The Moon Sister

by Lucinda Riley

  ‘Should I go after Zara?’ I asked him.

  ‘No, she just needs some time to cool off. She may not like it, but she’s definitely inherited her mother’s temper.’ Charlie gave a grimace. ‘What a bloody awful mess.’

  ‘Yes, it is,’ I agreed.

  ‘The sad thing is that Kinnaird was essentially destroyed many years before I came into the world. What it actually needs is millions poured into it now to save its beauty for future generations. And whoever wins, neither I nor Fraser have the funds to do what’s necessary.’

  ‘But what about all the grants you’ve applied for, Charlie?’

  ‘Tiggy, I don’t want to sound patronising, but whatever I’d get is a drop in the ocean. As a matter of fact, I spoke to someone from the Scottish National Trust a couple of weeks ago. And if by some miracle, I did manage to hold on to Kinnaird, that might just be the way forward.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Well, I could “gift” it to the nation – in other words, give it to them for nothing, in return for my family remaining on the estate – i.e. here in the Lodge – in perpetuity. It’s quite common for those in my situation to do that. Anyway, it’s really not worth thinking about just now – it could be months if not years before the case grinds its way to court.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, Charlie, I really am. And especially about Ulrika. You must be devastated, under the circumstances.’

  ‘I know how bad it seems and why Zara hates her mother just now, but she – and you – don’t know the whole story. The truth is that I should never have married her in the first place. I was on the rebound from Jessie, and Ulrika was very beautiful and very keen, and yes, a lot of it had to do with lust. When that died and Ulrika saw that while she’d married a laird of the land, in reality I was just an ordinary man earning my living as a doctor, she was very . . .’ Charlie searched for the word. ‘Disappointed.’

  ‘I understand.’ I nodded, thinking how loyal he was, even though I’d had to suppress a shudder when he’d talked about lusting after his wife.

  ‘We married each other for the wrong reasons, and it’s as simple as that,’ Charlie continued. ‘It’s interesting, because even though I should be giving Fraser a good beating for stealing my wife, the irony is that I’m actually relieved. Really, Tiggy, I hope they’ll be happy together, I honestly do. I’ve been waiting for years for her to find someone else.’

  ‘You would never have divorced her?’

  ‘No. That either makes me a coward, or a father who wanted to at least try and give his daughter a stable upbringing. The worst thing about it all is that I know I’ve failed on that score.’

  ‘You did what you thought was right, Charlie, and no one can do more than that.’

  ‘I also know my own faults, Tiggy. When Zara told me to grow some balls, she had a point. I prefer a simple life, with no drama. Sadly, I’ve managed to get the opposite, in my personal life at least.’

  ‘Well, I think it takes enormous strength to do the job you do every day, Charlie.’

  ‘Anyway,’ he sighed, ‘none of this is your problem, Tiggy, and I’m really sorry you’ve become so embroiled in it all.’

  ‘Please don’t apologise. From what you’ve said, none of this is your fault at all. I’m going to go and see if I can find Zara.’ I stood up and so did he.

  He walked towards me and reached for my hand. ‘Thank you for being here for her.’

  At that moment, the door to the Great Room opened and there stood Ulrika, with Fraser lurking behind her.

  ‘So sorry to interrupt your little love nest, Charlie,’ Ulrika said, as she strode over to us. Charlie immediately dropped my hand.

  ‘Tiggy is my friend, Ulrika, as I’ve said over and over again. What do you want?’

  ‘I hear Zara’s up here at Kinnaird. I want to see her. Where is she?’

  ‘She went out to get some air.’

  ‘You’ve told her then?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I thought we’d agreed we’d speak to her together?’

  ‘We did, yes, but I’m afraid she’d realised something was up and demanded to know what.’

  ‘Why didn’t you call me?’ Ulrika’s lovely blue eyes flared with anger. ‘I could have been here in ten minutes, as you well know! Don’t lie to me, Charlie – you wanted to make sure you got your side of the story in first so she’d feel sorry for you!’

  ‘Who do I feel sorry for?’

  We all jumped as Zara’s wan face appeared at the Great Room door. She crossed her arms belligerently. ‘Hello, Mum, hello, Fraser. How nice to see you.’

  ‘Zara, darling, I’m so, so sorry.’ Ulrika crossed to her daughter and tried to take her in her arms, but Zara resisted.

  ‘Leave me alone, Mum! I can’t believe you’ve brought him with you.’

  ‘Hah, that’s just perfect,’ Ulrika snarled, pointing to me, ‘when she is standing there, holding your father’s hand, as bold as brass, in my house. You do know, Zara, that she and your father have been having an affair for months, don’t you?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Ulrika,’ Charlie snapped. He moved in front of me protectively. ‘Tiggy’s done nothing wrong. In fact, both of us should be grateful to her for being there for Zara during all this.’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure she’s an angel and I don’t expect you to admit what you’ve done,’ Ulrika spat. ‘It’s always me that’s the bad guy. Well, this time I just won’t have it!’

  ‘I should go,’ I muttered, feeling my cheeks heating up.

  ‘No, Tiggy, I want you to stay,’ said Zara, walking across to me and taking my hand. ‘Even if Dad and you have been shagging like rabbits forever, I don’t really care!’

  I opened my mouth to protest, but then shut it again as Charlie did the protesting for me.

  ‘Oh for God’s sake! For the last time, Tiggy and I have not been having an affair. Now could we please get out of the nursery and act like the grown-ups we are?’

  ‘He’s lying, Zara,’ Ulrika sighed, ‘but whatever. She’s obviously turned you against me, and after all I’ve done for you, I . . .’ She turned to Fraser, who was yet to add anything to the conversation, and buried her face in his chest. ‘I just want my little girl back,’ she wailed.

  ‘Yeah, right, Mum. The problem is, that your little girl disappeared years ago. I’m an adult now, remember?’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Charlie intervened. ‘Can we all calm down, please. Zara, I’m sure your mum does want to talk to you and explain. Why don’t the rest of us leave you alone for a while?’

  ‘I’m not talking to Mum with him around.’ Zara indicated the silent bulk of Fraser.

  ‘I’ll leave you to it then.’ Fraser nodded at Charlie, dropped his hands from Ulrika’s shoulders and, putting on his hat, turned towards the door. ‘I’ll be outside waiting for you in the car, okay?’

  At that moment, a shaft of sunlight hit him, creating a shadow along the floor. And I saw the very specific shape of his hat outlined on the new carpet that Ulrika had recently had laid.

  Oh my God . . . I muttered internally, staggering a little in shock as Charlie propelled me towards the door.

  ‘Don’t leave the house, will you?’ Zara asked us.

  ‘We’ll be in the kitchen, okay?’ Charlie replied.

  ‘Okay.’

  I watched Fraser march out along the corridor, slamming the back door behind him, then I followed Charlie into the kitchen and shut the door firmly.

  I only realised I’d been holding my breath for ages as I let it out and took in some deep gulps of air.

  ‘You okay, Tiggy? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’ Charlie switched the kettle on then turned to me as I sat down heavily on a chair, panting.

  ‘Maybe I have.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s him, Fraser. Oh my God!’ I shook my head. ‘It’s him!’

  ‘Sorry, Tiggy, I’m not following you.’

  ‘That hat, the one I described to the police as a trilb
y, it was him!’ I repeated.

  ‘I’m really sorry, but you’re making no sense. Just try and tell me calmly what you mean.’

  ‘I’m trying to tell you, Charlie, that it was Fraser I saw that night out in the glen. It was him who shot Pegasus and nearly killed me!’

  ‘But . . . how can you be sure?’

  ‘I already told you – it’s that hat he was wearing just now. I saw his shadow on the carpet and it was exactly the same as his shadow on the snow. I’m one hundred per cent positive, Charlie.’

  ‘It’s a Canadian Mountie hat – and yes, I suppose it is a similar shape to a trilby. Well, it wouldn’t surprise me,’ he said, as he came over to place a cup of tea in my shaking hand, then thought better of it and put it next to me on the centre unit. ‘Are you sure you’re okay, Tiggy?’

  ‘Yes! But what are we going to do? I mean, you know I’m a liberal, but I’m absolutely not prepared to let him get away with killing Pegasus! The detective I saw at the hospital said whoever did it could have killed me too, that he might not only be charged for poaching a rare breed, but possibly attempted murder too.’

  ‘Then let’s phone the police immediately.’ Charlie made to stand, but I put an arm out to stop him.

  ‘Wait a bit, while we think about what’s best. I mean, if the police do interview him, Fraser’s bound to deny it, and Ulrika will probably give him an alibi, knowing her. Can you remember where she was the night I was shot?’

  ‘I have a feeling she was back up at Kinnaird . . . yes, she was, because the next day she had to drive all the way down to North Yorkshire to pick up Zara for her exeat weekend. No wonder she was suddenly keen to be up here all the time.’ Charlie raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Damn,’ I swore. ‘Well, given the circumstances, she’s bound to lie to protect him. Still, I know the police have got the bullet that went through me, and the casing, which they can trace to a gun—’

  ‘Which is probably sitting in Fraser’s barn as we speak.’

  ‘Fraser could go to prison for this,’ I said.

  ‘Or not, actually, if he gets an alibi from Ulrika, plus a shit-hot defence team. Let me tell you, these things can go either way,’ Charlie warned. ‘I’ve been called in to testify in a couple of murder trials when it’s been obvious to me that the victim died of more than natural causes, but the defendant has walked away scot-free.’

  ‘Oh,’ I said, feeling deflated. ‘But surely, it wouldn’t help his claim on Kinnaird if the judge knew he was being prosecuted for shooting a rare breed on the very estate he wants to own?’

  ‘Sorry, Tiggy, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t work like that. Shooting a rare breed wouldn’t be considered material evidence in the court case, although I agree, it wouldn’t help put him in a good light.’

  There was a pause in the conversation as we both caught our breath.

  ‘Charlie,’ I said eventually. ‘I’m just thinking . . .’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, I’m wondering if there’s any way we could use the fact that I now know it was Fraser who took a potshot at me to help you?’

  Charlie stared at me. ‘You mean, blackmail him?’

  ‘Umm, yes, I suppose I do. What about if I told him I recognised him as the man who shot at me and Pegasus that night? That I was going to call the police immediately? Unless . . . because he is family, and you didn’t want a scandal, I was prepared not to go to the police as long as he gave up his claim to Kinnaird, left the country and went back into whichever hole he crawled out of. The question is, how do you think he’d react? Would he brazen it out or would he jump on the next plane back to Canada with Ulrika in tow?’

  ‘Who knows? The thing about bullies – and let’s face it, that’s exactly what Fraser is – is that underneath, they’re all cowards at heart. But, Tiggy, this is too much to ask – surely you want to see him in jail for what he put you through?’

  ‘I lived, didn’t I? It’s Pegasus’s death I want to avenge, and if what I know can save Kinnaird from being destroyed by the man who murdered him, I’d say that’s good enough for me – and him.’

  ‘A lot depends on whether he’s held on to that gun or not,’ mused Charlie.

  ‘Does Cal know where his cottage is?’

  ‘Of course he does. Why?’

  I peered out of the kitchen window and craned my neck to see whether Fraser’s car was still sitting in the rear courtyard with him in it. It was.

  ‘While Fraser’s here, why don’t you phone Cal, Charlie, and get him down to Fraser’s cottage. Tell him to check in the barn for—’

  ‘Yes, the rifle.’ Charlie was already on his feet heading for the office and the phone.

  ‘And tell him to call if he finds it,’ I added as a plan began to formulate in my head.

  ‘Okay.’ Charlie was back in the kitchen a minute later. ‘Cal’s been despatched and he’ll call here on the landline to let me know if Fraser’s hunting rifle is there. Thank God there’s a half-decent mobile signal near that cottage. Tiggy.’ Charlie took my hands in his. ‘Do you want to sleep on this? Maybe it’s better you let the police handle it—’

  ‘No time like the present, is there, whilst we’ve got Fraser in captivity? I need to do this now before I lose my nerve, and before he gets wind of the fact I’ve recognised him and does a runner. As soon as Cal lets us know, you need to call Fraser in here. You don’t have a tape recorder handy, do you?’ I asked randomly.

  ‘I have my dictaphone in the car, I use it for my secretary to type letters – why?’

  ‘Just in case he confesses,’ I said, thinking back to every rubbish detective novel I’d read in my teenage years. ‘Then we’d have proof.’

  ‘Probably not admissible in court, but yes, I see where you’re headed. I’ll go and get it – my car’s out at the front – you man the phone.’

  We gave each other a childish grin as he left, because, despite the seriousness of the situation, it had a surreal edge to it. And perhaps most surreal of all, I suddenly recalled Angelina’s parting words about me to Charlie in Granada:

  ‘She has the answer to your problem . . .’

  I could only hope that her prediction proved to be correct.

  The phone rang in the office a few seconds later, and I dashed to answer it.

  ‘It’s Cal, Tig. I’m here in Fraser’s barn and I’m holdin’ the hunting rifle in my hands now.’

  ‘Jesus, Cal! I hope you’re wearing gloves, or they might find your fingerprints on it!’

  ‘Charlie already told me tae do that. What the hell is goin’ on up there?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later, but stay exactly where you are until we call you, okay?’

  ‘Okay. Bye then.’

  I put the landline down as I heard the Great Room door slam shut. I peered out of the office and saw Zara marching down the corridor towards me, shouting expletives at her mother who was obviously still inside the room.

  ‘Zara!’ I hissed as I ran to her and dragged her into the kitchen. ‘Listen to me! I don’t care how you feel about your mum, but there’s a chance me and your dad can save Kinnaird if you go back in now and keep her talking.’

  ‘Are you joking, Tiggy? I hate her – I never want to breathe the same air as her! Agh . . . !’

  ‘Zara.’ Charlie entered with dictaphone in hand. ‘Get back into the Great Room with your mother now! Do you hear me? And you will stay in there and keep her talking until I say you can come out!’

  ‘Okay, Dad,’ Zara nodded, chastened by her father’s uncharacteristic aggression.

  ‘Well, she did tell me to grow some balls,’ Charlie shrugged as we watched Zara turn tail and head back to the Great Room.

  ‘Right,’ I said. ‘Hide that dictaphone somewhere quickly and then,’ I gulped, ‘go and call him in.’

  ‘Okay,’ said Charlie, turning the dictaphone on and stashing it behind the bread bin. ‘Are you sure you’re up for this, Tiggy?’

  ‘Yes, as long as you’re with me.’


  ‘Always.’ He smiled, then left to go and get Fraser.

  My heart was really banging now, so I looked up to the heavens and asked Pegasus to be with me as I gave the performance of my life. To save Kinnaird, Zara, and my beloved Charlie . . .

  I heard the back door open and then close as Charlie and Fraser made their way to the kitchen.

  ‘I’m afraid there is nothing you could say or do that would make me change my mind,’ Fraser was saying as they walked in. ‘I want what’s mine by rights, and that’s all there is to it.’ Then he noticed me sitting at the centre unit and threw a disdainful glance in my direction. ‘What’s she doing here?’

  ‘Tiggy just wanted a word with you, Fraser.’

  ‘Really? Well, say what you have to, then.’

  I watched him sit down opposite me; the fact that he was so sure of himself – that he didn’t even bother to take off his hat in front of his victim – fuelled me with the anger I needed to say what I had to.

  ‘It’s about the night that Pegasus was shot,’ I said, deciding this was no time to beat about the bush. ‘I told the police that I’d seen my attacker’s shadow in the snow and that he was wearing an unusual hat, shaped like a trilby. When I saw your shadow on the Great Room carpet earlier, I realised it was you that shot Pegasus and almost killed me.’

  ‘What?!’ Fraser stood up immediately. ‘Jesus, Charlie, I can’t believe that you two have sunk so low. I’m leaving now.’

  ‘Okay,’ I said calmly. ‘That’s fine. Cal’s down at your cottage with the hunting rifle we think you used to shoot at me and Pegasus. The police already told me they have the bullet, plus the casing, and all they need to do is match them up to your rifle. We’ll call them and get them to meet you there, shall we?’

  ‘I . . . you’re talking bullshit and you know it. Ulrika was with me that night – just go and ask her.’

  ‘We’re not interested really, are we, Charlie?’ I said lightly. ‘It’s up to the police to ask you and Ulrika questions. Go and phone them, Charlie. Bye then, Fraser,’ I said as I stood up and took my tea cup to the sink to wash it out, giving myself a chance to breathe and for Fraser to think. I saw Charlie move towards the kitchen door.