Written in Bone by Simon Beckett Read Free Book Online

still spoken on some Hebridean islands, but I’d only ever heard it used in toasts before. ‘I presume you must be Sergeant Fraser and Dr Hunter?’
    ‘Aye,’ Fraser answered, but his attention was on the bar visible through an open doorway. An inviting murmur of voices and laughter filtered from inside.
    ‘I’m Ellen McLeod. I wasn’t sure what time you’d be here, but your rooms are ready. Have you eaten?’
    Fraser reluctantly tore his eyes away from the bar. ‘Not yet. Something hot would be welcome when we’ve dumped our bags.’
    ‘What about Duncan?’ I reminded him.
    ‘Oh. Right,’ Fraser said, without enthusiasm. ‘I’ve got a PC out on duty going to need feeding as well. Could you sort out a plate of something I can take out to him?’
    ‘Of course.’
    Fraser was eyeing the bar again, hungrily. ‘Look, you might as well see to Dr Hunter. I’ll, er…I’ll be waiting in here.’
    He was already heading for the bar. The broken capillaries in his cheeks and nose hadn’t lied, I thought.
    ‘He’ll be disappointed if he’s wanting a drink. There’s only me here,’ Ellen said. She gave me a conspiratorial smile. ‘I’ll show you to your room.’
    The stairs creaked as they took our weight, but there was a reassuring solidity to them. The dark-red carpet was worn and faded, but as scrupulously clean as the rest of the house.
    A flash of something white caught my eye as I followed Ellen along the first-floor landing. It came from the unlit floor above. I looked up the next flight of stairs and saw the pale face of a little girl watching me through the railings.
    I felt my heart stutter.
    ‘Anna, I’ve told you it’s past your bedtime,’ Ellen said, sternly. ‘Go back to bed.’
    The little girl took this as an invitation to come down the stairs. As she emerged from the shadows in her nightgown the shock I’d felt at seeing her was already fading. I could see now that the resemblance to my own daughter was only superficial. Alice had been older, and her hair had been blonde.
Like her mother’s.
This little girl was only four or five, her hair the same dark red as the young woman’s.
    ‘I can’t sleep,’ the little girl said, staring at me with open curiosity. ‘I’m scared of the wind.’
    ‘Funny, you’ve never been bothered by it before,’ Ellen said, dryly. ‘Go on, off to bed, young lady. I’ll call in to see you after I’ve shown Dr Hunter his room.’
    With a final look at me, the little girl did as she was told.
    ‘Sorry about that,’ Ellen said, continuing down the hallway. ‘My daughter’s got what I think’s called a healthy curiosity.’
    I managed a smile. ‘Glad to hear it. And the name’s David. How old is she? Five?’
    ‘Four. She’s big for her age.’ There was a quiet note of pride in her voice. ‘Do you have children?’
    I felt my face stiffen. ‘No.’
    ‘Are you married?’
    ‘I used to be.’
    She pulled a face. ‘Serves me right for asking. Divorced?’
    ‘No. She died.’
    Ellen’s hand went to her mouth. ‘Oh, I’m sorry…’
    ‘It’s all right.’
    But she was looking at me now with realization. ‘It wasn’t just your wife, was it? That’s why you looked so shocked when you saw Anna.’
    ‘They were about the same age, that’s all,’ I said, as neutrally as I could. I knew she meant well, but seeing her daughter had touched on a rawness that was usually covered over. I smiled. ‘Anna looks a lovely little girl.’
    Ellen took the hint. ‘You wouldn’t say that if you saw her when she can’t get her own way. She might be only young, but she can be a madam when the mood takes her.’
    ‘And you’ve still got the teenage years to look forward to.’
    She laughed, a good clear sound that made her look not much more than a girl herself. ‘I don’t even want to think about that.’
    I wondered where the little girl’s father was. Ellen didn’t wear a wedding ring, and from the way she’d spoken earlier it sounded as if