Maxie interrupted. "Objection, my lord. If the Lord Advocate has a question for the witness, he should ask it, and not use this as an opportunity to practice his closing remarks."

"Agreed. Get on with it, sir."

But the prosecutor had nothing to add, for how does one prove or disprove a legend in a court of law?

Max Rael was about to show us.

"Call to the stand, Mr. Calum Forrest of Invermoriston."

A tall, thin Scotsman in his late sixties took the stand and was sworn in.

"Mr. Forrest, what is your present occupation?"

"Head water bailiff o' Loch Ness."

"And how long have you held this position?"

"Ten years an' two months, but I wis assistant bailiff for seventeen years prior."

Max retreated to his table and removed a document from a manila folder. "Mr. Forrest, would you explain to the High Court the contents of this document."

Calum Forrest took a quick glance. "It's the accident report I supplied ye wi' several weeks ago."

"The accident report of Loch Ness?"

"Aye."

Max handed the document to the witness. "My lord, we'd like this document marked Defense Exhibit A."

"So be it."

"Mr. Forrest, how many drownings were there at Loch Ness last year, and feel free to use the report as a reference."

"Last year? Nine."

"And the year before?"

"Five."

"And the year prior?"

"Six."

"And if you were to estimate an average year of drownings at Loch Ness over the last two decades, excluding the past nine months?"

"Be aboot the same I'd say, roond aboot half a dozen."

"In your opinion as water bailiff, why do so many people drown at Loch Ness?"

"Well, the Ness is vast, o' course, an' she's cold… real cold. A lot o' tourists dinnae realize jist how cold she is 'til their boat tips an' in they go. Only takes aboot a minute or two of exposure before the whole body starts shuttin' doon."

"And what might cause a boat to tip?"

"Could be lots o' things. The Great Glen's like a giant wind tunnel, sometimes blowin' waves mair than two tae three meters high. If ye get in trouble oot there, there's no' many places tae dock. Plus ye get yer usual crazies overdoin' it wi' the alcohol, that makes for lots o' problems."

"Do you usually recover the victims' bodies?"

"Almost never. The extreme cold an' high peat content sink almost everythin' like a rock, an' that's a long way doon. If ye ever drained Loch Ness, ye'd probably find hundreds o' skeletons stuck in the bog."

"So, prior to this year, Loch Ness averages about a half dozen drownings each season."

"Now tell us how many drownings have been reported so far this calendar year."

"Seventeen."

I felt my scalp crawl as the courtroom buzzed again.

"Seventeen drownings? Seventeen you say?"

"Aye, an' tourist season's no' even in full swing."

"Why the sudden change, Bailiff Forrest?"

"Wish I kent why."

"And no bodies?"