Free Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

hear that. 'Your father phoned to say he'd be late.
    A meeting in town. We'll eat without him.'

    Sally thought there'd been more and more meetings in town lately. She wondered sometimes what he was up to. Not that she blamed her father. She hated mealtimes at home and tried to avoid them if she could. It would have been different if there'd been brothers and sisters, if her mother was less intrusive. All she got was questions. How was school today, Sally? What mark did you get for that English course work? Her mother picking away at her, probing.

    Margaret should have joined the police, Sally thought. Really, after fending off a lifetime of her mother's questions she had nothing to fear from a detective.

    They ate the meal as always at the kitchen table. No television. Even when her father was with them, even on a special occasion, there was no alcohol. Margaret often said with pursed lips that parents should set an example. How could you blame children for drinking themselves stupid in Lerwick on a Friday night when the parents could scarcely go a day without a drink? Self-control was an old-fashioned virtue, Margaret said, which should be practised more often. Until recently, Sally had presumed that her father shared these views. He never disagreed with them. Occasionally, though, she thought she caught a glimpse of a more relaxed individual underneath. She wondered what kind of man he'd have turned out to be if he'd married someone else.

    The meal was over. Sally offered to wash the dishes, but Margaret waved a hand, dismissing the idea. 'Leave them.
    I'll see to them later.'
    Like sitting down before tea was prepared, this was another indication that a seismic shift had taken place somewhere in her mother's consciousness. Margaret couldn't bear to see dirty dishes standing. It was as if she had a physical response to them. Like some people had allergies which brought them out in lumps.

    'I'll go and start my homework then.'
    'No,' her mother said. 'Your father will be in just now and we want to talk to you.'

    And that sounded serious. Perhaps she'd found out about New Year's Eve. This place you couldn't fart without the whole of Shetland knowing about it. Sally wondered what else it could be that kept her mother in her seat, with dirty plates still on the draining board. She steeled herself for questions, began to rehearse the lies in her head.
    Then there was a knock on the door and Margaret jumped up to get it, as if she'd been expecting it all the time.
    There was a blast of cold air and a man came in, followed by a young woman in uniform. Sally recognized the woman, who was a kind of second cousin on her father's side. So Margaret would have been expecting the call; Morag would have warned her.

    That was how things worked with families. Sally tried to remember what else she knew about the woman. She'd joined the police after working in a bank for a while. Margaret had had things to say about that too. She always was a flighty 'young madam. Now she greeted the constable as if she was a bosom pal. 'Morag come away in by the fire.
    It must be freezing out there!

    Sally looked at Morag critically and thought she'd put on weight. Sally was aware of how people looked. She knew it mattered. Didn't you' have to be fit to work for the police? And there was nothing flattering about that uniform.
    The man was very big. Not fat, but tall. He stood just inside the door waiting for Morag to speak. Sally saw him nod towards her, encouraging her to take the initiative.

    'Margaret, this is Inspector Perez. He'd like to ask Sally some questions!

    'About yun girl that died?' Margaret was almost dismissive.
    'She was killed, Mrs Henry,' the detective said. 'Murdered. You have a daughter the same age. I'm sure you want him caught'
    'Of course. But Sally was a close friend of Catherine's. She's had a bad shock. I don't want her upset!

    'That's why I brought Morag, Mrs Henry. A friendly face. Now, why don't we take Sally into