by S L Beaumont
“Do you want to go and say hello?” she said.
I shook my head. “Not right now.” I shivered. “It’s cold, let’s get inside and get the fire on.”
I started towards the door as a voice called my name. I turned to see Mr. Gordon hurrying along the driveway towards us. I smiled and went to meet him. “Hello, how are you?”
“Much better than you’ve been, my dear,” he said. “Who would’ve believed that of Ewan Campbell?” He shook his head. “Now, we emptied out your fridge and kept an eye on things as you asked.” He handed me several letters. “These came for you too.”
“Thank you,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze. “I didn’t want to come back to rotten food. How have you been?”
“Good, there’s been much excitement here,” he said. “The village has been crawling with police.”
“I can imagine. Tell Mrs. Gordon that I’ll be down for a cuppa tomorrow.”
“Will do.” He raised his hand in a wave to my friends and headed back to his cottage.
I watched him for a few seconds before turning towards my little house. I unlocked the door and showed my guests inside.
“The tour takes all of ten seconds,” I said, tossing the post on the table. “Kitchen, bathroom, lounge and bedroom.”
“Ooh, this is cute,” Rachel said, dropping her handbag on the sofa. “It’s like one of those tiny houses that you see on the Internet.”
I shrugged and crouched down in front of the fireplace. Someone, Mr. Gordon I presumed, had emptied the ashes and reset the hearth with kindling and paper. I struck a match and watched the paper catch hold and the flames dance. After a few moments the kindling caught, so I added a few pine cones from the basket beside the fire.
“Do you need more wood brought in, Jess?” Dave asked.
“Actually, that would be great. There’s a little covered area beside the shed which is full of wood. Take the basket,” I said, standing and handing the empty wood basket to him.
“Shall I make coffee?” Rachel asked.
“Great idea,” I said, following Dave to the door. “I’ll just get the groceries from the car.”
“I’ll help,” Marie said, following me outside.
Half an hour later, we were gathered around the fire cradling cups of coffee and devouring the tin of homemade shortbread biscuits that Mum had sent with us.
“So this is where you were hiding,” Dave said, looking around.
I nodded. “Yeah, I was trying to find out what happened to make Colin do what he did and this seemed like as good a place as any to start.”
Marie sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning against Jimmy’s legs. His hand rested on her shoulder. Things had progressed there in my absence. I shot her an enquiring look, which she chose to ignore. “And did you find out?” she asked instead.
“Yeah, but it was far more complicated than I had assumed.”
“In what way?”
“Well, I thought an event must have driven him when he was in his twenties, but I’ve come to the conclusion that he became fanatical when he was a teenager, and he’d learned or been taught to hide it well,” I said.
“And that’s where this Ewan Campbell comes into the equation?” Dave said.
“Yeah, he got him at a vulnerable time and brainwashed him with his extreme political views.”
“Which was independence for Scotland at any cost,” Rachel said. I nodded.
“So when Colin went away for those fishing and golfing weekends, he was actually visiting Ewan?” Marie said.
“Yeah, I never understood the attraction to the area until I discovered that his mother Catriona lived and died in the village. This was her cottage. Catriona was poor, orphaned at sixteen and pregnant by seventeen.”
“But why the secrecy?”
“I think because Ewan Campbell’s parents were old school and didn’t approve of his relationship with Catriona and refused to acknowledge Colin as their grandson. When they died Ewan was free to marry Catriona, but she’d tired of his revolutionary zeal and was concerned about some of his shady business dealings. It seems she wanted Colin away from his influence. I think Ewan all but drove her off the road and over a cliff near here on the night she died.”
Rachel gasped. “That’s awful.”
“Ewan was playing a long game. He saw himself in the role of king maker, with his son as the head of an independent Scotland. I think he loved Catriona, but he couldn’t allow her to take his son away from his control. After Colin was adopted, he spent most of his school holidays in Strathgarvan, apparently staying with the old couple at the end of the driveway, although I’m not sure about that now. I think he probably stayed out on the island.”
“Why didn’t he just live with Ewan after she died?” Marie asked.
“I’m not entirely sure, but I think it was simply that Ewan didn’t actually want to bring up a child. He just wanted a young man ready for him to mold. He ensured through Colin’s adoption process that he still had control, but could remain hidden in the shadows in the background. Colin never really felt like he fitted in to his adoptive parents’ world, and I think he was impressed by Ewan’s wealth. Ewan convinced him that he was destined for greatness if he stuck with him. Colin was desperate for his father’s love and attention and believed every word the man uttered. By the time Ewan finally revealed his plans, Colin was already converted. That’s my take on it, anyway.”
“I read in the newspaper that Ewan was funding his terrorist network by arms dealing through a weapons manufacturer that he largely owned,” Jimmy said.
“Yeah, it took me a while to unravel that one. The companies that he and Colin owned had bought small shareholdings that together meant they had a controlling interest in Mendelson, the weapons company. Ewan had guns manufactured off the books which he sold and transported using Colin’s freight business to contacts in the Middle East. The sales funded Ewan’s version of a Scottish Republican Army.”
“So they were behind the London bombings?” Marie said.
“Yeah, in Ewan’s twisted mind, he thought the use of terror would force the British government to grant independence to Scotland. In the wake of the Brexit vote, Ewan assumed that the Scottish people would be supportive of independence, if it allowed them to stay in Europe. He just had to keep his methods for achieving this out of sight. His ultimate plan for control relied on having his son, a happily married, charming and successful young Scottish businessman ready to lead the newly independent nation.”
“Unbelievable.” Rachel shook her head.
“I know, I was just a pawn in their game with no idea what I’d become involved with,” I said, standing up and gathering everyone’s empty cups. “Anyway, do you want to go for a walk before we think about dinner?”
“Sure,” Jimmy said, jumping up, holding out his hand and pulling Marie to her feet. “Then we’ll head down to the pub and check in.”
I stoked the fire before we pulled on our coats and hats and left the cottage. We stopped beside Buffy’s grave on the way off the property.
“She was such a lovely dog and didn’t deserve to die like that,” I said, my voice catching. Marie put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
“He really was a bastard, that husband of yours,” Jimmy said.
I smiled at his candor. “Yeah, I sure know how to pick ’em.”
“Speaking of which, have you seen Will?” he asked.
“Jimmy,” Marie said, letting me go and frowning at him.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Yes, Jim, I’ve seen Charlie. I sat by his bedside for two weeks until he regained consciousness. But will I see him again? No.”
“Not even after he saved your life?” Marie asked.
“No, he was just doing his job.”
“You sure about that?” she asked.
“Very.” I turned away.
“I still can’t believe that you two were at it and we had no idea,” Jimmy added. “I’m usually quite good at picking u
p on those things.”
“Jimmy,” Marie and Rachel said at the same time.
“What?” He spread his hands in confusion. “Just sayin’.”
I laughed. “I have missed you guys. I’ll be sure to give you an extra big hint next time I’m seeing someone, Jim. Now, follow me, we’ll get a really good view of the island and the castle from the top of the ridge.”
We trudged across the fields to the edge of the cliff. It was late afternoon and the lights were beginning to come on in some of the cottages down in the village and along the edge of the harbor. Spotlights cast shadows on the castle ruin on the hill, majestic in its position overlooking the village and the coast. But it was Campbell Island that had everyone’s attention.
“Can we go out to the island tomorrow?” Dave asked.
I shook my head. “No, it’s still off limits. The authorities are busy processing the house and grounds. Will be for weeks, I’m told, and the lighthouse needs repairing before it’s safe for anyone to visit.”
I shivered as I looked out at the red and white striped tower on the far edge of the island, its light still flashing at regular intervals, as though undisturbed by recent events. The image of Colin tossing Will’s body into the sea flashed across my vision, but I pushed it aside.
“We can visit Strathgarvan Castle tomorrow, though,” I said. “The view along the coast from up there is spectacular.”
We walked down into the village and followed the footpath around the edge of the harbor where I counted fifteen fishing boats tied up to buoys.
“There’s not usually that many boats in the harbor, I wonder if the fleet has been grounded given recent events,” I said.
“It’s possible,” Dave agreed. “Your old neighbor did say that the village had been crawling with cops.”
I showed my friends the gorgeous old church where Colin’s mother and grandparents were buried, before we returned to my cottage and piled into Jimmy’s car to head down to the pub. The pub was full for a Saturday night. I peered in through the front window, all of a sudden feeling a little nervous. I must have hesitated, because Marie took my arm.
“It’ll be fine,” she said. “You’re with us.”
Rachel pushed through the door and strode towards the bar. I started to follow and then froze. It was as though someone had turned the volume switch to mute. You could have heard a pin drop in the room. Forty pairs of eyes stared at me. I fought the urge to turn and run, and instead lifted my head to look over at the long wooden bar. Alastair’s eyes met mine and he put down the pint he was pulling.
“Jess,” he said, rushing out from behind the bar and charging towards me.
Dave and Jimmy flanked me, ready to step in if necessary, but Alastair scooped me into a bear hug, lifting me off the ground.
“Ah, lass, you’re alright,” he said, putting me down and holding me away from him with his hands on my shoulders as though he was checking that I was in one piece. “Come on, what are ya having?” He slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me towards the bar, giving my friends a flick of his head to indicate that they should follow.
I saw Jimmy and Dave exchange an uncertain glance before they too headed to the bar. Conversation resumed, but much less animated than before. People kept giving us surreptitious glances. I introduced my friends to Alastair as he took our drinks order. He shooed a couple of locals away from a table in the front window, so that we could all sit. He refused to accept payment, and a couple of minutes later he arrived at the table with our drinks balanced on a tray. He set the tray down and pulled a chair across from a neighboring table and sat with us.
“Jess, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what else to say. I never dreamed that Colin would try to hurt you.”
“Did you know that he was alive?”
Alastair hung his head. “Yeah, Ewan made us promise not to tell a soul.”
“You could have told me.”
“I know, I nearly did several times, but you hated him so much, that I didn’t think it would do any good.”
“Did you know what Ewan was up to?” Marie asked.
“You sound like the police,” he said, giving her a wry grin. He ran his hand through his shaggy hair. “I have never answered so many questions in me life as I have over the last couple of weeks.”
“But did you know?” I prompted.
“Bits and pieces. I mean, I knew that he was hiding Colin when everyone thought he was dead. And you couldn’t help but notice that things were being transported on and off the island at odd times. I suspected that he might have been building an army of sorts out there, but he was always rather secretive, so who knew what he was really up to?”
“Why didn’t you say anything? Go to the police?”
“The police?” Alastair looked at me as though I was stupid. “Constable Jones and his father before him were on the Laird’s payroll. Many around here were in one way or another. He owned most of the fishing boats, the farms, this pub...”
“So he bought everyone’s silence,” I said.
“Not so much silence, just that we looked the other way when things happened that we didn’t understand,” he said.
“So do you believe in an independent Scotland at any price?” I asked.
Alastair looked weary as he shook his head. “Not at any price. Back when I was young and foolish, we were all part of The Unit, part of the group in that photo you showed me. I believed revolution was the only way, but not as I grew older. Y’know, Ewan had us doing military training exercises out on the island. Several of those boys are now well placed in the Royal Regiment of Scotland.”
“Like sleeper agents waiting to be activated,” Dave said.
Alastair shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think we all grew to realize that Ewan’s views were extreme.”
“Except for Colin. Why did he continue to buy into Ewan’s fanaticism, when the rest of you grew out of it?” I asked.
“Because he was the heir apparent, he wholeheartedly believed in what the Laird was doing. I’m so sorry that you got caught up in it all.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “Were you told to keep an eye on me?”
Alastair’s head dropped again. “Yeah, they wanted to know what you were up to. Neither of them wanted you here. Colin thought when he killed your dog that you’d run back to Edinburgh.”
I gulped. “Did you know it was him?”
“I suspected as much when Harry called me that day. I’m sorry, Jess, I didn’t think that he was quite that unhinged. He certainly had anger issues, but I didn’t think he’d do that.”
“Well, he tried to do a lot worse to me out on the island. I don’t think I was ever supposed to leave there alive.”
Alastair gave my arm a squeeze. “With what I know now, I don’t think you were either.”
Marie muttered under her breath.
“Did you tell them that I was going to visit Douglas?” I said.
He shook his head. “I didn’t know that you were.” He paused. “So it’s true then, Douglas didn’t do it himself.”
“No, he definitely had help.”
“God.” Alastair looked distraught. “Why?”
“He was about to give me proof that Ewan was Colin’s father and I’m not sure what else, but something that Ewan didn’t want anyone knowing about. There were photos strewn everywhere when I found him.”
“Douglas was quite the photographer, so perhaps he snapped something that he shouldn’t have.”
“I think so, but I guess we’ll never know. Ewan is denying any involvement in that death. And Jones ensured that any evidence was compromised.”
“What about your father, Jess?” Dave asked. “Didn’t Ewan confess to having him killed?”
“Yeah, that night on the island he told me that he’d arranged it, but as for the two men who carried it out, they’ve disappeared. The truck from the security photos that Dad’s assistant tracked down, was found in a shed on one of Ewan’s properties last w
eek. I don’t know if they’ll ever be caught.”
“Jess, that’s awful.” Rachel put her arm around me.
“At least we know what happened now. The day before he died Dad must have found something. I know he visited the newspaper archive in Edinburgh that day, but he made the mistake of telephoning Ewan to confront him. The police have now looked into his phone records which show that they had a ten-minute conversation. It appears that they’d arranged to meet the following day. Dad’s online calendar had the afternoon after he died blocked out with Ewan’s number as the reference. But Ewan ensured that meeting would never happen.”
“I knew he wasn’t squeaky clean, but murder.” Alastair shook his head and rose.
“You can’t help feeling a bit sorry for him,” Jimmy said, watching him walk back behind the bar and start serving his next customer.
Rachel snorted. “He’s right to feel guilty. It’s the likes of him, turning a blind eye that allows evil people to operate in the shadows and get away with awful things.”
“The problem is the whole village is guilty on some level,” I said.
Epilogue
June 15
I hugged my mother goodbye in the hallway of her house in Edinburgh.
“It’s just for a few weeks, Mum. I’ll be back before you know it,” I said.
Mum sighed and cupped my cheek. “I know, but I’m worried that you’re not ready.”
“It’s been two months, Mum, my wounds have all healed. I need to get away, somewhere hot and sunny, and give myself the space to work out what happens next.”
“I know you do. I just wish you were taking Marie or someone, with you.”
“It’s okay, Mum. It’s all over now. Colin is definitely dead and Ewan is facing so many charges, that even if they only manage to make a quarter of them stick, he won’t be out of prison in his lifetime.”
“What about Charlie?”
“What about Charlie?” I replied.
“He’s called every day for the past two weeks and you’ve refused to speak to him.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but she held up her hand and continued. “I saw how you were at the hospital. You were at his bedside every day until he regained consciousness.”
