them by Rachael. He observed his officers’ reaction, which appeared similar to his own, before saying, ‘I now intend having Glasgow run a comparison for us.’

The murmurs of agreement that followed confirmed the team’s approval of this.

‘Do we know who took the photograph, sir?’DCGunn asked.