She looked around again, up the hill, where long streets of narrow terraced houses weaved their way upward, backed against the deep green of the mountains. To her left she could catch the sun glinting off Loch Ness. That was a bit mad. She wondered if it was rude to ask about the monster. She could see it was a pretty spot. But what did people do here? What on earth . . . How did you pass your days without restaurants and theaters and nightclubs and shopping and exhibitions and cocktail bars?

Suddenly, the oldest, dirtiest car Lissa had ever seen charged around the square at top speed. It was a big old Volvo in a very unappetizing shade of brown, and the back of it appeared to be full of straw and dogs. It screeched to a halt before her and a tall, imposing woman stepped out, wearing a tweed skirt and a dark green polo. She had fine features and her skin was weather-beaten, but she wore no makeup, her hair gray and cut into a bob, more or less. Lissa had the oddest sense looking at her that she hadn’t changed her style since her first day at primary school. As premonitions go, she was spot-on. The dogs, meanwhile, were going berserk.

“Hello!” barked Dr. Joan Davenport.

Lissa frowned slightly and felt her heart rate jump up and her nerves pile in. “Um,” said Lissa.

“Are you Alyssa Westcott?”

“Um, Lissa?”

Joan looked like she couldn’t care less about that. “Well, you’re my charge, it appears. I did ask for a boy.”

Lissa was confused.

“Just my little joke! Never mind! Nobody reads, I get it, I get it.”

“Are you the GP?” said Lissa, as Joan started around the vehicle.

“Huh? Well, of course. Did Cormac not explain?”

Lissa didn’t know how to tell Joan that she’d been too anxious and full of worry to contact Cormac to ask the questions she needed to; she’d barely replied to his email at all, as if ignoring what was coming would somehow make it go away.

She shook her head, and Joan looked at her keenly. Her bluff manner wasn’t put on—that was just who she was—but it didn’t mean she wasn’t perceptive.

“You’ve had a tough time,” she observed.

Lissa dragged the bag behind her and stared at the ground. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’m perfectly fit to work.”

Joan glanced at her again. “Well, we’ll try and keep your workload light. I’m sure they’ll keep Cormac busy!”

Joan opened the back door of her ancient car and three scruffy terriers jumped out.

“Yesss!” she said, her tone instantly changing from brusque welcome to motherly concern.

“There we are, Montgomery, my angel! Jasper! Jasper! Come here, my lovely boy! Pepper! Pepper! Come here!”