He paused for a moment. ‘Once or twice. He was here just after Christmas with his family.’ He looked up. ‘You know his daughter’s the teacher here.’
Willow nodded.
‘Kathryn’s a lovely young woman.’
‘I wanted to ask you about Jane and Kevin Hay. Both victims were found close to their land.’
‘Close to my land too, if it comes to that.’ He got up and poured himself more coffee. She thought he’d be a person who found it hard to be still. ‘I’m sorry, Inspector, but Kevin and Jane are good friends. Generally I love to gossip, but I get a bit squeamish when it comes to chatting about my friends’ problems to the police.’
‘Do they have problems?’
He hesitated for a moment and she thought he might be tempted to confide in her after all. Then he thought better of it and laughed. ‘We all have problems, Inspector. What’s important is how we deal with them.’ That could have been her father too. He’d always been full of words of wisdom that sounded deep, but were actually trite and banal.
‘What problem do you have, Mr Agnew?’
‘Oh, I’m terrified of boredom. Always have been. When I’m bored I get up to mischief.’
‘What brought you to Shetland then? It’s not the most exciting place in the world.’ Willow thought this was an odd conversation to be having with a witness, but under the lightness and banter she suspected he had something useful to say.
‘I’ve always loved it. I came here as a boy, before the oil, and I always promised myself that I’d retire here.’ He looked out of the nearest long window to the loch. ‘And it is dramatic, even if it’s not exciting. I’ve been here for ten years now, made friends and put down roots. I know I’ll never leave.’ A grin. ‘But I’m always on the lookout for new projects, new adventures.’
‘Was that why you started Befriending Shetland?’
‘Maybe. But there is a need, you know. When I first got here I thought I’d find an ideal community. Close. A place where people would support each other in times of crisis. Of course that’s largely true. But shame’s a big factor in a place like this. It can be a very destructive emotion. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that one isn’t surviving so well and it’s easier to talk to a stranger. I had the skills and training to meet that need.’
‘Have you had any further thoughts on what might have led Alison Teal to contact you?’
‘I have been thinking about it.’ Agnew closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I had the impression it was very much an impulsive call. Perhaps she was in the town and saw our office. Or saw our advertisement in The Shetland Times. And when she met me, she thought I wasn’t a person who could help her.’ He gave a little shrug. ‘Sometimes it happens.’
‘So tell me a bit more about the Hays,’ Willow said. ‘Jimmy Perez thinks they’re a perfect family.’
‘Ah well, Jimmy idealizes the family, don’t you think? He’s always looking for perfect examples. I’m not sure that Fran could have met his standards, if she’d lived. It’s easy to turn a dead person into a saint.’
‘You knew Fran?’
A brief grin. ‘She was a guest at some of my parties too.’
Willow wanted to ask for details, but stopped herself in time. Jimmy would never forgive her if he found out she’d been prying.
‘And the Hays?’
‘Well, Jane doesn’t drink of course. You’ll have picked up that piece of gossip by now. But she comes along and she still has a good time.’ He paused. ‘She’s a very special woman. I admire her.’
‘What about Kevin?’
‘There’s more to Kevin than most people think. It can’t be easy to be the partner of an alcoholic. Very few relationships survive.’ Again she thought he might elaborate, but he turned away again.
‘Do you know the boys?’
‘I knew them better when they were younger. Kevin was busy on the farm when they were growing up, and I love kids, so they were always welcome here. Just to hang out, to give Kevin and Jane a bit of time to themselves. I enjoy wild swimming and I persuaded them along a few times. Once I took them down to Edinburgh for the festival. I’m not sure what Michael made of it, but Andy had a ball.’ He pulled a clown’s sad face. ‘I never had children. My one big regret.’
‘Did you know them when Jane was still drinking?’
‘No, she’d stopped by the time I moved up.’ He looked at her over the coffee cup. ‘I didn’t take her up as a good cause, if that’s what you’re thinking, or because I thought the kids needed protecting. I’ve never had any problems separating work from my private life. I enjoy her company. She’s fun to be with.’
‘Any idea why Andy left university?’
Agnew shook his head. ‘We stopped being so close a while ago. Jane talks about them, of course. Children must always be a worry, even when they’re old enough to be independent.’
‘What do they do now to make Jane worry?’
He opened his mouth to speak at once and Willow thought that at last she might get something useful from the conversation.
But Agnew only smiled. ‘I think that’s something you’ll have to ask Jane, Inspector, don’t you?’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Perez sat in his office. He’d been relieved when he’d received the text from Willow. He hadn’t known quite how he’d respond to her this morning. The night before, she’d caught him in an unguarded moment, and now his invitation to cook her a romantic meal seemed embarrassing and inappropriate. She was his boss.
Sandy had gone north to Brae first thing with a sheaf of photos he’d collected of the men involved – even in a remote way – in the investigation, to show the shop assistant in the Co-op. Perez had stayed at home until it was time to take Cassie to school and was surprised to see Kathryn Rogerson come to the school door, when it was time to let the children in.
‘I thought you’d be taking some time off.’ He’d waited until the children were in the classroom before speaking to her.
‘I’d prefer to be here.’ She’d looked grey and drawn, as if she hadn’t slept. ‘My mother’s sister arrived from Orkney on the last plane yesterday. They’re very close. She doesn’t need me at home.’
‘You should take care of yourself.’
Then she’d given him a brief, thin smile. ‘You mustn’t worry about me, Jimmy. I’m the tough one in the family.’ She’d reached out and put her hand on his arm. ‘Thank you, though. I’m glad it’s you looking for my father’s killer. It would be dreadful if it was someone who didn’t know us.’ And she’d turned and walked with a straight back into the school.
He was sitting in his office and running the scene in his head, wondering what it was about Kathryn Rogerson’s composure that he found so disturbing, when his phone rang. He answered it, still slightly distracted. It was Sandy and he forgot the teacher to give the man his full attention.
‘I showed the photos to Peter in the Co-op.’ Sandy’s voice was a little too loud. He sounded like an excited child.
‘And?’
‘You’ll never guess who he picked out.’
‘Just tell me, Sandy. We’re not playing games here.’
‘Paul Taylor!’
For a moment Perez struggled to place the name and then he remembered. Taylor was a solicitor, Tom Rogerson’s partner. He’d given them the keys to Rogerson’s office on a wet Sunday morning while his wife was cooking lunch.
‘And that’s not all!’ Sandy hadn’t waited for a response from Perez. ‘Taylor was the man chatting to Alison Teal in the bar, but Kevin Hay was in Mareel that night too. Peter picked him out from the photos I’d spread out over the table.’
Perez waited until Sandy returned, before interviewing Paul Taylor in the office that he’d shared with Tom Rogerson. He thought Sandy was owed the right to accompany him; he’d cultivated the shop assistant until he’d come up with the information they needed. They walked to the solicitors’ office along Commercial Street. Everywhere people were talking about the weather and turning their faces towards the sun.