Chrissie McKay had taken her mug of tea out on to the decking at the back of the house to enjoy the late-afternoon sunshine.
They’d been living over here for more than a year, and she was increasingly sure they’d made the right decision. It had been her idea initially, so she’d never felt able even to consider the possibility they might have made a mistake. But the first few months were tougher than she’d expected, and certainly tougher than she could ever have acknowledged to Alec.
She’d persuaded Alec that, after everything they’d been through, they needed to make a new start. Nothing dramatic – they were both a bit too old for that – but something that would drag them out of their rut and give them a chance to put the past behind them. The idea was that they’d sell their house in Inverness and move out to this bungalow on the Black Isle. It was hardly a major move – just a dozen miles or so, and they had friends out here. Alec could commute back into Inverness, and she’d try to find herself a little job somewhere on the isle or over in Dingwall. She hadn’t worked since Lizzie had died, and had gradually found herself transformed almost into an old-fashioned housewife, something neither she nor Alec had really wanted. She wasn’t bothered about what she did. Just something that would keep her occupied, give her some sense of achievement, and enable her to spend time with others. The last point was important, given the times when Alec’s job became all-consuming. Times like now.
In the event, the Covid pandemic had put paid, at least in the immediate term, to her plans of finding a job. Those early months in the lockdown had been difficult. Although he spent more time working from home, Alec was still going into the office regularly because police work didn’t stop. Chrissie had been trapped in the house, unable to make meaningful contact even with their friends in the neighbourhood.
But things had gradually improved. The restrictions had slowly been loosened, and she’d begun to involve herself in the local community and volunteer groups. Although she hadn’t yet found herself the paid job she’d hoped for, she found plenty of activity to occupy her time.
Today, she’d had a free hour or so after completing some administration for the community group she was involved in. Alec was deeply involved in yet another major investigation, and she wasn’t expecting him back for a while yet. It had been a relatively warm day and she decided to drink her tea outside, enjoying the tranquillity and the views.
It was the silence here that always surprised her. She just wasn’t accustomed to it, after years of living in the city. Inverness was hardly a bustling metropolis but there was always traffic on the main roads, the distant sounds of voices, dogs barking. Here, particularly at night, the silence could seem absolute and almost eerie.
She could see the stream of cars crossing the Cromarty Bridge, but could hear nothing of them. Except for the occasional car on the adjacent roads, the only man-made sound she normally heard up here was the low hoot of a train passing on the far side of the firth. Now, on a windless afternoon, she could hear nothing but a faint burble of birdsong from the thick hedges that lined their rear lawn.
There were only a few streaks of white cloud in the sky, and the low sun over Ben Wyvis was throwing long shadows from the trees and houses on both sides of the firth. The tide was in and the waters were still, mirroring the surrounding landscape.
She had no doubt now that they’d made the right decision. Their marriage felt stronger than ever, and she was confident that they were finally putting their past behind them. It wasn’t that they were forgetting Lizzie or what she’d meant to them, but they were gaining some perspective on what had happened. They were creating new memories for the two of them, rather than obsessing about what lay in the past. They were finally looking forward rather than back.
She could see that in Alec’s behaviour. He was always more than capable of making himself a royal pain in the backside. But he seemed more relaxed, calmer, more in control of his own emotions. He was no less focused on the job but he’d achieved a better balance between that and the rest of his life.
Unexpectedly, she heard a vehicle on the rough track alongside the house. She looked at her watch. It was too early to be Alec, and she didn’t normally get many other visitors at this time of the day. She swallowed the last of her tea, then made her way back into the house.
She’d expected to hear the front doorbell, but there was no sign of anyone through the frosted door panels. She could still hear the vehicle outside, but it sounded as if it was now heading back down the track. Probably someone who’d driven up here by mistake, looking for one of the neighbouring houses.
She opened the door in time to see the rear of a grey van disappearing round the bend halfway down the track. At first, she thought that her assumption had been correct. It wasn’t surprising. The backroads in the area could be confusing.
Then, as she turned to re-enter the house, she noticed a package had been left just beside the front door. She stopped and peered at it. From where she stood, she could see no sign of any address or other labelling. It was a plain, unmarked cardboard box, sealed with a thick band of parcel tape. Her first thought was to take it into the house and check what was inside. If it had been delivered here in error, there would presumably be some kind of documentation to identify the intended recipient.
But some instinct made her hesitate. Still staring at the package, she made her way back into the house to get her phone. She didn’t generally phone Alec at work, except in emergencies, but he answered almost straightaway. ‘Chrissie?’
‘There’s nothing wrong. I just wondered if you had a minute to talk?’
‘I’m just finishing up here. Waiting for a last word with Jock and his merry men. What is it?’
‘Have you ordered anything?’
‘Ordered? How do you mean?’
‘Some kind of package.’
There was an unexpected silence at the other end of the line. ‘What kind of package?’
‘Something’s just been delivered. I’m assuming it’s been dropped here by mistake but I can’t see any name or address on it. Or any kind of marking, for that matter.’
‘What’s it like? Can you describe it to me?’
She was surprised by how seriously Alec seemed to be taking the situation. ‘It doesn’t really matter. I shouldn’t have bothered you. It can wait till you get back.’
‘That’s okay. But just tell me what it looks like. How big is it?’
‘Hang on.’ She walked back through the hall and peered out of the front door. ‘It’s more or less square. Well, cubic, I suppose. About a foot or so tall and wide, maybe a bit more. Just a plain cardboard box, sealed with parcel tape. Do you want me to have a look inside?’
‘No.’ Alec’s sharp response took her surprise. ‘No, don’t do that.’
‘What is it, Alec? Do you think…?’
‘It’s almost certainly nothing. Like you say, just something delivered in error. But don’t touch it. Just go back inside and keep yourself locked in. I’m coming straight over.’
‘Alec, you don’t–’
But he’d already ended the call. She tried to call him back, but the call just rang out, either because Alec had stuffed the phone back in his pocket as he headed for his car, or because he knew that if he answered she’d keep trying to persuade him he didn’t have to leave work for this.
She stared at the package for a moment longer then decided she had no option but to follow Alec’s advice. She returned to the house, locked the front door behind her, and sat down to wait for his return.