Page 18 of The High Island

‘I’ll go downstairs and try calling Kris,’ Erling said. ‘If he doesn’t answer, I’ll leave him an official message.’

Jo nodded. ‘I’ll make sure she’s all right, then join you.’

The girl reappeared moments after the door closed behind Erling. By the expression on her face, she’d been hoping they both might have left.

‘I just wanted to make sure you were okay,’ Jo assured her.

The girl accepted this without comment and, reaching for her bag, extracted something that turned out to be a biscuit, which she nibbled at.

Jo watched as a little colour came back into the girl’s face.

‘I’m sorry,’ the girl said. ‘It’s my fault Kris went out like that. He was upset when I told him . . .’ She halted there.

‘That you’re pregnant?’ Jo said.

The girl looked at her in surprise. ‘How did you know?’

‘Experience,’ Jo said. ‘So what happens now?’

‘We stay here until the will is read out on Friday. Then we go home.’

‘And home is?’ Jo said.

‘London.’

Jo asked no more, but produced her card. ‘You can reach me on this number. Any time. If I can help in any way, I will,’ she said. ‘As to Kris. Can you email me a photograph? In case we need to put out anAPB.’

‘I’ll do that now,’ Rachael said.

8

When the call went again to voicemail, Erling left a message asking that Kris Mowat ring either this number or Kirkwall police station, asDIErling Flett required to speak to him in reference to his deceased great-grandfather Ivor Mowat and the recent discovery of the buried body of a woman and child on Hoy.

If Kris wasn’t to be persuaded to call back regarding Ivor, he would surely do so on the mention of the bodies?

Not long after he’d completed this terse message, Jo appeared, the look on her face suggesting something more may have happened after he’d left the two women alone together.

‘Let’s head for the car,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell you on the way back.’

Keeping to her word, Jo waited until they were clear of the town and on the direct route to Kirkwall. In the interim, Erling had the distinct impression hisDSwas replaying whatever engagement she’d had with Rachael Everett after he’d departed the room. And, he decided, was distressed by it.

He understood why when Jo began with the revelation of the pregnancy.

‘So that’s why she was being sick,’ Erling said, surprised. ‘I was concerned that we’d frightened her in some way.’

‘She was frightened all right, but not just of us.’ Jo paused. ‘It seems Kris didn’t take the news of the pregnancy very well, and that was what prompted his departure.’

Erling glanced sideways at hisDS, perturbed by her tone.

‘She thinks he walked out on her because of that?’ Erling said.

Jo nodded. ‘But there’s something else. Remember at the beginning she said she thought something bad might have happened to him? Then she retracted that?’

‘I do,’ Erling said. ‘After which we got the story that Kris had arrived in Orkney fully expecting to find Ivor alive.’ He paused there for a moment, before adding, ‘So none of the family, including its most senior member, Hugh Mowat, thought it important to inform the youngest member, Kris, of the patriarch’s passing.’

‘Families,’ Jo said ominously, ‘and how to avoid them. Or maybe survive them?’

Erling thought about Tommy and how things had been between them after his mother’s passing. To divert those thoughts, he said, ‘Did you get on with your family back in Caithness?’