“You want me to come with you?”

“It would be useful. It’s always helpful to have two people. You might pick up something which I’ve missed, but I’ll quite understand if you prefer not to.”

“No. I’ll come.”

At least I can be useful to someone, she thought as she put a cold lunch on a plate for Jim and cut a sandwich for herself, then walked up the road towards Sandwick with George. Jim had not wanted her help.

They met Sandy in the yard outside the house. He was on his way into Sandwick for lunch. Sandy beamed when he saw Sarah and took her in his arms.

“George is keeping you company,” he said. “Now that is good. I saw Jim working in the top field and I thought you might be lonely.”

“I’d like to talk to you,” George said. “But it can wait until later if your lunch is ready.”

“No. Come in. Come in.”

They could hear Agnes in the kitchen, but George did not ask to speak to her, too, and Sandy did not suggest it.

“Are you sure,” George said, “that Mary’s death was an accident?”

“She would never have killed herself.” Sandy spoke quietly so that Agnes would not hear him, but he was quite firm.

“I’m not suggesting that she did.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I believe that there is a possibility that she was murdered.”

“No.” This time he could not control his voice, and he spoke so loudly that he shocked them. Agnes came in to see if he was ready for his food.

“Sandy,” she said, “are you ill?”

“No,” he said again, though not in response to her question. He looked at George again. “If you’re right,” he said, “it will be that Dance.”

“George,” Agnes said. “ What is this about?”

“I don’t think that Mary’s death was an accident,” he said.

“No,” she said. “ I’ve been thinking that too. I don’t see how it could have been.” It was the last response they could have expected. She seemed so unworldly, almost simple. “ But we will accuse nobody, Sandy, until we are certain.”

“What made you believe that Mary was pushed?” George asked Agnes.

“She had never fallen in her life. And then there was something else. She liked to eat. Especially cakes and biscuits. If she had meant to run away to make a fuss, she would have waited until after the interval.”

“You said nothing to me,” Sandy said.

“It meant nothing. What could I prove? You would have said I was foolish.”

“I was worried about the scarf,” George said. “ It should have been on her body. It was found in the old croft by Kell, on Monday morning. Someone was in there on Monday morning when I came down to see the boat off. Did you notice anything when you walked past, Sandy?”

Sandy shook his head.