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We sat near the open fire that had now burned down to little more than embers.

“You sneaked out,” he said. “Where did you go?”

Without mentioning Scarlett—I didn’t want to reveal her relationship with Harq—I told Douglas I had managed to communicate with the selkies. “They’re going to leave the loch.”

“That’s probably for the best,” he said. “At least until you find the skin. Any new ideas where it might be?”

“Nope.” But I hoped my big toe had other ideas.

Chapter Twenty

The next morning I awoke with a headache. It was going to be a bad day. I could feel it. After throwing on my usual jeans and sweater I headed downstairs in search of coffee. The way I felt, even instant would be good.

I heard voices before I reached the kitchen. One was Stuart MacDuff. The other was his wife Anne. I stood outside the kitchen and listened.

“I’m going to die.” Stuart sounded close to tears. “The selkies will come for me and they’ll—”

“No they won’t,” interrupted Anne. “Not while I’ve got breath in my body.”

Stuart continued to wail. “They won’t rest until I’m dead.”

“Then we’ll move away from the loch.”

“But I like living here.”

I heard Anne’s sigh of exasperation. It was time to interrupt them before she throttled him.

“Morning,” I said, striding into the kitchen.

Anne looked pleased to see me and wished me a brisk good morning before saying, “Help me convince Stuart the selkies aren’t going to kill him?”

I turned to Stuart, intending to confirm Anne’s theory, but the words died on my tongue. He was terribly pale and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. I struggled not to show how shocked I was. Somehow I managed to say, “The selkies didn’t kill Malcolm and they didn’t mean to kill McEwen. It was an accident.”

“That’s crap,” he said. “You’re lying to protect them.”

“Listen to me, Stuart. The selkies don’t want to harm you or anyone else. They’re going to leave the loch.”

“Really?” asked Anne. When I nodded, she hugged Stuart, and said, “Och, love, it’s safe to go home.”

Stuart didn’t look convinced. “It’s a trap,” he said. “The selkies are going to kill me. You heard the banshee.”

“It hasn’t come for you.” Anne sounded thoroughly fed up with his whining. “It’s come for Mrs. Ferguson.”

Stuart didn’t look convinced. He started to say something then his pale face got even paler. “I dinnae feel so good.” He got to his feet and staggered toward the door. Luckily he made it outside in time. I tried not to listen to the sounds of him throwing up.

“He’s always like this after a big night,” said Anne. “He’ll be fine once he sleeps it off.”

She gave him a few minutes to stop groaning then she went outside. I heard her say, “Let’s get you home.”

Stuart didn’t argue.

After they had gone I made myself coffee. I was drinking my second cup when Douglas appeared.

“Anne and Stuart not down yet?” he asked. He looked as though he was eager to avoid them.

“Anne took him home,” I said, handing Douglas a mug of coffee.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out, “Peace at last.”

“It’s the calm before the storm.” I said.

Everything was coming to a head. There would be a reckoning. Sir Alastair vs. Allegra Fairweather. Would the good guy—er, girl—win? I could only hope.

“What’s your next move?” asked Douglas.

“I have to see Lady Justina again.” It was hard to get used to calling her Eark, which might sound very pretty in selkie but didn’t sound so good in English. “I have a message for her from her brother.”

When Douglas offered to go with me, I told him it wasn’t a good idea. I didn’t want an amateur getting involved in something he couldn’t handle.

On my way through the village I saw Mrs. Ferguson. She was walking toward the shops arm in arm with Dr. Williamson. She had never looked more alive. In fact, she looked ten years younger. Whoever the banshee had been wailing for, it wasn’t her.

I shivered as though something had walked over my grave. I looked at the neat houses lining the streets and the pleasure craft bobbing near the wharf. Someone in this village was going to die. I wondered who it would be.

Hoping