Chapter 44
Leaving the elderly American, Erling headed downstairs and outside. He was keen to have a word with Eleanor Gilmore, who he knew would be one of the two white suits currently combing the harbour area and the walkway below.
Her first question when she saw him come down the walkway was whether he’d recognized the victim. Her desperate need to know resembled his own. If the girl had been local to Orkney, then the sooner they knew who she was, the better.
‘I don’t recognize her,’ Erling confirmed. ‘Neither did Leo Strachan or either of the paramedics.’
‘She might be from one of the islands,’ Eleanor said. ‘When she doesn’t get the boat back today . . .’ She tailed off with a stricken look.
It was then Erling recalled that Eleanor had a daughter herself, but maybe not yet a teenager?
Spotting his expression, she said, ‘Emma’s about to turn thirteen, but she’s definitely older in her own head.’
Her reaction reminded Erling of all the parents currently out there who, once they heard what had happened, would be desperately checking the whereabouts of their teenage daughters.
Something he would never have to do himself.
‘I didn’t think things like this would happen here in Orkney,’ Eleanor said in a shocked tone. ‘That’s why I moved here.’
Bad things happen everywhere, Erling thought, but didn’t say. Instead he changed the subject by asking if they’d found anything that might belong to the victim.
‘Nothing so far. We’ve examined the surrounds plus the walkway and the decks of the boats tied up close by.
If she had a mobile, and let’s face it, they’re all chained to one, we didn’t locate it, so it may be underwater.
You’ll need a frogman to check for certain.
’ She halted there a moment, before saying, ‘Did you register the Samaritan sign up there on the walkway gate?’
Erling had. In fact, it was etched on his brain.
Talk to us, we’ll listen.
Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to face it alone.
‘D’you think she intended to kill herself?’ Eleanor said.
Erling shook his head, unable to answer that question.
Leaving Eleanor, he went for a final word with PC Alexander, who’d been given the task of protecting the scene from inquisitive onlookers.
There was no crowd gathered, and his officer indicated that folk were largely going about their business, although obviously concerned as to why he was standing guard, with two white suits in play as well.
Life went on as usual, Erling thought. But not for the girl who had just been pulled from the harbour.
Back at the station, he now checked on the whereabouts of DS Gowan and the pastor. Informed they’d changed out of their wet clothes and were in the meeting room, Erling went upstairs.
If the two men had been mistrustful of one another at the onset of last night’s outing, it appeared they were no longer. Seemingly deep in conversation, there was also a scent of food in the air. Fried bacon, Erling thought longingly, and coffee by the looks of the carry-out cups and paper bags.
‘We stopped for rolls on the way back, sir,’ Gowan explained.
‘Good move, Sergeant. And DS Gowan found you some dry clothes,’ Erling said to Leo.
‘He did,’ Leo answered in a formal manner. Then added, ‘Have you heard anything on the identity of the girl?’
‘Not so far,’ Erling told him. ‘But we will soon, I suspect. Are you ready for a debrief? If so, I think it would be good to go to an interview room and record it.’
‘Of course, sir.’ Gowan rose with what seemed to Erling to be a marked glance at Leo, who immediately nodded.
As they made their way downstairs, Erling considered the meaning of that look.
The street pastor was in the business of saving souls and doling out flip-flops to girls to help them walk home. He doubted if he’d ever been interrogated about a death before.
Had DS Gowan forewarned him of what was involved? Or had they in fact rehearsed their story together? Which would be a violation on the part of the detective sergeant.
A glance at Gowan brought the uneasy feeling that the transferred officer was enjoying being part of this story. Even more so now that he was at its centre.
It was this thought that prompted Erling to indicate that he would record their stories separately.
‘I’ll take Leo first,’ he said, on reaching the room. ‘I suggest you go and write up your report, Sergeant, and I’ll speak with you later.’
He realized, as he told Leo to take a seat while he set up the recording, that the pastor appeared ill at ease at the change in the proceedings.
‘I’d like you to tell me exactly what happened in the lead-up to you and DS Gowan being called to the harbour,’ he said firmly. ‘Start from the beginning and leave nothing out, even if it seems trivial.’
Leo appeared to take a breath before speaking, or maybe he was saying an internal prayer.
‘It started out as a normal Saturday night. Quiet at first. There were three pastors on duty, including myself, plus two police officers who were known to me. Then DS Gowan arrived with a couple of lads, who he appeared to have met up with beforehand, maybe in a pub. We didn’t acknowledge one another, and he disappeared inside. ’ He halted there and looked to Erling.
‘And?’ Erling encouraged him.
‘As the night wore on, people began to emerge from the club to smoke, maybe cool down a bit, talk since it’s really noisy inside.
A couple of girls came out, pretty drunk, propping one another up.
One wanted to go home, with the other arguing not to.
They sat down on the ground and seemed unable to get up again.
I had a feeling more than drink was involved.
I persuaded them to call a taxi. They did and headed off. ’
He thought for a minute, before continuing.
‘A girl came out and was sick, then went back inside. A guy came out to talk on his phone. Clocked me and went back inside. It was late by then and the place was close to shutting, which is our busiest time, especially with the girls who need the flip-flops. I was busy with a few of them. Then—’ He halted there.
‘Then what?’ Erling said.
‘She came out.’ He stopped there, a look of anguish on his face.
‘Who?’ Erling demanded.
‘The girl in the harbour. I thought I hadn’t seen her before, because she was so wet and lifeless when we pulled her from the water, but I think I did now.
She was with a guy who I didn’t recognize.
He had her arm and was shouting something in her ear.
’ He looked at Erling. ‘Then I was called away to a girl who’d fallen and hurt her knee.
I was patching her up when DS Gowan appeared and called on me to follow him down the street to the harbour. ’
‘Could you describe the male who was with her?’ Erling said.
‘He was at least six inches taller than the girl. Dark hair, shaved at the sides, longer on top. Mid to late twenties. Fit-looking. Had an accent.’
‘What accent?’
‘Like DS Gowan’s.’
‘He was a Liverpudlian?’ Erling checked.
‘I can’t be sure, but it sounded like it.’
At that moment there was a knock and the door opened to reveal DS Gowan.
‘Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there’s someone here who thinks they may know the victim?’ Gowan’s expression suggested he didn’t want to mention the name.
‘Okay, Sergeant, I’ll be right there.’
Waiting until the door was shut again, Erling thanked Leo for his time and his help.
‘I’ll get back to you if anything else comes up. Obviously if you recall anything more, just get in touch. And thank you for your help last night and today.’
Escorting Leo to the front door, he found DS Gowan waiting outside his office, indicating that whoever had arrived was in there.
Erling waited until he saw Leo walking across the car park before turning to Gowan.
‘Who is it?’ he asked quietly.
‘Hugh Mowat,’ Gowan said, obviously aware of the significance of the name.
Erling, shocked into silence, eventually found his voice. ‘Thank you, Sergeant, I’ll deal with this myself.’
Opening the door, he stood for a moment before he spoke.
‘Hugh,’ he said finally. ‘You wanted to speak to me?’
The figure rose from the seat and turned to face him. Erling knew it was Hugh Mowat, although it didn’t look like him any more. He looked ill and old and frightened half to death.
‘Is it her? Is it my granddaughter, Eilidh?’
Erling gestured at him to sit down and, going round the desk, sat down too.
‘We haven’t identified the girl as yet. She had nothing on her person to help us do that. I didn’t recognize her. Neither did the ambulance crew. Or the officer and pastor that took her from the harbour.’
A small flicker of hope hovered on Hugh’s face for a moment. ‘Do you have a photo of the lass?’ he asked.
Erling had no wish to show him the photo of the face that was firmly embedded in his own memory. So he said, ‘Why do you think it might be Eilidh?’
‘She came over on the boat yesterday without permission. My daughter-in-law forbade her to go to that club. She’s only sixteen. But she got the ferry anyway. She’s not answering her phone and her mother’s going mad with worry. She called me and asked that I come here.’
‘Do you have a photo of Eilidh you could show me?’ Erling tried.
Hugh had obviously been expecting this request and had it ready on his phone. Handing it over, Erling could sense the man’s silent prayer.
It was a prayer neither Erling nor God was able to answer, because it was her. It was the girl from the harbour. The only difference was the smeared make-up, false eyelashes and the pink streak of hair.
The depth of the silence that followed was like a soundless scream.
Erling found himself saying that there was a resemblance, then asking if Hugh would like to visit the hospital to be sure. When Hugh nodded like a puppet having its strings pulled, Erling said he would take him there now.