The Trowie Mound Murders Read Online Free PDF

lighthouse,’ Anders said.
    â€˜It was odd, too, their name,’ I said. ‘I know people’s names do often suit them, but I thought he looked a bit like a walrus, he had that blubbery look, you know, with power under the fat, and then I suddenly remembered this book I loved as a child, about ‘Captain Morse’, and he looked just like the pictures.
    â€˜Where are they from?’ Magnie asked suddenly. ‘I never looked at the stern o’ her.’
    â€˜There was nothing on her bows,’ I said.
    Anders put Rat on the table, took one step forrard, raised the hatch, and stuck his head up. ‘This is very odd.’ He reached up, put one foot on his bunk and swung himself out, fluid as water. Magnie and I looked at each other, brows raised, then came out through the companionway into the cockpit. The moon had intensified to a silver penny, bright in the pale blue sky; the water had fallen halfway down the slip and swirled out of the marina towards its gathering in the deep of the ocean.
    â€˜She does not have a name,’ Anders murmured. ‘And I think there was not a call sign by the instruments.’
    â€˜No,’ I said, remembering, ‘there wasn’t.’
    Magnie shook his head. ‘That’s aye by the wireless, standard practice.’
    We looked across Khalida ’s bows at the gleaming transom making a broad figure 8 with its reflection. Above it the cabin lights shone orange, darkening the clear night. The white sweep of fibreglass was unmarked. There was no name, no port, just the red ensign, hanging in folds in the still air.
    We stood for a moment, looking at her. I tried to think if I’d ever seen a nameless boat before, and decided that I hadn’t.
    â€˜No SSR number either,’ Anders murmured.
    â€˜Illegal,’ I agreed.
    Dublin, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Portsmouth. Norway, Faroe, Germany, Poland. The Viking road was open to her here. David and Madge were Scottish, but they could have arrived from anywhere.

Chapter Three
    â€˜I’m telling you,’ Magnie said, ‘she’s police, or undercover services.’ He stumped forrard and took a long, slow look down the voe. ‘Well, if this other boat doesna come soon I’m away to my bed.’
    â€˜Other boat?’ Anders shook his head and lapsed into Shetland. ‘Boys a boys, this place is coming like Waterloo station in the rush hour.’
    â€˜Two at once is good going,’ I agreed. ‘They must have heard about the boating club hot showers.’
    â€˜The Mid-Brae Inn’s stock of Shetland real ale.’
    â€˜Frankie’s fish and chip shop.’
    â€˜Britain’s most northerly Indian takeaway.’
    Â â€˜A yacht,’ Magnie said. ‘She phoned around dinner-time. She’s making her way under sail down from Hillswick, the man said, and they hoped to be in Brae before it got dark. I told her to knock you pair up if I wasn’t there.’
    â€˜No problem,’ Anders said. He came back along to the cockpit. ‘I will still be awake, even if Cass is out cold. Much good knocking her up would do, I can tell you.’
    â€˜I can sleep on a clothes rail,’ I agreed.
    â€˜It’s fine,’ Magnie said. ‘This’ll be her comin’ now. Listen.’
    We listened to the soft lap of water on the pebble shore, and the chittering of the tirricks, settling their chicks for the night; a car driving around the curve towards the boating club; a sheep, calling its lamb; the houb-boub-boub of a snipe on the hill. Once our ears had filtered those noises out, there was the soft throb of an engine in the distance.
    â€˜Unless it’s the party boat, the yellow one,’ I said. ‘Kevin and Geri’s.’
    Anders shook his head. ‘It’s a yacht engine.’
    Magnie looked into the distance. ‘That’s her lights now, coming round the headland.’ He swung over Khalida’ s side