Sergeant MacDonald went quiet for a moment, before saying, ‘I used to work in Edinburgh before coming here fifteen years ago. Policing has to match the people we work with. You wouldn’t want me to come to Glasgow and work as though I was on Skye, would you?’

McNab didn’t answer, despite being prodded, so Janice did. ‘You’re the SIO on this, Sergeant, we’ll take your advice, of course.’

There was a minute’s tense silence until Sergeant MacDonald broke it with a question directed at McNab. ‘I understand you’re here primarily to locate one of the male medics currently somewhere on the island, Detective Sergeant? To do with the Sandman case?’

‘A case we suspect may also involve Watson,’ McNab said.

‘Well, Dr MacLeod has been leading the interest in the soldier group since she first found evidence of a possible crime scene in the woods behind A.C.E Target Sports. So she’s the authority on that.’

The car drew into a small square and parked alongside the police station.

‘The district court’s next door, so that’s handy, although there are plenty visits north to Inverness court, which is a fair drive away. Distance is everything here on Skye. Folk think because it’s an island, it must be small. It isn’t, so a lot of time is spent in getting to wherever we’re required. Rhona’s discovered that. It’s an hour between her cottage and Portree, which is why she’s been staying in town recently.’

McNab found he didn’t want to be told about Rhona’s sleeping arrangements, so interrupted. ‘What about Inspector Olsen?’

‘Alvis is on Raasay at present, our neighbouring island, although I believe he intends coming back here before heading home to Norway.’

Olsen had kept McNab posted on Rhona, including reporting the scene of her meltdown in the plantation, which he knew the sergeant was also aware of. McNab realized things would have to change now that he was here himself, having no wish to discuss Rhona’s state of mind with either of them now that he could speak to her in person.

At the thought of seeing Rhona again, his heart lifted, but, he reminded himself, he would have to watch his step when he met her. Both for her sake and his own. The last time they’d seen one another in person had been an emotional one, although travelling here on the Harley had been infinitely preferable to coming by car.

In a car there would have been an empty silence between them for hours, full of all the things neither of them wanted to say, or even remember.

As it was, on the bike, they could concentrate on the road and the surroundings. McNab had never been so enamoured by scenery before. He’d even stopped to take photographs, for God’s sake.

And that had made her laugh.