didn’t know. ‘The only question is the man’s reason for being at the dig in the middle of the night, but we have to accept the fact that he was eccentric, and very much a law unto himself. Doubtless he wanted to check something for himself.’
‘Or steal something!’ That, of course, was Norquist again. ‘He admired Schliemann, don’t forget. He’s probably been looting the dig all this time, and—’
‘Now, Charles.’ Fairweather spoke in soothing tones. ‘There’s no reason to believe—’
‘There’s every reason—’
‘This is no time for unsubstantiated—’
‘Quiet!’ The policeman spoke just loudly enough to make himself heard over the uproar. ‘This is an unexpected death and must be investigated. Without question. There are certain anomalies—’
‘What do you mean, anomalies?’ Norquist would not be silenced. ‘It’s perfectly plain—’
‘I would be obliged, sir, if you would let me speak. I cannot reveal at this point what we have so far discovered, but rest assured that there are questions I need to have answered. And I will find the answers. Now, before we disperse, I need to take statements from each of you individually. Mr Nesbitt, I’d be obliged if you would stay, sir. If your lady wife wishes to return home, it would be perfectly in order. I’m sure,’ he said, ‘you must be quite uncomfortable.’ He said it with a smile, which sat oddly on his lined and dour face.
‘Thank you, but I’ll stay. The fact is, I have … there is something I need to tell you.’ Alan looked at me with a query on his face, but I ignored it. ‘If I might speak to you alone?’ I went on.
Now it was the policeman who was taken aback, but I was due certain courtesies as the wife of an important police officer, albeit English and retired. He nodded to the other men in the tent. ‘Gentlemen, if you will retire to another tent, I’ll send for you shortly.’
‘Who’s the other one?’ I whispered to Alan as they filed out in varying degrees of disgruntlement.
‘Larsen. President of FAO.’
Oh, yes. That was why he’d looked familiar.
‘Now, Mrs Martin. What was it you needed to tell me?’ The police officer sounded indulgent. ‘That is, I beg your pardon. I haven’t introduced myself. My name’s Baikie, and I’m looking into this wee matter.’
I proffered my hand. ‘You know who I am, of course, and I’m sure I’m very sorry to interrupt, but I thought you needed to know about this right away. I’ve found – that is, my dog has found – a watch, half buried in a cow pasture out there. I believe it to be Mr Carter’s.’
‘I see …’ Mr Baikie paused. ‘And what are your reasons,’ he went on slowly, ‘for thinking that?’
‘Actually, I’m almost certain. I saw him wearing the watch, or a very similar one, last night at the FAO meeting. And I can’t imagine that there are a lot of men in this part of Orkney who sport extravagant gold Rolexes.’
‘Probably not.’ He paused again. ‘Well, we’ll have to go take a look, won’t we? Mr Nesbitt, would you mind accompanying your wife to the – er – location? I need to stay here and speak further with these men. Mrs Martin, I hate to ask you to go out again in the rain, but perhaps you’d like to borrow my waterproof. I don’t know how warm it is, but at least you’ll be dry.’
I was quite certain I’d never be warm or dry again, but I accepted his offer. It meant getting out of that charged atmosphere, and besides, I wanted to talk to Alan.
‘My dear,’ he said when we’d got out of earshot of the tents, ‘you’ve put the cat among the pigeons with a vengeance.’
‘Wh-what do you mean?’ I said through chattering teeth. The wind had strengthened still more, and Mr Baikie’s coat was, as feared, not very warm. ‘Surely this is the evidence they need.’
‘That depends which “they” you’re talking about. The authorities, Chief Inspector Baikie
et al.,
yes. Sort of. The others,
‘Or steal something!’ That, of course, was Norquist again. ‘He admired Schliemann, don’t forget. He’s probably been looting the dig all this time, and—’
‘Now, Charles.’ Fairweather spoke in soothing tones. ‘There’s no reason to believe—’
‘There’s every reason—’
‘This is no time for unsubstantiated—’
‘Quiet!’ The policeman spoke just loudly enough to make himself heard over the uproar. ‘This is an unexpected death and must be investigated. Without question. There are certain anomalies—’
‘What do you mean, anomalies?’ Norquist would not be silenced. ‘It’s perfectly plain—’
‘I would be obliged, sir, if you would let me speak. I cannot reveal at this point what we have so far discovered, but rest assured that there are questions I need to have answered. And I will find the answers. Now, before we disperse, I need to take statements from each of you individually. Mr Nesbitt, I’d be obliged if you would stay, sir. If your lady wife wishes to return home, it would be perfectly in order. I’m sure,’ he said, ‘you must be quite uncomfortable.’ He said it with a smile, which sat oddly on his lined and dour face.
‘Thank you, but I’ll stay. The fact is, I have … there is something I need to tell you.’ Alan looked at me with a query on his face, but I ignored it. ‘If I might speak to you alone?’ I went on.
Now it was the policeman who was taken aback, but I was due certain courtesies as the wife of an important police officer, albeit English and retired. He nodded to the other men in the tent. ‘Gentlemen, if you will retire to another tent, I’ll send for you shortly.’
‘Who’s the other one?’ I whispered to Alan as they filed out in varying degrees of disgruntlement.
‘Larsen. President of FAO.’
Oh, yes. That was why he’d looked familiar.
‘Now, Mrs Martin. What was it you needed to tell me?’ The police officer sounded indulgent. ‘That is, I beg your pardon. I haven’t introduced myself. My name’s Baikie, and I’m looking into this wee matter.’
I proffered my hand. ‘You know who I am, of course, and I’m sure I’m very sorry to interrupt, but I thought you needed to know about this right away. I’ve found – that is, my dog has found – a watch, half buried in a cow pasture out there. I believe it to be Mr Carter’s.’
‘I see …’ Mr Baikie paused. ‘And what are your reasons,’ he went on slowly, ‘for thinking that?’
‘Actually, I’m almost certain. I saw him wearing the watch, or a very similar one, last night at the FAO meeting. And I can’t imagine that there are a lot of men in this part of Orkney who sport extravagant gold Rolexes.’
‘Probably not.’ He paused again. ‘Well, we’ll have to go take a look, won’t we? Mr Nesbitt, would you mind accompanying your wife to the – er – location? I need to stay here and speak further with these men. Mrs Martin, I hate to ask you to go out again in the rain, but perhaps you’d like to borrow my waterproof. I don’t know how warm it is, but at least you’ll be dry.’
I was quite certain I’d never be warm or dry again, but I accepted his offer. It meant getting out of that charged atmosphere, and besides, I wanted to talk to Alan.
‘My dear,’ he said when we’d got out of earshot of the tents, ‘you’ve put the cat among the pigeons with a vengeance.’
‘Wh-what do you mean?’ I said through chattering teeth. The wind had strengthened still more, and Mr Baikie’s coat was, as feared, not very warm. ‘Surely this is the evidence they need.’
‘That depends which “they” you’re talking about. The authorities, Chief Inspector Baikie
et al.,
yes. Sort of. The others,
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