Page 109 of The Moon Sister
That capped it.
By the time I had drained the cup, I knew I only had one option available. And that was to do as Ulrika had asked and remove myself from Kinnaird. Whilst I waited for Cal to arrive, I laid my plans. When the nurse returned, to unhook the intravenous drips and remove my cannula, I asked her for some paper. I wrote a note to Cal, and penned my official resignation for Charlie. Without an envelope, I folded both notes together and wrote Cal’s name on the front in capitals. For now, I hid it under my pillow.
Cal arrived at nine o’clock, looking far fresher. He dumped my rucksack in a corner.
‘Morning, Tig. Hope I got everythin’ yae asked for. You’ll understand I felt a bit funny going through your drawers, tae find your . . . drawers!’ he cackled. ‘Anyway, how are yae feeling?’
‘Heaps better, thanks,’ I said brightly. ‘I’m sure they’ll let me out today. The nurse said my obs were looking good.’
‘That’s the best news o’ all, and, boy, do I need it. Kinnaird’s swarming with journalists desperate to get a photo o’ our precious Pegasus.’
‘Oh God, is he still lying where he . . . fell?’
‘No – and here’s the odd thing; after the police had removed the bullet from his side, Lochie an’ Ben helped the forensics erect a tent over him tae protect the evidence. The lads kept watch all night, but what do yae know? When they went into the tent this morning, the body had disappeared. Gone.’ Cal clicked his fingers. ‘Like that.’
‘Please don’t tell me someone has stolen him to make a trophy out of him!’ I moaned.
‘Unless both the laddies were slipped somethin’ in their flask o’ coffee and fell asleep so deeply that they didn’t hear a large vehicle turning up and a massive stag being dragged out o’ the tent, I’d doubt it. And –’ Cal waggled a finger at me – ‘another strange thing that you’d appreciate: where he’d lain, there’d been blood around him. As the police said this mornin’ when they looked inside the tent, not only had the stag disappeared, but the snow where he’d been was pure white.’
‘As if he’d never existed . . .’ I whispered.
‘That’s what I thought too. Weird, eh?’
‘Everything is weird at the moment,’ I said. ‘You absolutely swear that you’re not just telling me a story to make me feel better, are you?’
‘As if I’d do that, Tig. You can ask them when you get back to Kinnaird if yae don’t believe me. Beryl sent these by the way.’ Cal handed me a Tupperware box full of Millionaire’s Shortbread. ‘She says you have a likin’ for them. She sends her love o’ course, as does everyone.’
‘Including Zed?’
‘I haven’t seen him so I cannae say.’ Cal shrugged. ‘I dropped the keys tae his Range Rover in with Beryl an’ made a hasty exit.’
‘Everything’s gone wrong at Kinnaird since he arrived,’ I sighed. ‘I just hope he takes the hint and leaves. Cal, would you mind awfully if I sent you off for half an hour to get a cuppa whilst I have a wash and get changed into my clothes? It might make me feel more human.’
‘O’ course, an’ I’ll help myself tae a bit o’ breakfast at the café too. One way an’ another, I didn’t get time tae eat before I left.’
‘Take your time,’ I said as I climbed out of bed. ‘Cal?’
‘Yes, Tig?’
‘Thank you for everything. And . . . I’m really sorry.’
‘Don’t be a dafty,’ he smiled back at me. ‘I’ll see you in a bit.’
Feeling horribly guilty that I was about to give Cal another shock, but knowing it couldn’t be helped, swiftly, I went into action. I pulled the sticky pads attaching me to the ECG machine from my front torso, then I picked up my rucksack and dumped it on the bed to check the contents. Happily, I saw my passport and wallet were present, but my mobile phone was missing.Never mind, I thought,I’ll just have to buy a new one when I arrive. . .
Leaving the note for Cal on the pillow, I carried my rucksack to the nearest loo and shut the door. I dressed hastily in the jeans and hoodie Cal had brought me, swept my hair up and twirled it into a topknot.
Peering round the loo door, I knew I still had to run the gauntlet of the nurses’ station a few metres along the corridor. I was relieved to see that at present it was unoccupied. Opening the door wide, I strode out blatantly and exited the ward. I then remembered what the detective had said about the media hanging around and hunted for a side exit from the hospital, which I eventually found.
Once outside, I got into one of the waiting taxis.
‘Inverness airport, please,’ I told the driver.
‘No problem, miss.’ He started the engine and we drove off.
At the tiny airport’s ticket desk, the attendant asked me where I wanted to go.
‘Geneva,’ I said, deciding there was nothing I needed more than Ma taking care of me and Claudia cooking my favourite bean stew. Yet, as the woman tapped away on her computer, in my mind’s eye I saw the white ceiling of a cave . . .
