My Bones Will Keep

crime of our dear Robert), must have been of a nefarious nature, desired the Corries to connive at, or assist in, some project of which their Lowland consciences could not approve? What then?’

‘I suppose… yes. But, even so, I can’t see the Corries dumping the body in an empty rum-barrel, can you?’

‘From what I have seen of them, no, child, I cannot. Do not forget, however, that our young friend Grant may not be the only fanciful embroiderer. We have put down the presence of the skian-dhu to him, but there may have been another artist at work, you know.’

‘Macbeth, for example?’

‘He is a possibility, yes.’

‘One thing that strikes me,’ said Laura, ‘is that if the skian-dhu was inserted after death, we still don’t know what was the weapon which actually killed the laird.’

‘A point which had not escaped me, but we must accept the medical evidence, don’t you think? A Scottish doctor is not easily deceived, but might hold his tongue.’

‘It’s a great pity you did not have a chance to examine the body.’

‘I should have welcomed the opportunity.’

‘You know, we shall need to see young Grant again and make him confess to the skian- dhu.’

‘And to other matters. You are quite right.’

‘If we’ve guessed about the skian-dhu, it stands to reason that he must have been on Tannasgan when the laird was brought home if it was, as seems likely.’

‘Quite. Oh, yes, our young Mr Grant has a great deal to explain.’

‘We ought to warn young Grant.’

‘We will do so when we see him, which may be some time this afternoon or tomorrow morning.’

‘You’ve sent for him, then?’

‘Well, this hotel is neutral ground, so to speak. But let us get back to Mr and Mrs Corrie and scrutinise the evidence they have given us. First, there is the uncompromising comment made by Corrie about Mr Bradan.’

‘Oh, yes! That he does well enough in his grave.’

‘Exactly. That remark interests me for two reasons: first, that he did not love Mr Bradan, and, second, that he must have known perfectly well that it was not to Bradan that I was referring, when I mentioned the laird, but to Mr Macbeth. Then there was his equivocal reply when you asked whether Macbeth had killed the laird.’

‘ “Maybe he did, and maybe he did not,” ’ quoted Laura. ‘Yes, that was a pretty dodgy answer. It might mean that he knew very well who the murderer was.’

‘If he did not know for certain, I think he had very shrewd suspicions.’

‘Suspicions which the police didn’t get him to voice, then!’

‘A country with a Covenanting History and one which steadfastly refused to betray Prince Charles Edward Stuart, would be unlikely to produce sons who could be bullied or cajoled into supplying information which they had intended to keep to themselves,’ said Dame Beatrice.

‘That’s true enough. Then, of course, Mrs Corrie was a bit cagey, too. Remember asking her what she knew about the murder?’

‘I do, indeed. Mind you, she qualified what you are pleased to call the cagey reply by giving us a piece of information.’

‘That the son had visited the island. Yes, but we didn’t find out when. He certainly didn’t come over in the boat with Macbeth and me.’

‘Reading between the lines, child, I deducted that the visit was paid before the father’s death and that the disinheriting was done on the occasion of that visit, and that Mr Macbeth was present. I suppose the inspector has seen a copy of Mr Bradan’s will? When I meet him again I shall ask him what was in it, but I see no reason to doubt that Macbeth is the heir. The Corries have accepted him as such, and they, most likely, witnessed the will. Even if they were not permitted to read it, I am sure they knew that Macbeth was to be the new laird of Tannasgan.’

‘Corrie seemed to have some suspicions of Mr Grant of Coinneamh, I thought,’ said Laura. ‘He admitted that there was no love lost between him and Cu Dubh. But what did you make of his statements that the fabulous beasts used to travel to Leith?’

‘Of itself, I am certain that the statement was moonshine.’

‘Lie number one, you think? Well, it’s lies we’re looking for, isn’t it?’

‘I am not prepared to call it a lie. I think it was in the nature of a pointer, you know.’

‘To direct our attention to Leith or, perhaps, Newhaven?’

‘So I suppose.’

‘What about Corrie’s story that he had been sent across the loch to telephone about an arrangement for a car to meet Bradan at Tigh-Osda station?’

‘I see no reason to disbelieve it. When young Grant arrives he may be able to tell us a little more about that.’

‘But do you think Corrie telephoned Cu Dubh? Can we accept that he was alive when Corrie telephoned?’

‘That I cannot answer at present. The story that Corrie did tell – and I have not yet decided whether it is true – is that Mr Bradan, as a living man, came back to Tannasgan.’