Hardly scientific, but intriguing nonetheless. If the result came back that the DNA evidence she’d extracted from the bark wasn’t a match for the beach victim, might it still have come from one of the other members of the group, possibly the girl?

Had the group been visiting the assault course out of hours, having taken drugs and alcohol, the MOD would definitely not be impressed. An injury sustained in such a ‘game’, if treated in a hospital, would have to be reported to the police, and the police were legally obliged to inform the MOD if any serving personnel were involved.

As medics, one assumed they would treat an injury themselves, provided it wasn’t life-threatening.

So wasn’t it perfectly possible they’d done so?

And it might go some way to explaining her own reading of Seven’s state of mind.

It was still dark when she loaded the jeep. She’d refilled the petrol tank before setting off home yesterday, keen not to have to worry about fuel for the next few days at least.

She’d only used the tent once during her sojourn on the island, always preferring to wend her way home after a long walk. This time she packed it, and sufficient supplies to keep her fed and watered for a couple of days.

After that, Seven and her fellow medics would be reporting to the police station prior to leaving the island. Perhaps too the police would have established the identity of the beach victim, maybe even the reason he’d fallen from Kilt Rock. Although deciding whether a fall was induced or accidental was a difficult thing, as Dr Sissons had indicated via his detailed email to McNab.

Her discussion with McNab had convinced Rhona that she should set aside the beach death for the moment and aim to discover what had happened in the woods. Her plan therefore was to try and meet up with Seven and challenge her on what they’d got up to after leaving the Isles bar that night. Perhaps, by doing that, one mystery at least would be solved.

However, to do so would involve another visit to the plantation, and Rhona had no desire to use the overgrown forest path again. Approaching the camp the way she’d exited with Alvis was, she decided, the safer alternative.

The heavy rain of the previous evening had settled into a light drizzle which involved using the wipers to periodically scrape at the windscreen. Irritating as this was, Rhona consoled herself with the thought that walking in drizzle would be better than in torrential rain.

It took the statutory hour to reach Portree. Approaching the scattering of wooden buildings on the outskirts that constituted A.C.E Target Sports, Rhona noted all were in darkness, including Donald’s place, which gave her an excuse not to text Chrissy, just yet.