The Dark Isle

by Katherine Pathak

  Andy had already begun shaking his head sadly.

  Bill put up his hand. “I realise the island is now under the jurisdiction of the police. But there must be special circumstances in which a visit could be permitted?”

  “The SIO would never agree to it. Peyton has ordered that no tourist boats land for the foreseeable future, certainly not until the murder is solved. He doesn’t know you both. Added to that, you were here when the body was found. To all intents and purposes, you are potential suspects.”

  Bill glanced around furtively, as if double-checking they were alone in the deserted lounge bar. “Then, does the man have to know about it? All we need is access to a boat. It cannot be possible to guard the coastline of an entire island, even if it is a small one. We know that you are a good man, DI Calder. You appreciate when to bend the rules if it is for a greater good.”

  Andy’s eyes rolled up to the swirly, artexed ceiling, feeling that he’d been well and truly ambushed. Then he dropped his head down into his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Shit. I am going to get into so much trouble for this.”

  Chapter 10

  When Police Scotland experienced its re-structuring several years previously, the Cowcaddens Road Station was effectively demoted to a local cop shop. Each of the serious crime divisions moved to the larger premises at Pitt Street. This was where Dani and her team had been based for the previous five years.

  The Cowcaddens Road building looked much the same as she remembered, a little shabbier, perhaps. But the second floor – once the home of C.I.D – was now used for administration. It’s work stations were populated by uniformed police constables, tapping at glossy keyboards.

  Dani wondered why she had come here. The atmosphere wasn’t at all like it had been in the mid-2000s.

  Sergeant Gray, who had been charged with giving her a tour of the station, gestured to the floor above. “We’ve not used the third floor since 2013. You’re more than welcome to go up and have a look. But be prepared for a mess. The cleaners don’t go up there anymore either.” He lifted his eyebrows. “We’ve had to make cuts in the budget somewhere.”

  Dani smiled. She wasn’t at all sure the visit would be worthwhile. But since she was there, it seemed remiss not to have a recce. Sergeant Gray returned to the busy reception area on the ground floor. Dani strode towards the lift.

  As she stepped out onto the open space office area, Dani was immediately transported back to her days as a detective constable, first assigned to the criminal investigation department. She recalled how odd it felt to be out of uniform. To be in a skirt and blouse amongst the dark suited men who dominated the division.

  Desks were arranged at regular intervals. A few were shielded by Perspex dividers but all had their own telephones. The types that had now become obsolete.

  Dani realised that this floor must have been a direct mirror of the one below. She recalled now that the station had accommodated dozens of officers from around the city following the bus station bombing in 2006. The building became a hive of activity. Her own unit were central to the task of identifying the terrorists and preventing any future attacks.

  Brushing her fingers through the dust that lay thickly on every surface, Dani wandered past each of the desks. She was picturing the scene as she would have experienced it a decade before: Travis, McNair, Currie, Boag. With Lowther in her own partitioned office at the far end of the floor.

  Dani herself shared a desk by the window, with a view of the car-park and the constant hum of the M8 an accompaniment to every report she wrote. A grey metal filing cabinet sat in one of the corners. Dani tugged at the drawers and discovered them unlocked. There were still a few files left between the hanging dividers, presumably their contents having long ago been transferred to a computer database. She flicked through the contents, finding only one that bore Juliet’s name. Dani slipped it into her bag. She would inform the desk sergeant that she’d removed it on her way out.

  Turning to take in the scene one more time, Dani sighed, before stepping into the lift and pushing the button for the ground floor.

  *

  The property that Sean Ballater shared with his wife was in desperate need of repair. Paint was peeling off the window frames and there were ominous gaps in the tiling on the roof of the single storey building.

  Gail Ballater was barely showing her pregnancy. The woman was so slenderly built that even the slightest of baby bumps was strikingly noticeable.

  Calder and Mann had interrupted the couple’s evening meal. Andy knew it was unavoidable, as Ballater was probably only at home to sleep and eat, and often not even for that.

  As a result, Gail was bad tempered and uncooperative. “You don’t need to talk to them again!” She called out from the kitchen, as her husband stood with their unwelcome visitors in the hallway. “We can demand a solicitor be present.”

  Sean rolled his eyes. “Come into the sitting room. Let’s make this quick.”

  Andy perched on a well-worn sofa. “The forensic results on your boat came back clear.”

  Sean shrugged. “Tell me something I don’t know. I’ve hardly got the time to be murdering women and transporting their bodies around the Small Isles.”

  “So, what do you do all day?” Alice asked abruptly. “Your wife told our fellow officers you’re never here. You can’t be fishing at night.”

  The man shifted his gaze towards her. “I have to set my pots. I’ve got them positioned up and down this coastline. It takes hours. I often do it by torchlight if it’s late.”

  Gail had come to hover in the doorway. “Then he goes for a drink at the Harbour Bar. You can ask Gus, the manager. Sean is a permanent feature in there.”

  Her husband cast her a disdainful look. “Hardly. But I am there on a Friday night. A working man has to let off steam somehow.”

  Having presumably made her point, the woman ducked out of the room again.

  “I expect there are plenty of other fisherman who frequent that establishment,” Andy added. “There must be a lot of talk about this murder. What’s their take on how the body got there?”

  Ballater seemed surprised by the change of tack. “You want my opinion, on your case?”

  “It’s more like I want to know what the local mood is. It must be difficult to work, what with the police restricting which boats can come in and out of the harbour.”

  Ballater’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “The fishermen talk about nothing else. The waters around Ghiant usually provide a decent catch. But the police boat won’t let any of us near. It doesnae patrol after dusk, but we’re no’ fools. As your partner said. Nobody fishes at night.”

  “But you mentioned before that there are folk who sail out to the island after dark, for more recreational purposes. Are they still doing that?”

  Ballater gave a wry smile. “The locals aren’t stupid. We realise that you bobbies have been asking all these questions because you think that woman was killed here on Nabb and then taken to Ghiant to be dumped. But we know our community better than that. There are no killers amongst the fishing folk here. Just uncomplicated people desperate to make a living for their families. Which means there’s a nasty murderer on the loose. So why on earth would anyone be taking a boat out to that lonely, deserted island while that’s still the case?”

  Andy could see the man’s point. He turned towards Alice. “DI Mann, would you mind having a word with Mrs Ballater in the kitchen? Find out if she’s seen anything unusual out here in the hills, or along this part of the coastline in the last few weeks. Anyone hanging around who isn’t one of the locals.”

  When Alice was out of earshot, Andy turned back to Ballater, his voice lowered. “Listen, I know you’re not involved in this murder business, so I wondered if you could assist me in a different matter?”

  Ballater narrowed his eyes, a flash of interest and amusement showed in their bluey depths. “Oh aye? Run it past me, Detective Sergeant, and I’ll see what I can do to help.”

  Chap
ter 11

  The house in Pollockshaws was exactly as Dani had remembered it. The kitchen fittings must have been a few years old now, but they were gleaming clean and still as expensive looking.

  The only thing that had changed was the layout downstairs. A large cupboard between the stairs and the kitchen had been converted into an open plan office space. This was clearly where Phil Boag was filling his days.

  The ex-detective had spent the first ten minutes of her visit describing how the work had been done.

  “It’s perfectly positioned,” Phil continued animatedly, “as I can get to the coffee machine within seconds. Speaking of which?”

  Dani nodded. “I’d love one. Thanks.”

  Phil busied himself opening a fresh packet of beans. “I’m freelancing for a clothing firm right now. They want to expand their online business. I’m designing their sales software. To be honest, I’m inundated with offers of work.”

  Dani examined her old friend carefully. His face appeared smoother and plumper than when she’d last seen him, his clothing casual but well-tailored. Phil looked more relaxed. She might even go as far as to say, happy.

  “How about you?” He perched on the stool beside her at the island. “I’m very sorry about what happened to Sam. With everything that went on back then, I never got the opportunity to say so properly.”

  “It certainly puts things in perspective.”

  “Exactly. I may have been leaving the force under a cloud. But I still had my girls, and Fiona.”

  “I should have been round to visit you sooner. But you know what it’s like. One big case after another.”

  Phil jumped up to pour the coffees. “I wasn’t sure if we were still friends,” he said quietly.

  “After everything we’ve been through, I’d like to think so.”

  Phil sat back down. He looked relieved. “Good. I’m not sure that Calder was ever my friend to begin with.”

  Dani chuckled. “The irony is that you’re probably one of the best friends he’s ever had.”

  Phil laughed too. “Bring him with you next time. I’ve not been insulted in a while. I’m getting withdrawal symptoms.”

  Dani sipped her coffee, determined that her next visit would definitely be a social one.

  Phil seemed to read her mind. “But there’s another reason why you’re here today?”

  Dani placed the cup carefully on the sparkling granite. “Once a cop, always a cop, eh?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Do you remember Juliet Lowther? She was a DI at Cowcaddens when we were stationed there?”

  “Of course. We worked together for several years.”

  “She’s dead. Her murdered remains were found on the Isle of Ghiant, near Skye, at the weekend. You may have seen something on the news. We’ve not released her identity yet. She worked for a long time on counter-terrorism cases. Much of her latter record on the force is covered by the Official Secrets Act. I don’t think the DCC wanted her death becoming public knowledge.”

  Phil stopped drinking and dragged a hand through his thick, grey hair. “Christ. I saw the reports but didn’t pay much attention.”

  “We’ve got enough murders here in Glasgow, you mean?”

  “Yeah, exactly.” Phil took a moment to allow the information to sink in. “Juliet left the force early, didn’t she? What had become of her since?”

  “She was living in a flat in Fort William, supplementing her pension by offering her services as a fitness instructor. Juliet had no contact with her family and few friends. The SIO on the murder case is struggling to find any suspects from her life.”

  “Can it have been a random assault? A mugging or attempted rape gone wrong?”

  “Juliet was subjected to multiple stab wounds to the torso, in a location quite separate from the dump site. The perp took the trouble of transporting her body by sea to a remote and deserted island for disposal. It doesn’t sound very random to me. Her ID was left on the body. Either the killer had no expectation we’d find her, or he was intending to send out a message of some kind.”

  “Shit. I know Juliet could be a ball-breaker to work for, but she didn’t deserve that.”

  Dani shifted round in her seat. “What do you remember about her, Phil? You’d been in that team before I arrived. Did Juliet have enemies?”

  “She played it by the book. There was the occasional run-in with DC Currie, who was a lazy bastard. I liked her, because she was efficient. My girls were very small back then and Jane was working long hours. I felt lucky to have a superior officer who had some sympathy with my situation.”

  “I felt that about her too. I was fortunate to have a woman above me in my first detective job. She taught me how to navigate the pitfalls. I recall her fondly.”

  Phil nodded. “Maybe she got herself into trouble more recently? I never understood why she went so early. The police force seemed like it was everything to her. Was she in debt? There may have been loan sharks after her?”

  Dani shook her head. “Her bank accounts were healthy. No evidence of a recent jilted lover.” She paused and took a sip from her cup. “I did find something amongst her effects.”

  “Oh, yes?”

  “Well, a couple of things. The first was a certificate of baptism.”

  Phil got up to pour more coffee. “We’ve got those for the girls, we keep them with their birth certificates. It’s no big deal, surely?”

  “No,” Dani replied carefully. “But this certificate was for an adult baptism. Juliet was baptised last year by a priest in Fort William.”

  Phil glanced at Dani with interest. “Was Juliet religious when we knew her?”

  Dani let out a chuckle. “From the number of blasphemous phrases that escaped her lips on a regular basis I wouldn’t have said so.”

  “She must have found religion after she left the force then. It could even have been a social thing – joining a local church to meet people.”

  Dani shook her head. “Juliet didn’t seem to be very sociable in recent years. I don’t think it can be that.” She sipped the fresh coffee. “It made me think of couples who get their newborn babies baptised when they have something wrong with them. So that the child has been blessed by a priest in case they die.”

  “You suspect that Juliet knew she was going to die?”

  Dani shrugged. “It’s just a thought.”

  “You said there were a couple of things?”

  “Yes. Amongst her insurance papers was a policy for a car. I asked the landlord of the block of flats she lived in. He claims Juliet never had a car there. I also dropped in on the lady in the flat below, who watched Juliet come and go out of her window. She was surprised at the mention of a car. According to her, Juliet went everywhere on foot or by bus.”

  “So, there’s a vehicle somewhere. That’s a lead for Highlands and Islands to pursue.”

  “Absolutely. I’ve passed on the info. The team were a little sheepish it wasn’t picked up on earlier. They’ve got a bulletin circulating now with the licence plate of the vehicle. It’s a green Ford Focus, ten years old. I reckon if we find that car, we find the murder site.”

  “You could even launch a public appeal. See if anyone saw the car or Juliet in the days leading up to her death.”

  “Yes, it might be time to break the media silence.”

  As if to illustrate the point, Phil was quiet himself for a few moments before suddenly declaring. “It could have been to do with the bomb.”

  Dani looked at him with interest. “The Roydon Road bombing?”

  “Juliet’s religious conversion, I mean. The incident affected all the officers involved very profoundly.”

  Dani shuffled forward. “What happened on that day, Phil? I was on leave with my dad on Colonsay. I only came over for the aftermath. I found a couple of files relating to it when I visited the old station yesterday. But the information they provided was decidedly thin.”

  Phil sighed heavily. “The girls were still in primar
y school. I was already mostly on deskwork, needing to be able to leave for school pick-up. I was lucky. When the reports of the explosion reached us, Juliet quickly gathered together her team: DC Currie, DS Travis and DS McNair. They were to liaise with the anti-terrorism squad when they reached the scene. But at that early stage, they were the first to arrive. The bus station was minutes away.”

  “It must have been chaos.”

  Phil nodded. “Medics were coming on foot from the hospital. Lowther and Travis had the job of clearing the area and making sure there were no further devices inside. Currie and McNair ended up performing first aid on casualties until the ambulances got there. It could only have been a matter of minutes before back-up arrived, but it must have felt like forever.”

  “I read there was a second device?”

  “It was Travis who spotted it. A black leather hold-all left by one of the ticket offices. The bag was stuffed full of TNT and nails. By that point, everyone was evacuated except for the casualties on the ground and a few walking wounded. Travis radioed the bomb squad and informed them. They were still ten minutes away.”

  “They should’ve got the hell out of there and waited for back-up.”

  “DI Lowther decided not to cause additional panic. The poor folk on the floor couldn’t get themselves clear of the second package. She and Travis decided to get as many people out as possible. They carried some between them and others they led out on foot. Remember, they thought that second bomb could go off at any moment.”

  Dani nodded solemnly. “Lowther received a bravery award for it. They got another fifteen people clear of the ticket offices before the techies arrived to defuse the device.”

  “Travis got an award too. It turned out the second bomb had faulty wiring. It was designed to detonate twenty minutes after the first, presumably in the hope of targeting the rescue workers who would have swarmed the place after the initial blast.”