Rory shrugged. ‘Lots of wild theories. Maybe they found her and threw her overboard like the black guy, or she was still alive when the ship was brought into Scapa Flow and she managed to get to shore.’

There was a sudden silence and Rhona wondered if Erling had been kicking his partner below the table.

‘If this stowaway is alive,’ Ava said, ‘she’s in terrible danger.’

‘This is Orkney,’ Rory said. ‘If a girl came off that ship, she would have been spotted by now.’

Magnus shook his head. ‘Orkney’s already full of tourists. There’s a cruise liner docked in Kirkwall, with a thousand folk aboard.’

Picking up on the tense atmosphere, Magnus suggested they all retire to the sitting room for a dram. At this point Ava indicated she wouldn’t as she was the only one to have brought the car.

‘Plus I’d like to be back for Dougie’s sake,’ she said, rising.

With a swift look to Magnus, Rhona indicated she would see Ava to the door, making a joke of the fact she was leaving her alone here, with only the men to talk to.

As Ava donned her jacket, her worried expression prompted Rhona to finally ask her what was wrong. Ava looked as though she might answer, then shook her head. ‘I just have to get back.’

‘Ava okay?’ Erling asked quietly when Rhona rejoined the chatting men.

‘She just wanted to get home for Dougie,’ Rhona said, aware that simply wasn’t true.

49

‘How well do you and Erling know Ava?’ Rhona said as Magnus poured her morning coffee.

‘As a teenager or now?’ he asked with a smile.

‘Both.’

‘Well, I was in love with her aged fourteen. Erling had other crushes. Then we all left the island for university. Erling came back and settled here, whereas I became a regular visitor from Glasgow. Ava, on the other hand, rarely returned. Christmas occasionally. She was always away working on some international story. I take it this is about last night?’

Rhona indicated it was.

‘She and Mark were together both professionally and personally for a long time. That, I think, had ended by the time she came back here in the aftermath of her parents’ death. It looks as though the Orlova investigation has triggered a revival of their partnership, on the work front at least.’ He continued, looking thoughtful. ‘She’s obviously worried about Mark, and now there’s McNab,’ he said. ‘You met with her in Glasgow. Was she different then?’

‘Definitely. Strong, determined to carry on with the investigation. Fearless even.’

‘Dougie gives her a hard time. Heading off without telling her. Then the cattle being attacked.’

‘You think that might have been because of her investigation?’