There were no such smiles from the two detectives. Macleod was the first to bounce back. ‘You’re not showing a lot of respect for officers of the law, Mr McCulloch.’

‘Ye get what ye’re due, son. Nae mair, nae less.’

‘I hope you’re not getting ideas about pursuing any sort of private citizen’s inquiry,’ Coull said, with cheeks flushed the colour of cheap wine. ‘The police take a very dim view of that kind of thing.’

‘Then ye’d best stay oot ma road,’ Boonzie grated. ‘There’s nae room for amateurs in this kind of business.’

‘You’re warned, McCulloch!’ Macleod stood up aggressively from his chair. He was four inches taller and considerably wider than Boonzie, and was all hard-eyed and tensed up like a silverback gorilla ready to attack. It was a display of intimidation most men would have shrunk away from, but Boonzie did not shrink away. He stared at Macleod, calm and cold, and kept staring until the cop seemed to deflate and sat down again without another word.

At which point, the discussion was over. ‘I’m sorry, lassie,’ Boonzie said to Grace, and walked out of the room.

Chapter 9

Grace caught up with him again in a quiet corridor as he made his way back towards the station reception. Boonzie said, ‘I suppose ye’re gonnae give me a hard time for what happened in there.’

She shook her head, more in disbelief than in disagreement, and despite all the sadness of the moment he saw the same twinkle of mirth on her face as she’d tried to mask in the interview room. ‘Honestly, Mr McCulloch. What a way to speak to my superiors. Big fat arse and wee scrawny arse?’

‘Didnae take it too well, did they?’

‘You tell it like you see it, that’s for sure.’

‘Is there any other way?’

‘What was all that stuff about a salmon poacher? I didn’t understand.’

Boonzie was often slow to trust people, but he got a good feeling about Grace Kirk. He briefly ran through what Ewan had told him about the strange phone call he’d received the evening of Ross’s funeral.

‘Do you think it’s true?’ she asked, deeply perplexed.

‘Ewan’s nae liar.’

‘But was the poacher telling the truth? What if it was just a stupid hoax? Some idiot calling to stir things up?’

‘I dinnae think so. Ewan thought he knew him.’

Grace stared at Boonzie. ‘Knew him? From where? Who is this person?’

‘Ewan couldnae place the name,’ Boonzie said. ‘All we know is, the poacher is someone with a secret. Who needed tae get it off his chest and warn Ewan tae watch his back.’

She shook her head in disbelief. ‘The whole thing is insane. This is Kinlochardaich. Murders don’t happen here.’

‘Until the day they do,’ Boonzie replied.

‘And what’s with the gold coins? I didn’t understand that part either.’