Chapter 41
Erling sat in the bow, directing the beam of light towards the shore. The half-moon helped, when it broke free of the swiftly passing clouds. Plus both he and Magnus were familiar with Cava, having visited the island multiple times to camp as teenagers, away from the watchful eyes of grown-ups.
The call from Jo had been short, but clear enough to confirm that she and Ethan Howie were still on the island for some reason. He definitely didn’t think it was from choice, which suggested that Ethan’s boat was the problem. Either it was damaged or no longer available.
A number of scenarios had been running through his mind from the moment he’d taken her abrupt call, along with relief that at least they now knew where they were. Just not the why of it.
‘There!’ Magnus’s sharp shout directed Erling’s gaze towards an outcrop of rocks about two-thirds of the way down the western flank of Cava.
And then he saw a flash of an orange jacket.
The bulk of the figure pointed to it being Ethan and he appeared to be hauling at a rope.
Just behind him, a smaller figure, who he took to be Jo, was trying to help and their efforts did appear to be working as the red boat rode an incoming wave towards the shore.
The relief he felt at the scene was tempered by the fear that the swiftly incoming boat would collide with them. But as he watched, Ethan grabbed for the side of the vessel, guiding her away from the smaller figure behind. Then he was moving up and on to the shingle, pulling the boat behind him.
Directing the spotlight towards them, Erling flashed it a couple of times in salutation and was rewarded by a welcoming flash in return as Magnus manoeuvred the Seawolf closer to shore and the now waiting pair.
Acknowledging how soaked they were, Erling immediately recommended that both get into the Seawolf and attach the Angel behind.
‘The quicker we get you to shore and under a hot shower, the better.’
Jo threw him a grateful look, before pointing out that Ethan had been submerged, whereas she was only wet from the waist down. At this, Ethan attempted to deny that he was in a worse shape than Jo, but agreed that Erling’s plan was a sound one, his teeth chattering as he did so.
‘You told me you wouldn’t go swimming,’ Jo said in an angry but concerned voice.
Ethan’s chattering was briefly replaced by a laugh. ‘I tried very hard not to, for fear of your wrath.’
The Angel now secured on a tow rope, Magnus turned his boat around.
‘We’re taking you back to Seaview,’ Erling explained. ‘It’s as quick as going to Lyness and better than turning up at the B&B at this late hour with a story that would be all over the island by morning.’
‘What about Ivan?’ Jo immediately asked.
‘He knows we’ve located you and we’re heading for Houton. PC Tulloch won’t be broadcasting anything about tonight’s trip.’
They lapsed into silence then, Erling aware there was a considerable tale to tell here, but not through chattering teeth and the possible onset of hypothermia. Despite the speed of their return, the time seemed endless before they were finally tying up in the small harbour behind Seaview.
Magnus urged them to head inside while he secured both boats. ‘Erling knows where the showers are and will sort out some clothes for you both.’
Magnus had left all the lights on and the welcoming warmth enveloped them on entry. Ushering them both upstairs, Erling sent Ethan into Magnus’s room, urging him to make use of the clothes in the wardrobe after his shower. Then he showed Jo the room used by Dr MacLeod on her trips to Orkney.
‘Rhona leaves a change of clothes in the cupboard. I’m sure she won’t mind you making use of them.’
He left her then, concerned by her colour and hoping a hot shower would succeed in raising her temperature back to normal.
Entering the sitting room, he added more peat to the fire, then headed for the kitchen. Hot food would be required and he’d been given orders regarding that from Magnus. Locating the bacon, eggs and bannocks as instructed, he put on the kettle to boil and fetched the whisky.
Magnus entered at this point and set about the fry-up, transferring it into the oven to stay warm. Making a big pot of tea and one of coffee, he sat them both on the hotplate, before suggesting that Erling pour them each a large dram.
Erling declined and opted for coffee instead, aware he would need to drive home once he’d heard the story of what had happened on Cava. He took a moment to wonder if Rory had registered his continued absence and hoped they’d at least see one another for breakfast.
Hearing footsteps on the stairs, they both turned to see Ethan enter, clad in a heavy sweater and loose joggers, his face flushed from the hot shower.
‘You look better,’ Erling told him.
‘I feel it too.’ Ethan sniffed the air. ‘Is that food?’ he said with a boyish grin.
‘Yes, and plenty of it,’ Magnus told him. Gesturing that he should take a seat at the kitchen table and retrieving the food from the oven, he scooped some onto a plate and set it before Ethan. Then a mug. ‘Coffee, tea?’ he asked.
‘Coffee,’ Ethan told him. ‘And a dram.’
When Jo eventually appeared, Erling was momentarily startled by how much she seemed to resemble Rhona, putting that down to the patterned Orkney jumper and the still-wet hair.
‘Food?’ Magnus immediately offered and was rewarded by a smile and a request for a helping of everything.
A ducking in Scapa Flow on a dark and windy night in May was not a pleasant business, but Erling acknowledged that Jo Green was made of stern stuff and a definite survivor.
Moving into the sitting room once both appetites were satisfied, they all took their seats by the fire, Jo and Ethan seemingly ready to explain what had happened on Cava.
Jo took the lead on this, describing how they’d reached the island and gone ashore close to where Ethan had seen the mystery boat on a previous visit. She gave way to Ethan at this point, and he explained about the ruins and the discovery of evidence that someone had likely been camping there.
‘DS Green took samples of the food wrappings,’ he said. ‘But was careful not to alert anyone to the fact we’d been there.’
Erling gave a nod to that, wondering whether Kris Mowat might have been the one hiding out there.
‘I then went to look for a signal,’ Jo said, ‘but was unsuccessful. The boat arrived shortly after I got back. We both took photographs, but after the soaking we got trying to recapture the Angel, I don’t know if they’ll be retrievable from our mobiles.’
She continued. ‘There were one or more divers off the boat, using underwater torches. We couldn’t see clearly and were concerned they might note our presence, but we think they were depositing something there, or maybe collecting it.’ She turned to Ethan, giving him a chance to contribute again.
‘When they eventually left, that’s when I realized the Angel had been cut loose, which meant they’d spotted someone was on the island,’ he said. ‘I knew if they hadn’t holed her, she might come in on the tide further up the coast, where you found us.’
‘You didn’t communicate with anyone but me while you were on Cava?’ Erling checked with Jo.
‘No, only you,’ she confirmed.
‘Assuming our visitors didn’t know a police officer was on the island, they probably decided you were wild campers.’
‘That was our thought too, although we’re unsure why they freed the Angel from her moorings,’ Jo said.
Erling looked to Ethan. ‘Might they have recognized your boat?’
‘I considered that as a possibility,’ Ethan said. ‘But even if they did recognize the Angel, I think they more than likely freed her out of spite. If they’d wanted to threaten or harm us, they could have easily come ashore and done just that.’
These were Erling’s thoughts exactly.
‘So what happens now?’ Ethan said, looking straight at Erling.
‘You leave that to the police to decide, but thank you for looking after DS Green and for alerting us to the mystery boat.’ Noting a flicker of concern cross Ethan’s face, he added, ‘Are you due at work tomorrow?’
‘I am,’ Ethan said. ‘Assuming the Angel’s okay, I’ll make for Lyness first thing.’
‘And if anyone asks about your trip?’ Erling said.
‘I was night fishing. Nothing unusual in that.’
Magnus intercepted at this point. ‘If there’s an issue with the Angel tomorrow, I’ll tow you back to Lyness.’
‘Thanks.’ Ethan threw him a grateful look.
Erling came back in then. ‘Ivan’s made Maggie Clouston aware that DS Green was required back here on Mainland. I’ll confirm this when I head over to Hoy tomorrow.’ Then, taking note of the tired expressions, he indicated he was heading for home and bed. ‘For what’s left of the night.’
Turning to Jo, he told her he would pick her up in the morning and drop her at Auld Mackie’s place. ‘I hope you both sleep well.’ And with that, he headed for the door, Magnus following.
Once outside, he thanked Magnus, adding, ‘I’m keen that this story stays between us. I’ll arrange for a diver to take a look at the Cava site. See if there’s any evidence of what they might have been up to there.’
Magnus nodded. ‘And when you get a moment, I think I may have found Stella for you,’ he said quietly.
Erling smiled his thanks. ‘When things die down, I definitely want to hear about that.’
Reaching Langwell, he realized he’d left the kitchen light on when he’d made his swift exit, although the rest of the house remained in darkness.
Trying to be as quiet as possible, he undressed in the sitting room, then padded through to the bedroom. Slipping into bed and expecting Rory’s warmth to envelop him, he was surprised to find the sheets cold.
No Rory. So where was he? Rising again, he went to check in the spare room, but both bunks were empty.
Looking out of the back window, he only now registered that Rory’s vehicle wasn’t there.
Something he’d missed on arriving at Langwell, dazed as he’d been by tiredness.
Feeling for his mobile, he noted there hadn’t been a message alerting him as to why Rory wasn’t there.
Had he been called back to Flotta? Or maybe an early helicopter ride to a rig?
It seemed Rory had departed without any explanation. Much as he had done himself earlier.
He was a police officer. He’d warned Rory of that when they’d first got together.
Work always came first for him and maybe for Rory too.