Page 17 of The High Island

‘I don’t know anything,’ the girl said.

‘Why don’t we start with your name?’ Jo said.

‘Rachael,’ she said. ‘Rachael Everett.’

The voice sounded English to Erling. Soft and likely from the south.

‘And you and Kris are together?’ Jo asked.

‘Yes, but not for long. Maybe six months or so,’ she added.

‘He asked you to come to Orkney for the funeral?’ Erling said.

Her face took on a panicked look. ‘I didn’t know it was for a funeral. He just asked me to come here, because he wanted to deal with some family business.’

‘You didn’t know that his great-grandfather, Ivor Mowat, had died?’ Jo said.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t think Kris knew that either. At least, not when he booked our flights.’

‘And when was that?’ Jo asked.

‘Three weeks ago.’

‘So before Ivor died?’ Erling said.

Rachael nodded. ‘When we got off the plane, we saw the newspaper. Ivor’s face was on the front. Kris was really upset and angry.’

‘That he hadn’t been told?’ Jo asked.

She nodded. ‘The funeral advert was in the paper and he said he had to go, but that I shouldn’t, because they would be mean to me.’

‘He meant his family?’ Jo said.

‘I suppose so. Anyway, I wanted to see where he came from, so he dropped me at the ferry at Houton and I went across to Hoy instead.’

‘This was yesterday, the day of the funeral?’ Erling checked.

‘Yes. I walked up the coast to the famous grave on the hill there.’

‘Betty Corrigall’s grave?’ Jo said.

The girl’s face crumpled a little at the name. ‘Yes. It was really sad.’

‘The Mowat croft house is up that way,’ Erling said, wondering if she’d noted the activity there.

‘I know that now, but not then. Although I saw the red digger that found the body.’

‘Has Kris spoken to you about that?’ Jo said.

She shook her head. ‘But everyone in the hotel is talking about it. It was a mother and a baby they found, wasn’t it?’

Erling’s confirmation of this seemed to distress her even further and she rose and fetched her mobile. ‘I think I should try Kris again. If he doesn’t answer, you can take his number and try locating him yourself.’

As they heard the call ring out unanswered, she handed Erling the mobile and sat back down, her face grown paler.

‘Are you okay?’ Jo said. ‘Can I get you some water?’

The girl stood again and headed for the bathroom, swiftly shutting the door behind her. Moments later they heard the unmistakable sound of her being sick.