Chapter 25

 

   The following morning, the Thompsons took advantage of the quiet roads to sneak back to the mortuary. They didn't take the hearse as there hadn't been any deaths on the island that anyone knew about other than the fishing tourist who everyone supposed had been cremated, so it would have looked rather odd.
   'Charlie!' barked Jock, as he clattered through the double swing doors. 'Where are you man?'
   Charlie poked his head around a door.
   'Oh, it's you again. Be about your business and be gone.'
   'Where is he?'
   'Who?'
   'Thon fisherman, who do you think?'
   'He's where you left him.'
   Jock and Jimmy hurried over to the drawers.
   'Just get him out of here, will you?' said Charlie, checking papers on his desk while pretending he wasn't looking.
   'Still in the same drawer?'
   'Who?'
   'The tourist!' barked Jock, glowering at him.
   'Unless he felt uncomfortable and moved himself during the night.'
   'This isn't our fault,' said Jimmy quietly. 'Don't take it out on us.'
   'I guess you're right,' said Charlie, tucking his long hair behind his ears. 'Please, just get him out of here and get rid of him. And don't ever bring him back here again.'
   The twins pulled the coffin out and both of them stared at it for a few moments.
   'Right, let's get this done,' said Jock reluctantly, motioning for Jimmy to grab the other end of the coffin.
   Their estate car creaked on its springs as the coffin was slid inside. They hastily arranged the blanket as best they could to hide it and then Jock slammed the boot lid shut.
   Jimmy rubbed his hands briskly.
   'See you around Charlie,' said Jock with a cheery wave of his hand.
   'Don't take this the wrong way,' muttered Charlie darkly, 'but I hope I never see either of you ever again.'
   And with that he disappeared back into the morgue and closed the doors.
   'Some folks!' retorted Jock.
   'After all we have done for him too,' agreed Jimmy.
   'So where are we going now?'
   'I don't know.'
   Jimmy buckled himself in, and waited as Jock let out the clutch and made for the main hospital gates.
   'What do you mean, you don't know?'
   'Remember where we used to fish for trout when we were boys?' said Jock.
   'In that stream near our parents bothy?'
   'That's the place.'
   'The bothy is just a pile of rotten wood now. It's falling to bits.'
   'I know, but it's still our bothy, which means no one would raise any eyebrows if they saw us around the area.'
   'Hmmm, so what's the plan?'
   'I'm still thinking it through,' said Jock.
   'It's on the other side of the island.'
   'It's not far to walk from the road, though, and there won't be anyone around.'
   'What's on your mind?'
   'The pit.'
   'Thon deep pit near the banks of the burn? The one surrounded by the fencing to keep everyone away?'
   'Yes.'
   'What's on your mind?' asked Jimmy, with genuine curiosity in his eyes. 'We never did find out how deep it was.'
   'No, but the stones we dropped down took a few seconds to hit the bottom.'
   'Chuck him down there?'
   'That's the plan.'
   Jimmy thought about it for a bit before replying.
   'He could be found down there one day, you know.'
   'Ah, but that's the thing. I heard a rumour a while back that the council were going to fill that pit in with rubble, you know, so kids don't ever fall down there.'
   'That would certainly solve everything, but what about the old stories?'
   'The witch you mean?'
   'Maybe the stories are true. Maybe she did chuck her bad spells down there.'
   'We smoked our first cigarettes there,' smiled Jock.
   'I've never been so sick in my life.'
   'I don't think we should have tried to smoke the whole packet all at once.'
   'Well, it cured us of smoking, that's for sure, so no harm done,' replied Jimmy, resting his head back and turning to look out over the moors.
   It was a sombre day with a brisk breeze ruffling the heather. A shaft of sunshine glanced down through the grey clouds washing the moor with pale colour. His gaze lingered on the horizon where the moors melded with the sky in a misty haze.
   'Wow, look at that!' said Jock, slowing down as they passed John Brown's house.
   'Good grief!' exclaimed Jimmy, staring wide eyed at all the vehicles parked on the road outside his gate.
   There was an ambulance, two police cars, another two unmarked cars, and police in uniform were wandering around the croft. Holmes spotted them, but didn't wave.

   A couple of miles farther down the road, their car suddenly coughed and there was a rather disconcerting grinding noise from the engine.
   'What was that?' hissed Jock in alarm.
   He slowed down, pressed the clutch and revved the engine a few times.
   'Dunno, but it seems okay now,' remarked Jimmy apprehensively.
   'Maybe it's time to change cars.'
  'Well, well, look, there's John Brown!'
   'Where?'
   'Over there!'
   The car started to veer off to the side of the road as Jock turned his head.
   'WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!'
   The car lurched as Jock grabbed the wheel.
   'Where was he?' asked Jock.
   'He was on his tractor out in the moors.'
   'Did he see us?'
   'I expect so, he couldn't have missed us.'
   Jock steered them round a tight bend and accelerated.
   'Are we out of sight yet?'
   'I can't see him now.'
   'Do you think those stories had any truth to them? asked Jock.
   'What stories?'
   'The witch, silly.'
   'A right old cronie she was by all accounts. Lived on alcohol and whatever else she could get.'
   'I heard she sniffed glue.'
   'Nasty old cow.'
   Jimmy looked across at his brother with doleful eyes.
   'Do you think she really dumped her witch spells down there?'
   'Who knows?'
   'I did our sums last night,' said Jock. 'We can't afford to lose another coffin. We're struggling to pay our bills this month as it is. We just can't afford to lose another coffin.'
   'What do you mean?'
   'I mean, we have to take him out of the coffin, take it home, repair it and give it a good polish.'
   'What? Just chuck him down the hole?'
   'We can't afford to lose another coffin.'
   'Doesn't seem right, just chucking him down a hole.'
   The engine coughed again, and there was another grinding noise.
   'Tell me this isn't happening,' groaned Jimmy.
   'What the—?'
   The engine suddenly died and they coasted down a gentle incline before pulling into a convenient passing place on the single track road. Jock tried a few times to get the car going again, but the engine wouldn't start.
   'That's all we need,' grumbled Jimmy in frustration.
   Jock clicked the bonnet catch and jumped out of the car. Just then another car approached going the other way. It slowed down and the passenger window lowered.
   'All right there Jimmy?'
   'Ah, Peter, how are you?' beamed Jock nonchalantly, pretending he didn't have a care in the world.
   'Need a jump start?'
   'Oh no, the car is just fine! Stopped to breathe the air, and just taking the time to check the water and oil is all.'
   'Have a nice day then!' smiled Peter, and drove off.
   Jimmy stuck his head out of the window.
   'What's the problem then?'
   'How should I know?' retorted Jock, scratching his groin as he looked around the engine compartment. 'I'm not a mechanic.'
   Another car came up behind them and slowed down.
   'Jock! Jimmy!' shouted a woman from her open window. 'It's been a long time! What brings you fellas over this way?'
   'Bella!' replied Jock, with a huge smile. 'How are you?'
   'I'm still single.'
   'As long as you're happy, Bella, that's all that matters.'
   She frowned at their car.
   'Have you a problem?' she asked.
   'Nah,' smiled Jimmy from the open car window. 'It's just such a lovely day. Thought we'd stop for a breath of fresh air.'
   Bella's frown deepened as she suspected the Thompsons were not being honest with her. Just then another car approached behind her and she was forced to say her goodbyes and drive off.
   'We've hit rush hour,' sighed Jock, slamming down the bonnet.
   He smiled and waved to the occupants of the next car as they drove by.
   'What are we going to do?' asked Jimmy.
   'I think I can hear a tractor,' said Jock in some alarm.
   'Hmmmm, I'll bet it's John Brown. Do you think he is following us?'
   'We'd better get the body out of the car and hide it,' said Jock.
   'Hide him? Where?'
   'Jimmy, we have broken down. We will have to call for help and get the car towed to a garage. We can't do that with a coffin in the boot.'
   Jimmy glanced around the moors but they offered no cover for men carrying bodies.
   'What about behind that small mound over there?' suggested Jimmy, pointing. 'At least it's out of view of the road.'
   Jock jumped in and tried the key again. The engine turned over a few times and then there was a small hiss and a little puff of smoke.
   'That's that then,' he sighed, smacking the dashboard. 'We have no choice. Let's get the body out of here.'
   They opened the boot and dragged the coffin out onto the verge. Taking an end each, they started out into the moor as fast as they could.
   'I can hear a car,' said Jimmy, beginning to panic.
   'Quick, dump him!'
   'WHERE?'
   'In the ditch! Quick!'
   With a thud, the coffin landed in a muddy ditch behind an old peat bank just as Sergeant Holmes appeared around a corner. The Thompsons nonchalently wandered back to their car, hands in their pockets, pretending to admire the lovely scenery.
   'Well, what have we here?' said Holmes, pulling over to the side of the road and parking behind their car.
   'How are you Bob?' greeted Jimmy.
   Holmes got out of his car and looked up and down the road suspiciously.
   'What are you two up to?'
   'The car has broken down?' explained Jock, giving one of the tyres a kick.
   'What seems to be the problem?' asked Holmes.
   'We have no idea,' said Jock. 'It just died on us.'
   'Well, I'm pretty good with cars, let's take a look!'
   Jimmy pulled the bonnet catch again from inside and then joined Jock and Holmes as they peered into the engine compartment. After fiddling with a few things and checking leads and tapping other bits and pieces, Holmes asked Jock to turn the engine. There was a click but nothing else. Holmes hunted around for a stone and tapped the starter motor a few times.
   'Try that.'
   Jock turned the key again but there was just a click and nothing happened.
   'Well, you're broken down for sure,' said Holmes. 'McLeod is a good mechanic. He's only five miles down the road or so. Would you like a tow there?'
   Jock and Jimmy glanced at each other and then nodded vigorously, anxious to get Holmes as far away from the coffin and the body as quickly as possible.
   'It's a good job I carry a tow rope,' said Holmes, opening the boot.
   He got down on his hands and knees to secure the rope to the towing rings of both cars.
   'There are a lot of people at John's house,' remarked Jock.
   'Yes, it's a sad business,' replied Holmes with a haunted look.
   'Any further news?' asked Jimmy.
   'I shouldn't really say anything,' said Holmes, getting back to his feet, 'but it's a small island and you'll hear the news soon enough. Old Graham has been arrested. The detectives from the mainland want to charge him with murder.'
   'Old Graham? A murderer? Nah, not him, he's a good man.'
   'Yes, I agree, but from the water bailiff's testimony, we know it was him who was with Roddy the night he drowned. He saw the two of them walking down to the shores of the loch in the dark and he followed them.'
   'It's a sad business,' said Jock glumly.
   'Oh dear,' sighed Jimmy, 'Not Old Graham.'
   'Indeed,' said Holmes, wiping his hands with a rag and closing the boot of his car. 'To my mind, he was only trying to save the water bailiff from being drowned and Roddy's death was not intentional.'
   'Ah,' said Jock, understanding things at last. 'So it was Old Graham who broke into our workshop, stole the coffin and then buried Roddy in John's grave hoping he would never be found.'
   'It would appear so,' said Holmes sadly.
   'Right, let's get you two down the road to the garage. Where were you heading for anyway?'
   'We were just going out to our old bothy, to see if it could perhaps be done up a bit,' lied Jock. 'It's a nice place to spend a day or two and unwind from the pressures of life.'
   'Haff you seen any more of Mary?'
   'Not since I left her with you in the bar,' said Jock.
   Holmes nodded mysteriously, clambered into his car, and a few minutes later, at slow speed, they set off down the road to the next village.

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