‘Not right?’ Patrick spoke through clenched teeth. ‘What’s not right is that a witch lives.’ Understanding he had to alter the mood and fast, Patrick stood with his back to the fire and waited until they all looked to him again. ‘We’ve done no wrong here, lads. Understand this. The townsfolk could no longer abide having a witch in their midst and sought to take justice into their own hands. The justice they were denied by Edinburgh.’

Angus nodded vigorously. Patrick gave a cold smile.

‘That might be,’ said William Bell. ‘But Edinburgh are hardly going to be happy that two accused witches have now died in Pittenweem and under our watch. They’ll blame us.’

‘They cannot. We’d naught to do with what happened tonight. Naught.’ When the men turned away from him, Patrick adopted a different tone. ‘Think about it. The woman escaped from prison. We tasked men to find her. In the process of returning her to her cell, she escaped again and the townsfolk, terrified a witch was on the loose, acted. Where were we when they snatched the woman? Where were we when they decided to lynch her? Hmmm? We were in your house, Robert.’ He thrust his finger towards Bailie Cook. ‘Your house. Eating a meal, being served by your patient wife and lovely daughters. We had no idea what was happening.’

‘That’s not entirely true. Why you left and —’ began Robert Cook.

‘True?’ snapped the reverend. ‘What’s true is that we were deserted by the authorities in our hour of need. When we pleaded with them for our safety, demanded they protect us from malfeasance, what did they do? I’ll remind you: they released those who were tormenting us, threatening our way of life, our very souls, back into the community.’

Silence.

‘Did you tie a rope around Janet Cornfoot and throw her into the sea?’ Patrick asked William Bell softly.

‘Nae,’ said William swiftly, shaking his head.

‘And what about you, Robert Cleiland? Did you beat her and kick her and drag her about the streets?’

‘Not me.’

‘And you, Robert Cook. Did you call for a door to be thrown upon her and for your neighbours to leap upon it?’

‘You ken well I didn’t, reverend.’

‘Aye,’ said Patrick, his voice rising. ‘There you have it. When Edinburgh questions us, we’ll tell them the truth. That we had naught to do with tonight’s events. We were ignorant of what was happening until such time as the guards alerted us. When they did, we sent for soldiers to break up the swarm and see to the witch’s safety. Is that not so?’

It was some time before the men answered. ‘Agreed,’ they said, one by one, unable to meet each other’s eyes.

‘Good. Now,’ said Patrick, slapping his thigh and indicating Gerard and Angus. ‘I want you to take me to see the witch’s body. Are the horde still about?’