‘I didn’t sleep very well with . . .’ She stumbled to a halt, not wishing to say the words ‘Greg’ and ‘arrest’ in the same sentence.

‘No wonder. But you’ve talked to him this morning? He wanted you to be the person he called.’

‘I did,’ Joanne said.

‘You’ll be wanting some tea, with a drop of sugar. Good for shock, and this has been a shock and no mistake,’ Kath said before heading for the kitchen.

The familiar comfort and scent of the room eased her thoughts. Kath believed in Greg, as did Malcolm. As do I, she reminded herself.

Once the tea was served, together with fresh scones, which Joanne found she could eat, she explained why she’d come.

Kath shook her head at Joanne’s recounting of Caroline’s visit. When it came to the threat that Joanne should leave, she was openly angry.

‘I’ll have a word with her,’ she said. ‘And don’t even think of leaving. You need to be here when they let Greg go.’

‘But what if Caroline withdraws her alibi because of me?’

‘Then I’ll testify to the fact that she did that out of spite, because Greg’s with you now and not her. We all remember her story from the last time.’

Joanne wasn’t sure that would work, but didn’t say so.

‘What about you up there at Beanach, all on your own? You’re welcome to stay here or there’s a room for you at the Blackrig Arms, until they let him go.’

‘I looked it up,’ Joanne said. ‘They can hold him for twentyfour hours, then they have to let him go if they don’t have enough evidence to charge him.’

‘So,’ Kath glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, ‘he should be back by late tonight.’

‘How will he get back?’ Joanne asked.

‘Malcolm will pick him up.’

Joanne wondered what would happen if they didn’t release him. If they believed they had enough evidence to charge him and remanded him in prison somewhere, either in Inverness or maybe Glasgow until his trial.

Kath had been silent for a moment. Now she said, ‘The police arrested Josh Huntly this morning and took him to Inverness.’

‘Josh?’ Joanne said in surprise. ‘What for?’

‘No one seems to know for sure.’ She looked worried by that.

‘Were Josh and Ailsa a thing?’

Kath shrugged. ‘That I can’t say for certain. She hung out with Josh and his gang on occasion. They were better company than her Glasgow camping chums.’

‘Camping?’

‘Up near the lochside. Lord Main allowed wild camping up there for a while. The new owners stopped it.’

‘And Ailsa used to go up there?’

Kath nodded. ‘There was bad feeling in Blackrig about the campers. Folk said they brought in drugs from Glasgow.’ Her expression darkened. ‘Some said that Ailsa sold the drugs to the local kids for profit.’

‘You knew her. Did you believe that?’