Part 9 (2/2)

Thanks, Hex, thought Amber.

'OK,' said the officer, scanning the statement. Alex, Paulo and Li sat on the opposite side of the table from him. 'You have speculated that there might be a drugs factory somewhere on the estate, that drugs are being made and smuggled out inside freshly killed deer. Do you have any thoughts on where the factory might be?'

They shook their heads.

'You saw these gamekeepers with carca.s.ses full of small white objects. When you asked the gamekeepers what they were they said they were bits of polystyrene packing material. Is that right?'

Paulo realized how lame the story sounded. They'd decided not to mention that Tiff had taken the pills. There was no proof that that was where she'd got them. Without the evidence, there was nothing to it. 'Yes,' said Paulo.

'I've been on shoots before,' said Alex. 'No one packs carca.s.ses with polystyrene to make them look pretty.'

The officer shrugged. 'It's a top-flight luxury establishment. I've had tea up there and they put a doily between the cup and the saucer.' He continued to read from the statement. 'You think there is smuggling going on. You saw two gamekeepers, who you cannot identify, loading carca.s.ses into a boat off the Kyle of Tongue. Then you saw a carca.s.s washed up in a cave on Rowan Island.'

'That's right,' said Li. She looked at Paulo. This wasn't going well.

'It doesn't sound like much, does it?' said Alex.

The officer looked at the statement. 'On the face of it, no. But we'd always rather people came to us with suspicions of any sort it's our job to find out whether they're founded on fact or not. We'll send an officer up to talk to the laird. From what you've said, there might be a bit of minor poaching going on. But I doubt there's any drug running. We will of course ask to see the packing material but I doubt it's anything to worry about. The laird's a prominent figure in the community he just funded a new computer wing for the local school. Minor members of royalty come on his shoots. I very much doubt he's up to anything.' He turned the statement round and indicated a s.p.a.ce at the bottom with his pen. 'If you'd just like to read it and sign here.'

Hex looked up as Paulo, Alex and Li came into the kitchen.

'Hex, have you found anything?' asked Alex. He pulled out a chair at the wooden table and sat down opposite him.

As soon as they left the police station Alex had texted Hex and asked him to find whatever information he could about Frank Allen, the laird.

'Well,' said Hex, 'our laird is more barrow boy than Barrow-in-Furness.'

'What do you mean?' said Li.

'He's not Scottish. He's from the East End of London and he inherited a lot of money from his father a few years ago, which seems to be when he started the lodge. A number of the Sunday papers have done profiles of him. Before he arrived, Glaickvullin village was tiny, like Tongue. He moved in and did up the castle. First builders came, then farmhands and mechanics. Then, once it was up and running, it was chefs, waitresses, gamekeepers, cleaners, bookkeepers. New shops opened. The local school reopened and he built a computer wing. They were about to close the doctor's surgery as there weren't enough people in the village to make it worthwhile. Now there's a mini hospital there. He's practically reinvented Glaickvullin.'

Paulo sat down at the table and put his head in his hands. 'No wonder the police don't believe us. He's the local patron saint. Alex, you saw him. What was he like?'

Alex shrugged. 'Not really a country person. Didn't fit. But that's about all I noticed.'

'I wonder where he got all his money?' said Li. 'Does it say?'

'Property, it seems,' replied Hex, typing.

Paulo checked his watch and got up. 'Time for someone to relieve Amber. How's the patient?'

'Talkative,' said Hex. 'You'll see.'

Paulo went out and closed the door.

'We need evidence,' said Li. 'How do we get that?'

Alex spoke quietly. 'There are two places where we've seen strange things, the bothy and the moor. We go and do some surveillance. We take the camera. Those guys must be leaving some evidence of what they are really up to, and we're going to find it. Hex, can you find out any more about our laird and his employees?'

'Just on that now,' smiled Hex. He hit SEND SEND. Finally he'd found something he wanted to e-mail ScaryHarry about.

'Our guys operate at night,' said Li. 'We could go out after supper.'

Amber came back into the room and clapped Hex on the back. 'You've made a real friend there, honey.'

Hex looked round in horror. 'Have I?'

'Oh yes,' said Amber. She looked at Li and Alex. 'What's the score?'

14.

SURVEILLANCE.

Hex showed Li the grid reference on his GPS. 'Here's where you saw the six-wheelers.'

Li nodded.

It was dark. There was no moon. A chilly wind blew across the open moor. Ever since the rain it had been a lot colder. They were glad of their black fleeces and balaclavas. They had smeared camouflage cream on their faces, necks and wrists so that they could blend seamlessly into the landscape.

Li swept her torch around the area. 'Where are we going to lay up?'

Hex's torch found a wiggly trench in the ground. A dry stream bed. 'Perfect,' he said, and vaulted in.

He vaulted straight back out.

'What's wrong?'

'It's full of freezing water,' he groaned. 'I'd forgotten about all that rain.'

Li jumped in. The water lapped over her boots. She knelt down and shuddered. 'Let's hope we don't have to wait for long.'

Hex slipped in again, grumbled and ducked down. It was unpleasant but it was good cover. They could see in all directions and if headlights came along they could stay out of sight.

Li shook herself, trying to get warm. 'Of course, they may not come here again.'

'They'd better come,' s.h.i.+vered Hex.

A light burned in the window of the bothy down below, so that it looked like a tiny lantern. Amber and Alex lay on their stomachs watching it, camouflaged like Li and Hex.

Amber was checking the map. 'Is that it?' There was always a chance they'd got the wrong bothy in the dark.

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