‘We’ll come back tomorrow, at first light,’ Rhona said. ‘Look for where the footprints came from.’

The area Blaze had brought them to was apparently the only location that held the victim’s scent. After leading them there, the collie had spread his search far and wide, but nowhere else had elicited the same excitement.

‘Our victim must have flown over the edge,’ Chrissy said, exasperated, as leaving the site in Sergeant Duns’s capable hands, they’d begun their trudge back to the car park. ‘Or maybe he was carried there?’

That thought had been also in Rhona’s mind, but it was a thought only, not a conclusion.

‘Maybe Blaze missed the trail near the edge,’ she said. ‘The rock’s exposed there and the rain and snow could have diminished any scent he left behind.’

As if in response to such thoughts, a sleet shower decided to accompany them to the car park, where they discovered that the burger van had shut up shop, much to Chrissy’s dismay.

‘We’ll eat in Portree,’ Rhona promised. ‘Then head back to the cottage, where I’ll no doubt get a check-up call from McNab.’ She gave Chrissy a piercing look. ‘But then you’d know all about those, wouldn’t you?’

‘You were the one who chose to become a hermit on Skye,’ Chrissy told her testily.

Blaze had gone on ahead and was already reunited with his owner.

‘How’d he do?’ Donald said as they came in behind the dog.

‘Very well,’ Rhona said. ‘Thanks for the help.’

Donald nodded, aware that Rhona wasn’t in a position to give out information.

‘We’re going to take another look in the morning.’

‘D’you want Blaze here?’ Donald said.

Rhona thought about it for a second. ‘Yes. If you can spare him.’

Chrissy ruffled the dog’s ears. ‘See, you are taking over my job, and I don’t mind a bit.’

‘You headed back to the Isles?’ Donald asked.

‘For food, definitely.’

‘Maybe see you there later,’ Donald said with a grin.

‘You’ve got a fan,’ Rhona told Chrissy as Donald headed for his own vehicle. ‘And I don’t mean the dog.’

Chrissy threw her a look that suggested such a thing wasn’t a rare occurrence, then spotting Alvis’s tall figure approaching, went to meet him.

They greeted one another with a big hug, the top of Chrissy’s head barely reaching Alvis’s chin.

‘It’s good to see you again, Alvis,’ she said.

‘And you, Chrissy.’

Rhona suddenly remembered the first time she’d observed them together at the jazz club. McNab had seemingly taken umbrage about what he’d regarded as Inspector Alvis Olsen sticking his nose into his investigation, and Rhona had overheard Chrissy explain about McNab’s ‘Byronic’ character traits and how he’d saved her unborn son’s life.