Michael Alder had first begun that arrangement about a year earlier at the same time as he'd mentioned he had found a distant elderly relative .sx It was about six months since she had handled some letters which said the old man needed nursing-home care .sx The half-share secretary had had no idea she was being interviewed - John Kenna's police contacts were the kind who carried briefcases in place of batons .sx But there was a final sentence in the telex , a direct quote from the anonymous briefcase cop .sx " Subject Alder has no criminal record .sx But he has been noted twice as a name on the fringe of separate marine insurance frauds .sx No involvement was proved , but he remains potentially interesting .sx " .sx Dr James Kennedy had a separate telex page .sx In some ways , the details were more positive , in other ways they were less .sx Basic fact was that he was " Scottish by birth , an undistinguished medical graduate of Edinburgh " .sx .sx His first post had been three years in the casualty department of a London hospital .sx He had left that for an oil company job in the Middle East , then had moved on again after eighteen months .sx Next he had been two years with the medical sales section of a Swiss pharmaceutical company before he moved on again .sx Then James Kennedy had vanished from the known medical scene for more than five years .sx When he had surfaced again , it was back in Scotland with vague descriptions of " work with medical agencies in the Lebanon and Spain " .sx It was less than a year since he had arrived in Port Torquil , saying he wanted to put down roots .sx Younger medical practitioners were scarce around the islands , and there had been a general welcome when he set up practice in the fishing village .sx He was liked , he was respected , he worked hard .sx But James Kennedy had disappeared in Port Torquil at approximately the same time as Michael Alder had arrived .sx James Kennedy who had a radio hidden in an upstairs bedroom and lied about whiskies .sx There was one thing more .sx Old John Hill , the distant relative discovered by Michael Alder then eventually shipped out to a private nursing home on the mainland , " is still listed on National Health Service central computer records as being one of Dr James Kennedy's patients in Port Torquil " .sx Six months on - that could happen .sx But also six months on , Social Security's central pensions computer still continued to list the old man as living in Port Torquil , where his pension was being paid to a duly authorized agent and relative , Mr Michael Alder .sx The authorization , on the grounds of John Hill's frailty and ill health , had been countersigned by the old man's general practitioner - James Kennedy .sx There were other fragments , scooped together by the industrious John Kennan , some without being asked .sx Harry Gold , boatyard owner , had served an eighteen-month term for trading in stolen boats .sx Even the crew of the Dirk hadn't escaped scrutiny .sx Tom Barratt , the beanpole electronics technician , had a medal for bravery that went back to the Falklands .sx The plump , plain Martha Edwards had twice been fined , once been jailed as an Animal Rights activist .sx .. He swept the telex messages aside .sx The two that mattered most , the two about Alder and Kennedy , posed their own stark , bleak , questions .sx Maybe some of the others mattered too .sx Maybe that depended on what might be waiting ahead .sx Half an hour later , Lannair Island was a growing bulk on Tern's radar screen .sx In another twenty minutes , the patrol launch had come back to half speed using the outer diesels .sx What had been an air-gobbling roar had become a purr , the tell-tale white of her wash had vanished .sx If Lannair had any fresh visitors , Tern had become a mere shadow of an outline in a grey , broken sea under a dark night sky .sx Andy Grey had the radar watch , Gogi MacDonnell had taken over the helm , and Sam Pilsudski had emerged like a maritime mole to sniff the air and help on deck .sx " No good , skipper , " said Andy Grey for the third time in as many minutes .sx " Ghosting - a lot of ghosting .sx The same we get around Torquil's Shield .sx " He glanced uneasily towards Gogi MacDonnell .sx " Same with the compass .sx " .sx " Gogi ?sx " asked Carrick .sx " Aye , fine skipper , " said MacDonnell placidly .sx " Jesus , " said Sam Pilsudski piously .sx " He's happy !sx " The engineer officer stared out at the night , at the black rise of island , and at the foaming patches of sea ahead .sx " You happy , Clapper ?sx " .sx " No , " said Clapper Bell solemnly , shaking his head .sx Andy Grey looked round , staring at them , then swore when he saw their grins under the soft red night-vision lighting of the bridge .sx " Stop clowning , " ordered Carrick with a faint irritation .sx Even in the darkness he could now pick up individual outlines of rock along Lannair's shore .sx " Gogi , bring her down - slow ahead both .sx " .sx " Slow ahead both , " repeated MacDonnell .sx He eased back on both outer throttles , and immediately Tern slowed to a whispering crawl .sx Carrick was satisfied .sx They were closing on the high east cliff of the island .sx If Lannair was half a mile long , then the patrol launch was less than that distance out .sx He could even see the black beginning of the downward slope to the low rocks of the western shore .sx The west - .sx " Skipper !sx " Clapper Bell spoke urgently , pointing .sx " On the slope .sx A light !sx " .sx Andy Grey opened his mouth to protest at an old joke worn thin .sx Then he saw the way Bell was staring towards the island and changed his mind .sx " Skipper ?sx " This time , Bell made it a question .sx " Got it , " confirmed Carrick .sx " Mark it .sx " .sx While Tern muttered on at the same slow , rolling pace , occasional spray pattering along her length , the same brief will-o'-the-wisp light danced for a few moments more on Lannair in the way a carelessly used torch might shine .sx Then it had gone .sx By then , Carrick had the bridge glasses ready .sx The light suddenly showed again , more a reflection this time , further along the slope .sx Climbing .sx It vanished again .sx This time the light didn't reappear .sx " We're in business , " murmured Sam Pilsudski .sx He hauled one of his thin cheroots out of his top overall pocket , stuck it in his mouth , leaving it dangling unlit , and grinned .sx " Front door or back door , Webb ?sx " .sx It had to be back door .sx With any luck , Tern was still invisible in the night , and someone was on Lannair .sx Carrick knew their immediate task was to find out why .sx A hogback outcrop of islet was visible to starboard .sx It was big enough to give cover , safe enough for Tern to loiter behind .sx Five minutes later , the patrol launch was snug in the shadow of the hogback islet , lying maybe two lengths off the foaming sea around its base .sx By then , Andy Grey had his orders , Carrick and Clapper Bell were in the scuba compartment changing into their black neoprene rubber wet-suits , and the will-o'-the-wisp light still hadn't been seen again .sx Clapper Bell had two breathing sets neatly laid out .sx As Carrick and the big Glasgow-Irishman fastened final zips , pulled on harness , and went into a routine check of each other's breathing apparatus , Andy Grey joined them from the bridge .sx " Ready , skipper ?sx " His thin face was slightly strained .sx " Ready , " agreed Carrick .sx " Just remember one thing , Andy .sx If we flush any boat out from Lannair , don't go mad .sx Track it on radar .sx Nothing more .sx " .sx " Except come back for us , " suggested Clapper Bell easily .sx They went out on deck .sx Together the two black-clad figures in turn spat into his face-mask glass then rinsed the mask in the pitching sea alongside - still the best way to keep the glass from misting underwater - then exchanged a final glance .sx " Go , " said Carrick .sx Biting on their mouthpieces , pulling down their face masks , they splashed down into the water , surfaced again , then immediately duck-dived under .sx The night chill of the sea hit for a moment , then receded .sx The sea was black as ink , two plumes of bubbles were rising from the scuba sets , air-regulator valves were clicking in a total , disciplined rhythm .sx They didn't have to go deep .sx Using his wrist compass , checking his depth gauge , conscious of Clapper Bell swimming almost within touching distance , Carrick settled into a steady , kicking crawl beat with only the occasional snatch of a current or eddy to divert his attention until they hit a brief band of tall , thick kelp weed .sx The kelp clawed at their suits and scuba gear , but was only a fragile barrier .sx Then they were through , their feet were touching seabed shingle and in another moment they were wading ashore on Lannair .sx Where they had landed , the ground was a wilderness mix of flat slabs of rock and thick banks of small , smooth pebbles .sx They could hear the wind - and with it , maybe something else , something coming from the other side of the island .sx Bell mimed a question , Carrick shook his head in reply , and they spent a couple of minutes stripping off their aqualung harnesses then leaving the aqualungs , their fins and other equipment in the shadow of one slab of rock .sx The faint , distant noise was still there .sx It was like the low moan and whine of a small ship's electrical generator .sx For another moment , they crouched and took their bearings .sx To their left , the slope rose steadily and smoothly to the crest of rock .sx But ahead , beyond the shore rock , there was only a moderate hillock rise separating them from whatever was whining on the other side .sx " Let's do it , " said Carrick softly , and started to move .sx Seawater was still coming in small damping trickles from his wet-suit as he began to rise .sx " No , " hissed Clapper Bell , grabbing his wrist and hauling him back down .sx A man was walking along the crest of the hillock , relaxed enough to be whistling under his breath , in no hurry .sx He had a hand-torch , and when he shone it briefly to be sure of his route then there was enough reflected glow from the little pool of light to show that he was wearing an old peaked cap and overalls and that he had a rifle slung over one shoulder .sx The torchlight swung again as the man used two slabs of rock like stepping stones .sx Clapper Bell muttered a grunt , nudging Carrick .sx Carrick nodded , watching the man continue to follow a path he seemed to know until he vanished over the hillock .sx " He's one o' the pair from the harbour last night , " said Bell hoarsely .sx " Remember him ?sx " .sx Tight-lipped , Carrick nodded .sx He had plenty of reason to remember Joe and Petey .sx The man had been Joe , who had stopped enjoying his evening when Carrick had hit him in the middle with that swinging spar of quayside wood .sx It was something else he'd miscalculated , and Clapper Bell had made the same mistake at the time .sx The harbour attack had been planned , not the casual whim of two wandering drunks .sx The two had been sent off on a deliberate task , probably told to rough up the newly arrived stranger a little so that he was less likely to keep sticking his nose in where it wasn't wanted .sx But now one of them was here .sx Carrick glanced back to where they'd first spotted him coming .sx That way led down from the top of Lannair's east-facing sea-cliff .sx Any kind of path in that direction gave a new significance to the moving light they'd seen from Tern .sx There must be some kind of trip-wire style lookout post up there at the top of the cliff .sx " How about now ?sx " muttered Clapper Bell , still crouched low beside him .sx In his black rubber wet-suit , the Glasgow-Irishman looked like a large , damp seal .sx " This time .sx " An edge of moonlight had broken through the clouds , and that helped .sx " But we stay clear of trouble .sx " .sx Clapper Bell grinned , then they got to their feet .sx Walking under the faint , cloud-filtered moonlight , they crossed through ankle-length grass and stunted heather and headed in the same direction the fisherman with the rifle had taken .sx Almost immediately , they found they were on a faint but traceable path of sorts and they could go faster .sx