Skinner’s round

Fifty-seven

As Skinner had forecast in jest, Rose spotted Henry Wills, a man apart from the rest in his sombre suit, before he picked out her red hair among the pack who had followed the first match home to the eighteenth green.

But eventually his searching eyes found hers. He waved and she nodded, signalling him to be quiet as Tiger Nakamura prepared what he hoped would be the final shot of a frustrating day.

Oblivious to the golf, Wills made his way down from the stand and through the spectators, apologising as he went to those he disturbed. He reached her just as Nakamura holed out for his last bogey in a 76, tossed his putter towards his caddy and led his team from the green.

Afternoon, Mr Wills,' she said. 'You're looking pleased with yourself.'

`Good afternoon to you, Miss Rose,' he replied, unfailingly courteous. 'I hope that your day has been as productive as mine.'

She laughed. 'Our days are a mixture of hard slog and achievement. So far, this has been a slogging day, watching a guy play bad golf and looking for another guy who might just show up in the crowd to make contact with him. This is day three now, and still he hasn't.'

She turned to a tall young man standing behind her. `Kevin, you're on your own from here for a bit. Andrews would have been stopped by our people if he'd tried to get into the clubhouse, so once Morton gets in there he's isolated. Keep him in your sight all the way up to the door.

Wait for him to come out then follow him. Ken Rodgers will be on duty at the main entrance by now, so you two can team up. The chances are that Morton will go straight back to Bracklands, but wherever he heads for, I want him in your sight all the time. Once he does get back to the house, you can stand down. We've got Detective Constables more or less in residence there, and we'll have others at the Marine tonight for the dinner that Murano are hosting.'

She looked across the green. Morton stood beside his caddy, checking his scorecard. 'OK, on you go. I have to speak to Mr Wills. Just remember, we know all about Morton, but Andrews is the man we really need to find. You've got the photos. If he does show up, make sure you spot him.'

She turned once more and took the older man by the arm. `Come and let's find the caterers.

Coffee's on me, then you can tell me what's put the smile on your face and the smug look in your eyes!'

As is usually the case with on-course refreshments at golf tournaments, the coffee which she and Wills were served in the catering marquee was expensive. Sucking her teeth at the meagre change which she received from her five-pound note, she carried the plastic mugs in their holders across to a table near the entrance which Wills had commandeered. The University Registrar looked like a fish out of water, down to the smooth leather soles of his shiny black shoes, but the satisfied smile had never left his face from the moment that he had joined the Inspector at the side of the green.

Maggie Rose sipped her expensive coffee. 'OK, Henry. Out with it. What's made your day?'

The smile widened, and the man seemed to swell almost to bursting point.

I know who Elizabeth Carr was… and a lot more besides!' he blurted out, breathlessly.

`That's great. Those are the headlines, now what's the full story?'

Wills drank most of his coffee in a single gulp, making Rose wince inwardly.

`Well, remember where we left it yesterday, with the marriage of the mysterious Elizabeth?

`Today I was able to look at the Longniddry parish records for the sixteenth century. It didn't take me long. It was an odd entry, different from the rest. It said that in September 1596, a newborn female child was brought to the parish by its mother alone. Nothing unusual about that. People died young in those days, and widowed births were not the tragedy they are now.

Except that this was no widowed birth. The child was baptised Elizabeth, and was given the family name of her father. The baptism was witnessed by two women.

`The father was named as James Carr, Baron of Haddington. That was the courtesy title borne by the son and heir of the Earl of Kinture.' Wills shot Rose the same look that she was used to seeing on Mario McGuire's face whenever Lazio scored a goal on Football Italia. 'Oh, I should have known, Margaret. Carr was, as it is today, the family name of the Earls of Kinture. No one else in the parish would have borne it. In 1596, the only males in the Kinture line were William Carr, the Earl, and James Carr, born 1577, Baron of Haddington.

The mother of the child?' he said, smiling theatrically and pausing for sheer effect. 'The mother was Agnes Tod! And I can assure you, Margaret, my dear policelady, that there is no record of a marriage between the two proud parents.'

The cup of premium-priced coffee, halfway to her lips, slipped in Maggie Rose's fingers, and all but fell from her grasp. Wills laughed aloud.

`Wonderful, isn't it? Margaret, my dear, you may marry your Sergeant and live happily ever after, but you and I will always be entwined in another union, that of unearthing a piece of undiscovered, and quite spectacular history. An illegitimate child, born to a future Earl, by a woman whom he was to burn at the stake. Not only born by the woman, but brought forward for Christian baptism by her, and by the two women who attended the birth.

And they were…' He stopped as he realised that she was no longer listening to him.

`That explains the Kinture Bible being given to Elizabeth by her aunt, Matilda.'

Her eyes flashed with excitement as she told Wills of her visit to Knox at the National Library, and of her own discovery of the Bible's provenance. It was Henry Wills's turn to look astonished.

`But I'm sorry, Henry. I interrupted you. You said there was more.'

`Yes, lots.' Piece by piece he recounted the remainder of his remarkable exploration of East Lothian's murky past.

`What do you make of that?' he asked, as he finished.

I don't know,' said Rose. 'But I do know that we should tell the whole story to the boss, as soon as we can. I think that you and I go back out to that stand, and watch some more golf, while we wait for him to finish.'