As she crossed the bridge over to Skye, she felt hollow inside. It wasn’t hunger. No, it was unmitigated terror

2015

When her phone rang, she ran to the table from the window where she sat, waiting.

“Martha?”

“Who? Not unless I’ve had a sex change, Fi.” An Aussie voice chuckled at the other end. “It’s Ross from The Pier.”

“Oh, hi, Ross, sorry, bit of an emergency going on here, not quite with it.” She explained about her dad being rushed to hospital.

“Christ, sorry, d’you want me to phone back later?” “Please, I’m waiting for Martha to call.”

“No worries, had some news about Debs that might interest you but not a problem.”

“Hang on,” Fi said, glancing up at the clock. The match was due to finish in five minutes. “Got a couple of minutes, fill me in please?”

“Okay, here’s the thing. The police have just left. They were after Debs and . . .”

“Why were the police after her?”

“Turns out she’s a conman, well, conwoman. Fiddled the books when she worked here that first time and they reckon it might even have been her who set fire to the place just as they were on to her.”

Surprise

Fiona gasped. “She tried to pin that on Pete!” “That doesn’t surprise me. Anyway, she was never found out.

“Then the boss has been saying for the past few weeks how nothing was adding up in the tills at the end of the night and so she talked about it to Debs and me last night.

“We get in this morning and Debs is gone, taken all her crazy music from the kitchen and those weird sandals she left there. And the police said she’s done it before.”

“So how come they didn’t find her?” “Changes her name, her hair, sometimes she looks like a respectable librarian, always gets away with it.

“She’s originally from Orkney, name’s Morag Quigley.”

Fiona looked at the clock. Two more minutes. “Unbelievable. I met her for lunch, Ross, couple of months ago.”

“Yeah, she told me drunkenly one night.”

“She said not to tell you!”

“That’s how she was. Devious. She said she told you how much Pete loved you and he was sure to come back.”

“Bloody liar. She told me they’d slept together and he’d got angry when she had asked for a pound for the bus home the next morning.”

“Christ, Fi, you didn’t believe her?”

“Why not?”

“I wouldn’t believe a word out of her mouth. She was nothing more than a bloody crook. She probably stole all his money too.”

Fiona sighed. “Ross, I’ve got to go now, but thanks for this. Makes me feel a bit better about Pete.”

“No worries, hope your dad’s okay. Keep me posted.”

Fiona looked up at the ceiling and shook her head. So, Debs was a liar and a crook and maybe even an arsonist. So, had Pete been taken in by her too?

Her eyes opened wide as the implication dawned. Bloody hell, was he in it with her? Is that why he kept disappearing?

She shuddered as she thought of the two of them, criminals working together . . .

The phone rang.

Important

“Fi, it’s me, game’s just over. Jamie loved it. What’s up?”

“Dad’s had a heart attack, I’ve got to get to Skye as soon as possible. Can you bring Jamie over fast and we’ll get going. Could be there for about nine tonight.”

“Oh no, sorry, Fi. But listen, why don’t we hang on to Jamie? You don’t want him at the hospital. Anyway, he’s in love with Allie. We can stay at yours or he can come to us?”

“That’d be great, M. But I thought you were out tonight?”

“Not important, Fi. Your mum needs you. Just let me know about the key if you want us to stay at yours. Then get going.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll leave the key under the back doormat.”

“Right, off you go. Drive safely!”

“Thanks, M. You’re a star. Give Jamie a big hug. Oh, and make up something about why I’m off, don’t tell him Pa’s ill.”

As she crossed the bridge over to Skye, she felt hollow inside. It wasn’t hunger, she had taken packets of nuts and a slab of chocolate with her.

No, it was unmitigated terror. She looked at her watch. Eight twenty.

It was pitch black and she could barely see the road signs but she knew she had to head north at the end of the bridge.

The deep fear inside her was irrational, she told herself. Her dad was going to be fine. He was strong as an ox.

This was just a blip, something brought on by too much wine.

He drank too much; and as for that pipe, well, that would all have to go, no doubt about it.

Forty minutes later, she drove up the hill towards Portree Hospital and parked the car. She got out and ran towards the entrance.

The receptionist directed her to the visitors’ room where she was told her mother would be. She sprinted along the corridor and flung open the door.

Her mother sat crumpled in a corner, a nurse on either side of her, one holding a cup of tea on a saucer.

“Mum!” Fiona ran over to her and her mother looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

“He’s gone, Fi, about an hour ago.”

“What d’you mean, gone?”

One of the nurses stood up and patted Fiona’s arm. “So sorry, Fiona, your father passed away at eight o’clock tonight.

“The doctors tried everything they could, but it was already too late.”

Silent sobs

“But that’s impossible, he’s strong, robust, he’s . . .” “The doctors said if it hadn’t happened on the ferry, they might have been able to save him.

“Took too long to get to the ambulance and get that stent put in. Would you like to see one of the doctors?”

The nurse pushed her gently on to the chair she had just vacated and as Fiona nodded, she grasped her mother’s hand and looked up into tear-filled eyes.

Fiona felt her chest begin to heave and she started to cry, gulping as tears flowed.

She rested her head on her mother’s lap and shook with silent sobs.

Her mother stroked her forehead and began mumbling something, she had no idea what, but the noise was soothing.

“We’ll get the doctor along for you now,” said the nurse as she and her companion tiptoed out of the room and shut the door firmly behind them.

More tomorrow.