When he returned to Kell, the two women were still sitting, staring at each other across the kitchen table. It was as if they were waiting for him before resuming their conversation. Sarah heard George coming and looked up with relief. Her psychiatric training had only been for six weeks. It had not equipped her to deal with murderers. But George ignored her.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Melissa. “ He was too fast for me.”

“He’s dead,” she said. It was a statement, not a question, and it did not need an answer.

“Would you leave us alone, Sarah?” he said.

She got up.

“I’ll leave you the car,” she said. “ I’ll walk.” Then: “I don’t know what to tell them all.”

“Tell them nothing.”

She walked down the island. The church bell was ringing for the morning service. She imagined the congregation sitting, waiting for James to stand before them to offer the usual words of the Christian peace and reassurance.

“He won’t come!” she shouted to the sheep. She lurched out of the mist on to the road. “ He’s dead.”

She went home to Unsta, and she saw no one.

Chapter Fifteen

It was evening before George was ready to speak to them to explain it all. He was with Melissa all morning. He hardly spoke, but he listened intently to what she was saying. When James did not arrive at church, Sandy telephoned Kell to find out where he was. Melissa and George were so engrossed in their conversation that they let the telephone ring. Kenneth Dance took the service.

Then George went to the school house. He phoned the nurse from there and asked her to go to Kell to be with Melissa. He talked to Sylvia and Jonathan. First he spoke to Sylvia alone. It was the most difficult interview of his career. Afterwards he went out and walked in the playground, pacing backwards and forwards.

I knew who it was, he thought. I was right about that. But I botched it at the end.

When he went back in, the Drysdales had decided to leave, as soon as the mist had cleared for a plane to come to collect them. Sylvia was starting to pack.

He told Sandy that he would go to Sandwick to explain it and he had expected all the Stennets to be there, but it was only Sandy and Agnes, Sarah and Jim. Will, too, was packing, hoping to get a plane back to school the next day, and Alec and Maggie had not been invited.