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her eyes as Fraser shone his in her face. ‘Now that’s no way to treat a member of the press, is it?’
    Press?
I thought, dismayed. She’d told me she was a novelist. Duncan had stopped, uncertain what to do. The young woman was already looking behind us, trying to see into the darkened room. Brody tried to close the door, but its rusted hinges seemed to have frozen. They gave an explosive creak, but refused to shut.
    Maggie gave him a smile. ‘You must be Andrew Brody. Heard about you from my gran. I’m Maggie Cassidy,
Lewis Gazette
.’
    Brody appeared unruffled by her sudden appearance. ‘What do you want, Maggie?’
    ‘To find out what’s going on, obviously. You don’t get police coming out to Runa every day.’ She grinned. ‘Just fluke I came to see my gran when I did. Great timing, eh?’
    Now I knew why she’d rushed off the ferry so quickly: she’d gone to get a car. With only one road and the police Range Rover parked outside the cottage, she wouldn’t have had much difficulty finding us.
    She turned to me. ‘Hello again, Dr Hunter. Not got a patient out here, surely?’
    ‘Never mind that,’ Fraser said, his face livid. ‘I want you out! Now! Before I throw you out on your arse.’
    ‘That’d be assault, Sergeant Fraser. You wouldn’t want me to file charges, now would you?’ She rummaged in her shoulder bag, emerging with a dictaphone. ‘Just a few comments, that’s all I’m asking. It’s not every day a body’s found on Runa. That is what’s in there, isn’t it? A body?’
    Fraser had balled his fists. ‘Duncan, get her out.’
    She brandished the dictaphone towards us. ‘Any idea who it is? Are there any suspicious circumstances?’
    Duncan reached out to take hold of her arm. ‘Come on, miss…’ he said, apologetically.
    Maggie gave a resigned shrug. ‘Ah, well. Can’t blame a girl for trying.’
    She turned as if to go, but her bag slipped from her shoulder. Duncan automatically bent to pick it up, and as he did she suddenly ducked to one side, peering round him. Her eyes widened as she saw what was in the other room.
    ‘Oh, my God!’
    ‘Right, out!’ Fraser pushed past Duncan and grabbed her by the arm. He began herding her firmly towards the door.
    ‘Ow! You’re hurting!’ She raised the dictaphone. ‘I’m recording this. I’m being physically thrown out by Sergeant Neil Fraser…’
    Fraser took no notice. ‘I see you hanging round here again, you’ll be under arrest. Clear?’
    ‘This is assault!’
    But Fraser had already thrust her out of the cottage. He turned on Duncan.
    ‘Get her in her car and see she leaves. You think you can manage that?’
    ‘Sorry, I—’
    ‘Just do it!’
    Duncan hurried out.
    ‘Great!’ Fraser fumed. ‘Just what we needed, a bloody hack!’
    ‘She seemed to know you,’ Brody commented.
    Fraser glared at him. ‘I’ll take your statement now,
Mr
Brody.’ The emphasis was deliberately insulting. ‘After that we’ll not be needing you any more.’
    Brody set his jaw, but that was the only sign of annoyance. ‘What are you planning on using for a command post while you’re here?’
    Fraser blinked suspiciously. ‘What?’
    ‘You can’t leave this place unattended. Not now. If one of you wants to come back to town with me, I’ve got a camper van you can use. Nothing fancy, but you’ll be hard pushed to find anything else on the island.’ His eyebrows went up. ‘Unless you were planning on staying out here all night in the car?’
    The sergeant’s expression made it plain he hadn’t thought that far ahead. ‘I’ll send Duncan with you to get it,’ he said gruffly.
    There was humour in Brody’s eyes as he gave me a nod. ‘Pleasure meeting you, Dr Hunter. Good luck.’
    He and Fraser went out. When they’d gone, I stood in the silence of the small room, trying not to acknowledge the unease I felt now I was alone.
    Don’t be stupid.
I went back into the room where the remains of the dead woman lay. As I