Page 67 of The High Island

‘One of the workers at the oil terminal,’ Erling said. ‘He said the man in the picture wore a hoodie and took it off only briefly,’ he added.

As the team dispersed, Erling headed back to his office. He expected Hugh Mowat to arrive shortly and he wanted to mull over what questions he might ask the now most senior member of the Mowat clan.

It had appeared during the reading of the will that Hugh had the entire family behind him. Or the males at least, since there had been no females present . . . until Rachael had entered the room. And she had caused a stramash with both her arrival and what she had come to say.

Checking the time, he registered thatDSGreen andPCTulloch should have reached Longhope by now and set up at the fire station. His hope was that the folk of Hoy, Longhope and Flotta would take this opportunity to offer up any information they might have regarding what had been happening.

Erling had arranged forDCGunn to meet Hugh on his arrival and take possession of the items he’d agreed to bring with him. After which Gunn had been told to install Hugh in an interview room and then report to him.

His orders having been followed to the letter, the detective constable now stood at the open door.

‘He’s here?’ Erling said.

‘Yes, and waiting for you in interview room one, sir.’

‘His demeanour?’

‘Confident and friendly.’

‘So no worries about bringing in the laptop and phone?’

‘None, it seems.’

Erling had no doubt that Hugh would have had a very good look at what was on both items. Whether he had removed anything would be up to the Tech department to determine.

‘Right, let’s see what he has to say.’

Hugh had obviously accepted an offer of a mug of coffee and was taking a mouthful even as they entered. Raising the mug in salute toDCGunn, he expressed his thanks.

Moving to sit across the table from Hugh, Erling thanked him for coming in. His tone brought an attempt at a smile from Hugh.

‘I take it, then, that this is a formal interview and not just a friendly chat?’ he said.

‘The matter is serious, yes,’ Erling said.

‘And the matter is?’ Hugh asked in a firm tone.

‘The night your father died,’ Erling told him.

Hugh appeared to relax a little at this. ‘Then I assume that it’s regarding my pending lawsuit against St Magnus House?’ he said confidently.

Erling waited a little before answering. ‘It is not about any lawsuit,’ he eventually said.

‘Then what is it about?’

‘The meeting you had with your father the day he died,’ Erling told him.

Hugh looked momentarily perplexed. ‘I did visit my father on that day and was glad I did, seeing as the care home likely caused his death shortly after that.’

Erling didn’t rise to the bait, but said instead, ‘You had an argument with your father during that visit.’

‘Who told you that?’ Hugh demanded.

‘You were overheard by a member of staff. Can you tell me what that argument was about?’

Hugh shrugged. ‘It wasn’t an argument, more a discussion about the Mowat croft land and how the old bugger had sold it behind our backs.’

‘So your father was lucid enough for such a discussion?’ Erling said.