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  ‘So her death would bring you some sort of release?’

  ‘Yes, after the intense grief I felt on hearing about her death it has brought me some sort of perverse release.’

  His response was unexpected and there was silence for a few moments. The wind had got up and was buffeting the window. Snow was already falling from the darkening sky. Tosh was doubtful he would make it back to Inverness that evening, wondering whether his employers would stump up the cash for an enforced stay in the hotel?

  ‘I take it you would have no objection to us taking samples for DNA testing?’ Tosh asked, looking to end the interview and hit the road home.

  When Hunter shook his head, Tosh continued. ‘I only have a couple more questions for the moment.’

  McIntyre looked sideways at his boss in confusion. He still had questions to ask.

  ‘Did you know of anyone who would want to kill Ellie Saunders?’

  Hunter thought for a moment before replying. ‘I can think of no one who would have wanted to harm her.’

  ‘Were you aware that Ellie was seeing a counsellor?’

  ‘She spoke about him occasionally either to disagree completely with what this guy was saying or to tell me how wonderful he was. I thought he was just a quack. Whatever he was doing didn’t seem to work from what I could see.’

  ‘Did she mention his name or where he lived?’ McIntyre asked, surprised by Hunter’s reaction.

  ‘I asked her once, but she just smiled and said that would breach confidentiality. I think she knew I didn’t approve of him and I think she was sleeping with him.’

  ‘She never let a name slip in your conversations?’ Tosh asked, before adding. ‘And I would find that hard to believe, Mr. Hunter.’

  ‘I don’t remember her ever doing that. And believe me if I did know who he was you would be the first to know. I’d be happy if he was considered a suspect.’

  ‘Right then thank you for making the journey to Fort William, I know you must be tired so I’ll send someone in to take DNA samples and you can be on your way back in case the road gets closed. We’ll be back in touch soon.’

  Both officers stood up, shaking hands with Hunter and he left the room.

  ‘Not like you to be concerned about a prime suspect’s welfare, boss,’ McIntyre smiled when they were in the corridor.

  ‘It’s my welfare I’m concerned about. Look at that fucking snow. I’ve got to get back to Inverness in that.’

  ‘You can stay at mine if you want. We’ve a spare room and Fiona’s gone to her mother’s for a visit and won’t be back till tomorrow.’

  Tosh gave his colleague a look of profound gratitude. ‘Ian, that would be great! I’ve got an overnight bag in the car.’

  ‘Want to go back in for more interrogation?’

  ‘Naw, let him go home. My gut tells me it’s not him. If his DNA matches, then we know where he is, and we’ll nail him. For the moment let’s get some lunch and then later this evening I’m buying the pints!’

  Chapter 17

  Euan

  This letter is divided into two parts. The first part is a record of how great our adventure in the Alps started out and is what I would have written without the incident that evening. The second part is to acknowledge what went wrong between us and hopefully prevent it happening again. It is not a case of me wanting to drag things out rather to emphasise again what I want in a relationship. My counsellor always says it is sometimes better to write things down, so it is clear to the other person.

  Well what can I say about our successful ascent of the Matterhorn? Hopefully that was a surprise worth waiting for! The flight to Switzerland was so exciting knowing we were going to attempt to scale such an iconic peak. Even the shape of that massive rock just takes my breath away. It is almost sexual. Was that not one of highlights of our time together so far? It is such a technical climb and you rose to the challenges like a true professional climber. We took turns in leading and you allowed me to take charge of the more demanding parts of the climb. You are an accomplished mountaineer, always minimising the risks and never taking chances. I always feel secure when roped to you, knowing you will hold me if I fall. The people we met were friendly and knowledgeable, happy to pass on some tips. We even managed some skiing on the last day and I was impressed with your skills.

  It was a pity then, after such a wonderful few days that you had to overreact to a situation in the bar on our last night. Yes, I did receive some ‘attention’ from one of the guys staying at the chalet, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. It’s flattering in a way even if he’d had a fair bit to drink. Yes, he was hitting on me but then he has that right provided he takes no for an answer. I would have gently rebuffed his advances, so he didn’t lose face. And maybe it’s the price you pay for having, what some guys anyway consider, to be an attractive girlfriend. Anyway, I was not impressed with the heavy-handed way you tried to intervene. It could have turned very ugly. It was lucky his friends calmed him down and led him away. I did not ask for your assistance and can fight my own battles. It was quite degrading feeling that two rutting stags were fighting over me. Maybe I need to remind you that you do not own me. Our journey home should have been fun talking about the magic of our climb together and our conquest of the Matterhorn instead of you sulking like a spoiled child.

  You apologised in the end and admitted you were in the wrong. That took courage and probably saved the day. I know I rushed off when we landed because I was still upset. I still want to see you again. Relationships will always go up and down; it is the nature of being human. We can all make mistakes but if we learn from them then we can move forward. It means now I’m looking forward to our next adventure either on the mountains or in the bed.

  Ellie

  It was one of the shortest letters she had sent him and quite bizarre in the way it was constructed, like two chapters from different novels. He remembered being relieved to get it. She hadn’t returned his calls when he left a message at her home number and he knew it wouldn’t go down well if he called her at work. The letter meant she still wanted him in her life. The relief had been immense for he was convinced it was over and it had made him sick with worry.

  Looking back maybe it had been mostly his fault. But the drunken prick from Sweden had been a pain. Despite Ellie’s comments in the letter, he didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer and was trying to grope her. Then when he had put his arms around her it had been too much, so he had waded in telling him to back off. Looking back now the words were a bit pathetic.

  Sven, he remembered his name now, had taken a swing at him but was too drunk and it was easy to avoid the punch, the Swede ending up sprawled on the ground. Ellie had glowered at Euan, shaking her head.

  ‘There’s no need for this,’ she had hissed. ‘Do you want to start a fucking fight and get us all locked up?’

  ‘I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get hurt. The guy’s been hitting on you all night.’

  ‘I can fight my own fucking battles.’

  Meanwhile Sven had recovered a bit by then, managing to get to his feet and had caught Euan unawares by rushing into him. A table crashed over, and drinks were spilt as they rolled around on the floor. A couple of punches caught Euan in the stomach, winding him, before the Swede’s friends grabbed Sven and hauled him off. But all this had drawn attention. Despite their pleas that it was over, hotel security was eventually summoned, and the night manager took statements. Nothing was broken or damaged, the police weren’t called, and no charges were made. Sheepish apologises were made to the other guests and fresh drinks were bought to replace the ones knocked over. Sven said sorry to Ellie before he and his friends left. He had tried to apologise to her too, but she had stormed off, leaving him standing alone and embarrassed in the middle of the room.

  He had ended up sleeping in the lounge that night, Ellie having locked the door to t
heir room and refusing to open it despite his pleas. They had breakfasted in silence and an attempt to justify his actions drew scathing comments. They sat in separate seats on the bus to the airport. When they landed in Glasgow he apologised profusely for his behaviour, but she drove off to Edinburgh without a word. The letter arrived a week later, the first communication since they had parted at the airport.

  That was the moment Euan knew he loved her beyond reason. The joy at finding out she still wanted to see him was overwhelming because he thought he had lost her for good. It had short-circuited his reason making him ignore the warning signs of Ellie’s mental health problems that would drive him to despair repeatedly.

  ---oOo---

  Tosh sat in the restaurant waiting for Shona to arrive. He was early and a bit nervous, not wanting to order a drink until she arrived. The eatery was filling up and was obviously popular. It had been a busy day and it gave him some time to reflect on police matters.

  The investigation into Ellie Saunders’ death had stalled, it being over two weeks now since her body had been found. There was no new information forthcoming and the likelihood of any fresh leads was diminishing by the day. Her mobile phone could not be found, and phone records yielded nothing of interest. Files in her desktop and laptop were heavily encrypted and the technical staff in Inverness were having no luck in accessing her files.

  Euan Hunter had no direct alibi as to his whereabouts on that evening of her death. He had sent some emails that evening and calls from his mobile but there was no conclusive proof he hadn’t gone to Fort William and climbed Coire Leis. A roaming profile from his mobile provided by his service provider showed it had not been near transmitters at Fort William. Then again, he might simply have travelled without his phone. Car number recognition on the road cameras was proving frustrating as most had been switched off for maintenance and it was proving difficult to get anyone to do anything.

  Most revealing of all was the lack of a DNA match. That meant he probably didn’t have sex with her that evening, and while that did not rule him out as the murder suspect, it made it less likely. He might still have killed her out of anger. He had spoken to Hunter by phone three times and was preparing a journey to Glasgow for a more formal interview. While a gut feeling suggested Hunter was not the killer, that same intuition told him he was not telling everything he knew.

  She appeared at the table scattering his thoughts. He stood up unsure of a suitable greeting before Shona smiled and extended her hand.

  ‘Have you been here long?’ she asked before sitting down.

  ‘Oh just a few minutes,’ Tosh replied casually. ‘How about a drink? Apparently, that’s the only one I’m allowed to buy you.’

  She laughed, her face lighting up. ‘I’d be happy if we just split everything down the middle. It’s not some deep-seated feminist agenda, just a desire for fairness I suppose.’

  Tosh nodded as graciously as he could. ‘Thanks, that prevents any awkwardness at the end of the evening when the bill arrives.’

  ‘Now I know you’re first name’s William, Ian calls you boss, or would you prefer sir?’

  ‘Bill’s great thank you. And if it’s ok with you I’ll use Shona and not sergeant.’

  A waiter took their drink orders, both agreeing on a bottle of house white and some sparkling water for the table. He handed out menus, explaining that all the fish was fresh caught that day.

  ‘You haven’t eaten here before?’

  ‘No but the chef’s got a great reputation and the food is apparently fantastic.’

  The wine arrived, the waiter filling their glasses.

  ‘Well for me this is a special occasion,’ Tosh raised his glass. ‘Thank you for agreeing to join me this evening.’ He paused before continuing, ‘and I hope it’s ok for me to say you look very elegant.’

  Shona smiled as they clinked their glasses. ‘Thank you, I appreciate the compliment. I’ve been looking forward to our meal together.’

  They both skipped starters, preferring a main course and a dessert instead. Tosh ordered the sea bass while Shona chose the salmon. The restaurant was almost full now, Tosh feeling there was a contented buzz about the place. Outside the wind was cold and rain constantly threatened, but people were happy to be out on a Friday night. When their food arrived, they talked about everything from sport to classical music, keeping their discussions light and uncontroversial. To his surprise she liked football, having played for a women’s team in Glasgow before moving to Fort William. When asked which team she supported she said Partick Thistle. They touched on problems within modern policing, lack of funding and the public’s expectations. Tosh was pleased Shona said nothing about the murder in Coire Leis. It was great to have a complete break from the case. When their meal was over and coffee was ordered, Shona sat back in her seat and smiled.

  ‘Right then, let’s share some history.’

  Tosh smiled and nodded; he knew what was coming. It had been the most enjoyable evening he had spent in months. She was clever, thoughtful and unassuming and would surely get promotion to inspector if ambitious. But he wondered if she was pushy enough to climb any further up that ladder. Shona was also very good looking which could help or hinder any progress. There was a lot of bitchiness in the Force.

  ‘Ok, I’ll go first,’ he said. ‘I was born in Glasgow, my dad’s still working part time as a GP and my mum’s a teacher. I have an older brother who’s an accountant and making obscene amounts of money, but despite that we get on well. I also have a younger sister who’s a primary teacher.’

  ‘I was born in Stirling, have a sister and a brother and my mum’s a nurse. My dad’s an engineer and they split up two years ago.’

  ‘Sorry to hear that. Was it hard for you and your brother and sister?’

  ‘Another woman, younger of course and yes it was painful at the start. I suppose we’ve all reached a position of uneasy acceptance, although that equilibrium is fragile.’

  ‘How do you get on with the younger woman?’

  ‘We tolerate her for dad’s sake. She’s only about ten years older than me and he’s besotted with her. We don’t speak about her to mum though. I think it’s your turn now.’

  ‘I did History and English at Uni in Glasgow. I went straight into the police as a graduate entrant.’

  ‘Wow History and English,’ Shona whistled. ‘That must have helped when you were engaging with the denizens of the Gallowgate.’

  ‘I took two modules in psychology in my last year, which was more relevant to what I do now. I loved History though.’

  ‘So which period of history then?’

  ‘I think it’s your turn,’ Tosh laughed, wagging an admonishing finger.

  ‘Did Biology and Genetics at Edinburgh, got a position as a research assistant finding eventually that wasn’t for me. I saw an advert for the police and joined up almost on impulse.’

  Tosh signalled the waiter by holding his cup up engineering a pause in the proceedings so he could gather his thoughts. Intuition told him Shona’s next question was not going to be about their university career.

  ‘I’ve had two serious relationships, the first lasting almost a year and the other eighteen months. There’s been a few inbetweeners but nothing meaningful. We just grew apart realising we had little in common.’

  ‘Neither of them supported Thistle then.’

  The words came out on reflex, the product of years of banter with colleagues and criminals. Glasgow was renowned for its humour, where being a smartarse was often appreciated and admired. Shona would have experienced that too, but he felt it was not appropriate on this occasion.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to trivialise what you went through.’

  To his relief she just laughed. ‘One was a Celtic fan and the other a Rangers one. Not a good basis for any relationship.’

  Tosh sipped his coffee, knowing it
was his turn now. He’d never talked about Alison to anyone keeping the pain to himself while always nurturing the hope of a reconciliation. Maybe it was the time to start.

  ‘There were a few transients at Uni but during my second year on the Force I met Alison.’

  She must have detected the change in his voice, interrupting him gently.

  ‘Bill you don’t have to do this tonight, we’ve only just met and…’

  ‘I’ve really enjoyed the evening, but it’s our first time out together and I don’t want it to get too heavy.’

  ‘Maybe keep it for another time?’.

  ‘Can I assume from that statement Sergeant Watson, that there might remain the possibility of some future rendezvous?’

  ‘I think that is a reasonable deduction DCI Tosh.’

  ‘Then perhaps you would allow me the privilege of escorting you to your place of residence?’

  ‘That would be most welcome.’

  When the bill arrived, they split it without any fuss, Tosh wondering if a kiss outside her flat would also be most welcome?

  Chapter 18

  Joe Flint got the text from Euan Hunter when he was fifty miles from Glencoe. The trip to Nepal and the attempt on Everest had fallen through due to cancellations and he would try to reschedule for next year. He stopped the car at the nearest parking place. Hunter was suggesting a meeting whenever Flint was in Scotland. It was prescient since he had just crossed the border earlier that day. There was no indication as to what he wanted to discuss, but Flint assumed it would be about Ellie.

  As he had told DCI Tosh, they had met once before, over twenty years ago now. Euan and Ellie had joined their group on a climb in Italy. It had been a strained affair and it was clear Euan would rather not have been there, no doubt believing that Flint was a rival for her attentions. He was a good climber, nothing showy and happy to take instruction when needed. Lean and strong, he could cope with a strenuous overhang if required. They partnered each other once, Hunter leading alternate pitches, Flint had been impressed with the man’s technique, always playing things safe with no unnecessary risks. When it came to an ascent, he was a team player. On the ground he was socially withdrawn and wary, seldom leaving Ellie’s side. Flint could see how besotted he was with her and wanted to advise him to lighten up.