The boat was moving back towards the shore. Spray blew into her face and she could taste the salt on her lips. ‘What about him?’

‘He was getting into bother. Skipping classes occasionally. Nothing serious. That house full of women, Margaret thought he could do with some male company. She asked if I could find any work for him around the yard.’

‘And you said yes?’

There was a pause. The strange, dark sky was pierced briefly by one arrow of bright sunlight. ‘If she’d asked me to swim naked three times round the island, I’d have said yes. I loved her.’

‘How do you get on with the boy?’ Vera wasn’t sure that kind of passion was healthy. It embarrassed her that Kerr was prepared to talk like that. As if he had no self-control or pride. Much safer to move on to a discussion about Kate’s son.

Kerr seemed to consider for a moment before answering. ‘I never have any bother with him. He’s just one of those lads who don’t like school. He’s kind of restless. You see him walking the streets at all hours. Too much energy for school work.’ He was bringing the boat round the harbour wall now and the sunlight had disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived. The water was calmer. ‘Ryan was a bit cocky when he started, but he settled down once he realized I wasn’t going to stand any messing. He wants to make something of himself, and I’m glad of the company.’ He paused as if that was a confession. ‘When I was his age I’d already been working full-time for a year.’

‘You never fancied staying on and getting an education?’ Because Vera thought that Kerr was more intelligent than he’d seemed to her at first. Margaret wouldn’t have taken up with a stupid man, even briefly.

‘Never got the chance.’ Even now this obviously rankled. ‘My Dad needed cheap labour in the family business.’

Vera turned back to face him. ‘Just like mine.’ They grinned.

With an easy move he had the boat next to the ladder in the wall. It occurred to her that he’d done this so many times that he’d manage it with pinpoint accuracy even with his eyes closed.

‘Your friend the professor said you were back in Mardle by three o’clock the afternoon Margaret died,’ Vera said. She took off the life jacket, but stayed sitting. ‘Where did you go when you got in from the water?’