Soon after, the iron Ballachulish Bridge carried them across the narrows of Loch Leven. From there, the gently undulating highway hugged the shores of Loch Linnhe, miles of white-capped forest on one side of the road and the slate-grey waters on the other, all the way north to Fort William. The winter traffic was ponderous but steady. Ben had been closely watching the clock throughout the journey, and to his relief they were still an hour ahead of schedule as they approached Kinlochardaich.

Grace asked, ‘Okay, so what’s the plan?’

‘Show me the way to the sanatorium. I’ll drop you off there, then come back to the village. All being well, next time I see you I’ll have Stuart with me.’

‘You must be nuts if you think I’m hanging around in a spooky old building by myself for over an hour.’

‘I thought you didn’t believe in all that ghostly crap.’

‘And I’m totally famished. Couldn’t we grab a bite of breakfast first?’

‘Hell of a late breakfast,’ Ben said.

‘Call it an early lunch, then.’

‘There isn’t time.’

‘Come on. Twenty minutes, tops. We can afford it. After all that hiking in the freezing cold this morning, what I wouldn’t do for something warm and filling.’

‘More soya meat-surrogate with yesterday’s limp salad?’

‘I was actually thinking of whizzing us up a plate of bacon, eggs and beans. You look like you could do with it yourself.’

Ben had to admit it sounded good. ‘I think we can make time for that.’

‘My place, then. I’ve got all the necessaries in my wee kitchen.’

He shook his head. ‘No chance. After what happened last night, it’s a bad idea for either of us to go back there in case they’ve got more people waiting for us. Whereas nobody knows about the Gunn cottage.’

‘Your place, then. Except that it’ll be like an icebox in there. You drop me off, and I’ll get the fire lit and everything ready in two shakes of a lamb’s tail while you swing by the village store and pick up the food. Okay?’

The joys of domestic living. Too tired to argue with her, Ben shrugged again and said, ‘Whatever. Fine by me.’

And so it was decided. Ben pulled up outside the cottage long enough for Grace to hop out and catch the key that he tossed her. She gave him the crooked smile and said, ‘See you in a minute, babes. Don’t forget the cooking oil.’