Chapter 31
The events of last night in Kirkwall were first up for discussion, mainly because Erling wanted those that had been on night duty to get home to their beds as soon as possible.
As it was, the report didn’t take long. It transpired that Friday night in Kirkwall had been much the same as usual.
Two arrests for drunken brawling. A number of females being supplied with flip-flops by street pastors.
One guy prevented from getting into his vehicle to drive home to St Margaret’s Hope.
But no obvious increase in drug-related incidents.
Now into the weekend proper, Saturday night might prove more challenging and Erling checked that those who’d volunteered to be on duty knew what was required of them.
Once this was settled, Erling was then asked what was known regarding Rachael’s disappearance from the Stromness Hotel, which he answered in some detail, the concern in the room being palpable.
He explained that, as they were probably aware, SOCO were currently at the hotel examining Rachael’s room, and that the team would get the opportunity to view the security tapes he and DS Green had already seen.
‘In which a hooded male was seen leaving with a female I believe to be Rachael via the hotel entrance at around four p.m.,’ he added.
Erling then moved on to whether they had confirmation as yet of Kris Mowat’s identity.
It was Detective Constable Tom Gunn who responded in his usual steadfast manner.
‘On instructions from DS Green, we checked the credit card details supplied by the car hire company, and they do match one Kris Mowat at the address given by Ms Everett. We also established that the Kris Mowat of that address works as a DJ in various locations in London.
‘The same Kris Mowat was born in a London hospital in the year stated on his passport. His mother’s name was Betty Mowat and her address at the time was a woman’s hostel.’
He continued. ‘Betty Mowat died when Kris was nine years old. Her death was drug related. The boy was then taken into care and fostered out to a number of different families until the age of sixteen.’
‘So the Kris Mowat we’re looking for is in fact Ivor’s great-grandson?’ Erling said.
‘Yes, sir,’ DC Gunn confirmed.
A moment of silence followed this, before Erling spoke again.
‘I’ve asked Hugh Mowat to bring in Ivor Mowat’s mobile and laptop, which were released to him by the care home on the occasion of his father’s death.
Cathy McCue, who works at the home, says that Ivor spent a lot of time talking to people online about Hoy during the war.
It seems that Kris made contact with Ivor and not the other way round.
She also said that Ivor had discovered who Kris’s father was, just before he died, and had planned to tell Kris – and I quote here – “who the bastard was” when Kris came to Orkney. ’
A murmur of disquiet rose at this and Erling silenced it by telling them that Hugh Mowat was due at the station for an interview at ten o’clock.
‘In the absence of DS Green, DC Gunn will assist me with that,’ Erling told them.
‘One last thing. There’s been a possible sighting of Kris Mowat on Flotta.
’ He brought up Rory’s photograph on the main screen, side by side with the one given them by Rachael.
He observed his officers’ reaction, which appeared similar to his own, before saying, ‘I now intend having Glasgow run a comparison for us.’
The murmurs of agreement that followed confirmed the team’s approval of this.
‘Do we know who took the photograph, sir?’ DC Gunn asked.
‘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 that DS Green and PC Tulloch 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 for DC Gunn 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 to DC Gunn, 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.
Hugh eyed him then with a shrug and said, ‘My father loved a barney. Ask anyone who knew him. It was his life’s blood. He would argue black was white. Up was down. Left was right.’
‘When did he tell you Kris was coming north to see him? Was it on that day?’
Erling watched as Hugh contemplated his answer.
‘He’d been going on about some guy who got in touch with him online about Betty. Spun the old bugger a line about being his great-grandson. That’s when it became obvious he was losing his marbles.’
‘Why?’
‘Because, despite the rumours, Betty didn’t leave because she was pregnant. She just wanted to get away from Hoy. From Orkney. From her family. So she could be herself, as she put it.’ Hugh met Erling’s eye. ‘You remember that feeling, Detective Inspector?’
Erling, ignoring the reference to his own teenage years, said, ‘Kris Mowat is who he says he is. And his mother, Betty Mowat, died when he was nine. After which Kris was brought up in care.’
‘You have proof of this?’ Hugh said.
‘We do. And by the date of his birth, we believe the rumours of Betty’s pregnancy, as you put it, were in fact true. Have you any idea who Kris’s father might be?’
‘None,’ Hugh said firmly.
‘Well, it seems Ivor did. In fact, just before he died, he told one of his carers that he had found out who Kris’s father was. His exact words being “I know who the bastard is”.’
Hugh appeared unfazed by this declaration, merely giving a big sigh and a shake of his head. ‘Well, he never mentioned any of this to me.’
Erling found himself thinking that might well be true. Would Ivor have chosen to tell his eldest son before revealing his findings to Kris in person?
It seemed Hugh was reading his thoughts, because he immediately said, ‘My father might have hinted at such a finding to me to annoy me, of course. But if, as you say, he believed Kris Mowat to be Betty’s son, he would have saved up anything he found out about his father for the boy himself.’
‘Kris turning up here has proved to be a real problem for you,’ Erling offered.
Hugh looked suddenly very weary. ‘My father was always the biggest problem for this family and everyone in it. And it got worse the older and more demented he became. As the eldest son, I was the one who had to deal with that.’
‘So now that Ivor’s gone . . .’ Erling prompted.
‘I get to clean up the mess he left behind.’
‘Does that mess include Kris?’
Hugh was silent for a moment, then, meeting Erling’s gaze, said, ‘Imagine on your own father’s death a man turns up out of the blue and tells you that he’s your great-nephew you never knew you had.
And this so-called great-nephew inherits the family business.
How would you react to that, Inspector?’
It was a question Erling found himself unable or unwilling to answer.
When Hugh had departed, Erling made the call he’d been putting off since Rory had shown him the photograph of the man who might be Kris.
The gruff voice that answered the call was instantly recognizable.
‘DI Flett. What can I do for you?’ A short pause followed, before he added in a tone that brooked no argument, ‘Apart from coming back to Orkney, that is.’
Erling found himself smiling. ‘No need for that,’ he assured the Glasgow detective.
‘We have a missing person. Kris Mowat. Who may have been spotted on the island of Flotta. I’d like to send you a photo that was taken together with one of Kris for your super recognizer to compare.
’ He paused briefly before adding, ‘We also have some security footage from the Stromness Hotel which may be him.’
‘Is this in connection with the body you sent down?’
‘It is,’ Erling confirmed.
‘You think the body may be that of Kris Mowat?’
‘If he’s recognizable from the recent Flotta photograph, then it isn’t him,’ Erling explained. ‘The haste is because his pregnant partner has now disappeared and we fear for her safety too.’
‘What the hell is going on up there?’ McNab said.
‘The patriarch of a local family died recently and the relatives are fighting over who gets the spoils.’
‘We’re used to dealing with gangland family disputes here in Glasgow. Didn’t think it was an Orkney problem.’
‘The only difference is in the accent,’ Erling told him.
‘Okay. Send your stuff through. I’ll see how Ollie’s placed to take a look,’ McNab told him.
Ringing off, Erling did as agreed, while wondering whether he should have mentioned that Rory had been the one who’d taken the photograph on Flotta.
But why would he do that? What was the point?
McNab had never used his knowledge of Rory’s true identity as either a bargaining chip or a threat.
Despite the Glasgow detective’s bristly manner, and somewhat wayward methods of detection, Erling believed he never would.
Unless or until Rory crossed a line. Even as these words entered his brain, he knew it was him who worried about that, rather than McNab.