Page 20 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands (Scottish Highland #5)

Mel replied, ‘That’s summat though, eh? Better than finding them in there.

’ She was right… to a point. Because Bella still had visions of them in a ditch, or lost, or worse.

Had they been kidnapped? Although who would kidnap two elderly women?

That’s if Tam’s disappearance wasn’t connected.

Although did coincidences like this happen with old folks?

She doubted it really. And the more she thought about it, the more worried she was that the three of them had come to harm.

Perhaps all three of them were being held somewhere.

What if someone mistakenly presumed they were wealthy?

Although there had been no ransom demands like you saw on TV crime shows.

Was there a sick and twisted serial killer out there targeting old folks?

Had they been conned into getting into a car with strangers?

But for what purpose? Had they been convinced to clear out their life savings accounts and then dumped somewhere?

She clenched her jaw. Oh, for Pete’s sake, stop it, Bella, they’re in their bloody eighties, none of them is five, nor stupid for that matter .

She clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes at her inner, chastising dialogue.

‘We’ll get to the bottom of this, Bells, I promise,’ Harris said, contorting in his seat to turn to face her.

‘They can’t have gone far.’ His eyes were kind and soft; regardless of the worry he must’ve been feeling, he was clearly trying his absolute best to ease hers.

Under normal circumstances he was a calming presence to her.

But on this occasion Bella’s head was so full of dread and guilt that even his positivity was struggling to make it into her mind.

She chewed at the skin around her thumb until it was sore and took out her mobile again.

She hit dial on Granny Isla’s number. But once again it went straight to voicemail.

‘Do I speak now? What do I say again, hen? Oh… right. Hello, this is Hisla Mae Douglas.’ Her granny’s mock-posh accent was usually amusing but today it simply made tears well in Bella’s eyes.

‘One can’t come to the telephone right now has hi ham terribly busy.

But please do leave one a message and one will return your call hat one’s hearliest convenience, thank you muchly.

’ Bella remembered the day she tutored her granny on how to record that very message.

It had taken several attempts, with many of them ending in giggles.

Since that day it had lightened her heart every time she had heard it, that was until the events of today.

Now it made her insides churn as she pictured her lovely granny’s beautiful beaming smile, her face framed by her purple and silver hair.

What she wouldn’t give to hug her again.

Bella’s heart ached and she placed her hand on her chest and closed her eyes.

The beep sounded and once again Bella left the same message as before.

‘Granny, it’s me, please just call me back, okay?

I’m so worried about you and Maeve. And apparently Tam is missing, too, so it would be good to know if he’s with you or not.

I’ve left a few messages now and it’s scaring me that you’re not calling me back.

I understand if you wanted a wee break, Granny, but just let me know you’re okay.

Please?’ Her voice and chin trembled simultaneously as she hit the end-call button and closed her eyes, allowing tears to silently spill over.

* * *

Eventually, at around 3p.m., they crossed the Skye Bridge and arrived in the small village of Glentorrin.

Bella saw that a crowd of their neighbours and friends were waiting in the car park of the police station, and this caused more tears to come.

Harris must have messaged to say they would be home soon, and their friends had rallied.

Bella, Harris and Mel climbed out of the police car and Bella spotted wee Bertie, her one-year-old golden retriever, straining at his lead to get to her.

Caitlin the baker, who had been looking after him while they were at Drumblair, let him go and Bella crouched down to greet him.

He jumped up and licked her face while emitting high-pitched squeaks.

She inhaled the scent of his fur and buried her face in his neck.

‘I’ve missed you, boy,’ she told him as more tears trickled down her face and he squirmed to lick them away.

She glanced up then. All her friends from the village were there; Caitlin, of course, Jules, the owner of the Lifeboat House Museum, Jules’s best friend and sister-in-law, Millie, Morag, the grocery shop owner and Ruby, the Hollywood actress turned dance teacher.

Their husbands had nicknamed them the Sozzled Six on account of all their girls’ nights including lots of prosecco, and the women hadn’t argued.

Bella stood as Harris took Bertie’s lead and she was enveloped in a group hug.

‘We’ll find her, Bells,’ Jules said, fixing a stern, determined gaze on her.

Bella couldn’t speak, instead she just nodded.

‘Right, folks,’ Harris’s voice bellowed.

‘We need someone to head up to Pabay with Bella and Mel to look around there and Broadford. But can anyone maybe come with me to go around Portree? Kenna, my secretary, has printed off some photos we can take to show around. I just need to go in and grab them from her.’

Mitch, Ruby’s husband, said, ‘Aye, me and Reid could go there, eh, Reid?’

Reid, Jules’s husband, nodded. ‘Absolutely. Archie can come too maybe?’

Caitlin’s husband stepped forward. ‘Of course. Anything I can do to help is good with me.’

‘Caitlin, Jules and I can help at Pabay too,’ Millie added.

‘Me and Morag can tackle the transport companies,’ Ruby added.

‘The thing is, I’m just not sure I want to leave Bertie on his own,’ Bella said.

Jules smiled. ‘We can leave Bertie with Evin and Chewie at our house.’ Jules and Reid’s son, Evin, was a responsible boy and his Hungarian Vizsla Chewie, aptly named after the Star Wars character to whom he bore a striking resemblance, were regular visitors to play in the garden at Bella’s house since the arrival of the puppy.

Once again, Bella was overwhelmed with emotion. ‘Thank you all so, so much. We’re so lucky to have such a wonderful community and great friends around us.’

Archie made his way over to Bella. ‘I remember when my wee Sophie went missing for a while, if it hadn’t been for this lot I don’t know what I would’ve done.

’ Bella had heard from Caitlin the story of that terrible incident when Archie’s young daughter had tried to run away and how the village had rallied around him too.

‘But we look after our own, Bella,’ he said. ‘And you’re one of us now.’

His wife Caitlin nudged him. ‘That doesn’t sound at all creepy and ominous, love.’ A light rumble of laughter reverberated around the group and Bella allowed herself to join in for a moment.