White Nights - Ann Cleeves [120]
Edith came out into the hall to greet him. He thought what a nuisance he must be to her, more like a child at times than her man.
‘Come into the office,’ she said. ‘I’ve asked Sandra to make us some tea.’
He sat in the easy chair on the other side of her desk. He thought this was where people would sit when there was a problem with a relative she was looking after. Maybe even if a client had died. He supposed she would arrange for tea to be brought then. She would pour it out for them, from the china teapot which sat there on its tray. She thinks the bones belong to Lawrence too, he thought. She’s treating me like a grieving relative.
‘I wish Perez would phone and let me know what’s going on,’ he said.
She reached out and squeezed his hand. ‘Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to you until he has information. It can’t be easy identifying a body from a few scraps of bone.’
Kenny considered this. Sometimes he watched police shows on the television. In those shows test results seemed to come back within hours. But those programmes weren’t set in Shetland. Perhaps there was no one here competent to do the tests. The samples would have to be sent south and that would take time.
He sipped from the cup, which seemed very fragile in his big hand. There was a plate with little square biscuits covered in sugar. He took one and dipped it into the tea. It tasted of coconut.
‘Do you remember anything of that time Lawrence disappeared?’ he asked.
She poured tea for herself. ‘I’ve been trying to think ever since you phoned. Bella had a heap of people in the Manse. Sometimes Willy took them out fishing. They’d come back and build a fire on the beach to cook the fish. They all drank too much. Lawrence spent quite a lot of time with them. You know how he liked a party.’
Kenny nodded.
‘I was so busy then,’ she said. ‘With the children and your father and trying to keep things tidy on the croft. You were in Fair Isle. It wasn’t easy.’
‘I shouldn’t have gone,’ he said. ‘I see that now.’
She gave a little laugh. ‘We needed the money. Don’t you remember all the plans we had? And it was worth the work, wasn’t it? We have a lovely home now.’
Kenny thought he would give up the lovely home to have been in Biddista when Lawrence disappeared. He’d gone to Fair Isle with Edith’s encouragement. She’d wanted their children to have the things her parents had never been able to afford for her.
‘I just think you have to wait,’ Edith said. ‘Perez will get in touch with you as soon as he knows anything. After all these years you can wait a few hours.’
He knew she was right, but he couldn’t face going back to the croft and just sitting there, hoping the phone would ring.
‘I’ll have a talk to Willy, see if I can cheer him up.’
‘You do that. But he’s quite confused today. A bit agitated. Don’t be upset if he doesn’t know you.’
‘Has Wilding been in to see him again?’
She frowned and he remembered how Wilding’s visit to the centre had upset her. ‘Not here, but he could have visited him at the sheltered housing over the weekend.’
‘Do you think I should call in on Wilding, ask him what he wants from the old man?’
‘I’m overreacting, I expect. It’s probably nothing. Just a writer’s curiosity. I’d like to know what he’s up to, but I wouldn’t want you going to see him on your own. Not with everything that’s happened since he arrived. Wait until Martin can go with you.’
‘Wilding’s a weak sort of man. I can’t see him killing anyone.’
‘I’m not sure,’ she said. ‘Don’t you think it’s the weak ones who are most violent?’
There was a knock at the door. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to go. There’s a meeting. Something I can’t cancel. My boss has come up from Lerwick.’
He leaned across her desk and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘I’ll see you at home.’
Kenny sat beside Willy in the lounge. The staff