‘Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen, what is it with all the fey stuff?’

Rhona knew McNab didn’t want an answer so didn’t give him one. Instead she asked, ‘Why did you choose to come with me? You could have spoken to Jamie and talked to him about the circumstances he found the body in. Plus you could have watched zone footage being taken of possible places the medics may have gone.’

This time it was McNab who didn’t answer her question. Instead, pointing ahead, he asked if the island now visible at the end of the loch was Raasay where Alvis was.

Surprised by this, Rhona said yes.

‘You were involved with something out there, before I came on the scene?’

‘I was.’

‘Why would Alvis go there?’

‘Dun Caan, probably,’ Rhona said.

‘Duncan who?’

‘The flat-topped mountain. He’ll be climbing it.’

McNab made a face that suggested, Why the fuck would he want to do that?

‘For the same reason you ride a Harley,’ Rhona answered the unasked question.

‘To get his rocks off, you mean?’ McNab said with a grin. ‘Come on, you have to admit it, Dr MacLeod, riding pillion with me on a Harley through the Highlands is way better than climbing a fucking mountain in the freezing cold.’

His declaration followed by Rhona’s laugh seemed to clear the air.

McNab relaxed now into his seat and, reviewing the interchange, Rhona decided he’d been gauging her state of mind, rather than choosing to ask her outright.

And it seemed he was now reasonably reassured by her response.

She drew into the car park, carefully avoiding a wayward sheep standing just outside the pillared entrance to the hospital grounds, gazing at what looked like better grass available on the other side of the wall.

‘They know we’re coming. Lee called ahead,’ she said as McNab gave the sheep a wide berth in order to follow her.

‘What’s with all the first-name stuff?’ McNab said. ‘You always refer to me as McNab.’

‘I use your first name, Michael, when you’ve pissed me off,’ Rhona reminded him as they entered and made for the reception desk.

Rhona introduced herself, adding, ‘And this is Detective Sergeant McNab. Sergeant MacDonald said we would be coming to view the body the MRT brought down from the hill last night?’

‘Oh yes,’ the woman said in the musical lilt of a native. She gave them directions to the mortuary. ‘Are you okay to find your own way there? Or will I get Kirsty to take you?’ She indicated a dark-haired girl seated in front of a computer.

‘We can manage,’ Rhona assured her.

‘Duncan’s on duty down there. He’ll give you every assistance we can, although we’re not equipped for a police-led post-mortem.’

‘I understand, thank you.’

As they went through the swing doors, McNab said, ‘I thought you told me Duncan was a mountain?’