The Seal King Murders Read Online Free PDF Page B

‘It’s about a man who drowned recently. He was cousin to a mate of mine in Edinburgh.’
    If Amos thought this was a peculiar request, he gave no indication. ‘It’s a long way to come for a funeral, sir, all the way from Edinburgh, especially as you’ve just missed it. We laid him to rest three days ago.’
    So his mission was all in vain. Faro didn’t have time to sort out feelings of relief or disappointment as Amos pointed towards the horizon. ‘Washed away out to sea after he drowned. Then, a week ago, his poor body was recovered up the coast.’ He shrugged. ‘No one had expected to see him again. Reckoned hewas gone for good. That’s the way of things,’ he added with a melancholy shake of his head.
    ‘Does that happen often?’
    ‘Aye, more than you think. The tides here, they can wash bodies into these caves along the shoreline, to other islands. Never seen again. Sometimes as far as Shetland, or we’ve even been told one turned up in Scandinavia. Not much left to identify after the mountainous seas and the fishes are done with them.’
    Faro never did like fish very much, even from childhood. Perhaps someone had told him that story or it was the legacy of his selkie grandmother.
    ‘You’ll need to tell your mate about it. That you missed the funeral and all.’
    Faro nodded vaguely. He wasn’t sure how to phrase the matter delicately. ‘When he drowned … you were there. How did it happen? His cousin, my mate, you know … could you tell me about it?’
    Amos nodded, gazed away from Faro out to the sea. ‘A terrible night it was. Fog thick as pea soup.’
    ‘Were there other passengers beside Dave Claydon?’
    Amos shook his head and Faro continued, ‘Surely that was odd. Was it because of the weather?’
    ‘No. Wasn’t the ferry like you see here, just my own boat. It was like this. We had finished our trips for the night, the ferry was docked and my mate Rob had cleared off home when this gentleman dashed over, said he’d just missed the Leith boat, would I oblige him – for a small payment that was – to row him out in my boat and catch the ship at the bar. He’d hail them and they’d drop a ladder for him.’
    ‘Sounds a bit illegal,’ said Faro, for whom smugglers came readily to mind.
    Amos laughed. ‘Of course it does, but we all do it. It happens all the time. We get well paid for our trouble, sir. Besides, this gentleman had booked a berth, so they were expecting him.’
    But hardly off a ship’s ladder in the middle of the sea, Faro thought as Amos went on.
    ‘Anyway, off we went. I’m used to obliging in this way, so he had got my name from somewhere, gave me two pounds for my trouble.’
    And that was a lot of easy money, Faro thought, small wonder boatmen were tempted.
    ‘We raced the boat, got to the harbour bar first, then he shouted and someone heard him. Although I couldn’t see the ship, I heard its engines. The fog was so thick, but we heard the ladder clatter down. Got as close as I could, held his luggage till he got a foothold—’
    ‘What was this luggage?’ Faro interrupted.
    Amos shrugged. ‘A stout leather bag he was carrying. Then I handed it back to him.’
    ‘Was it heavy?’
    Amos considered for a moment. ‘Yes.’
    ‘Had you any idea what it contained?’
    Amos gave him a thoughtful look. ‘He didn’t mention the contents, but it might have been books, something like that. Anyway, he must have been halfway up the ladder, out of sight, as I had already turned the boat so I wouldn’t be in the way when the ship started again. Suddenly I heard a cry, a mighty splash and I guessed he had fallen off the ladder.’
    He paused, remembering. ‘Then shouts came from the ship, “Man overboard”, and I could hear voices, devil of a fuss, but one of the crew told me later that the captain said this passenger’s name wasn’t listed. He had no rights to be climbing up a ladder and the member of the crew responsible for putting it down would be