Play@YSDC

The graveyard around the Kirk was well-tended, with the grass neatly cut and any flowers looked relatively fresh. Some of the older graves dated back to the late 1700s and names such as Stewart, McPhee, McCallam, McMorn and McIntyre could been seen. The inscriptions on the graves read ‘Taken from us too soon’ or ‘In the arms of the Lord’ but there was no indication as to the causes of the deaths.

The most recent grave was that of Donald McColl, which had a simple wooden cross with his name, date of birth and date of death.

You wouldn’t normally expect to see cause of death on a gravestone.

Ascot finishes looking at graves and wanders over to the kirk itself, politely knocking on the main door.

There was no immediate response but the door wasn’t locked.

Ascot decides not to enter but instead looks about to see if there is a manse or rectory for the local minister.

A path through the graveyard lead to a relatively small manse next door. If Ascot was any judge he reckoned it was probably only two bedrooms, barely bigger than most of the houses seen in the village so far.

Satisfied with his scouting, Ascot decides to leave ministerial interaction to the weird priest. He heads back to the hotel to find his colleagues, pausing to politely greet any locals he sees along the way.

Bonnie makes her way to the manse with the others.

Dr Douglas walks through the graveyard to the to the manse. Walking around the building to see if there is any sign of the Reverand.

Through a window of the manse, they could see Reverend McCallan reading at his desk. He looked up at they drew nearer, appearing slightly taken aback at having strangers approaching the manse, but then stood and walked from the room.

Moments later the front door of the manse was opened and the Reverend emerged onto the step. ”Hello. How may I help ye?” he asked.

"Thank ye, Reverend," says Bonnie. "I'm Miss Bonnie MacKenzie. My companions and I would like to talk to ye aboot the murder, if ye have the time."

”Ye had best come in,” replied Reverend McCallan. ”I’ll ask my housekeeper to make some tea.”

He lead them to the study and bade them sit down. ”I guess ye know who I am,” he said. ”Perhaps we should start with some introductions and then ye might explain what brings ye here?”

"Thank ye kindly," says Bonnie, coming inside and taking a seat. "I've told ye my name. I'm from Inverness, but the others are from farther afield. One of them is a man of the cloth as well. We were recruited by a gentleman named Harry Price to conduct an independent investigation of the murder."

”I havenae heard of a Harry Price,” replied Reverend McCallan. ”What’s his interest in the murder?”

Philulhu wrote: ↑Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:19 am ”I havenae heard of a Harry Price,” replied Reverend McCallan. ”What’s his interest in the murder?”

The Father, not being very subtle by nature answered quite directly.

"Zere have been rumours of... Subrranaturral action. And some arre interrested on de veracity of such, yes?"

”Supernatural action? Why I believe that tae be the case, Father,” replied Reverend McCallan, sitting forward.

”It is my understanding that the McLeod boy spent the night at the manor. It is well-known tae be haunted. That his actions should come about as a result of some sort of demonic possession should be a surprise tae nae one!”

”I heard that Donald was injured but I was not aware how badly,” replied the Reverend. ”There are nae wild animals around here, nor even in all of Scotland, that could injure a man in that way. The only thing that might hae injured someone like that would have been a wolf, but they have been extinct for two centuries.”

”As tae the Manor being haunted, it has been that way since Alexander McMorn returned from his travels in Africa more than one hundred years ago. He brought back a native servant, a Godless man, whose influence upon Alexander was malign. He stopped attending the kirk on a Sunday and his own father died not long after, leaving him as Laird of the Manor, but Alexander himself disappeared within a few years. Since then, the manor has fallen into disrepair and is said tae be haunted, haunted by the ghosts of the family who see tae protect the family treasure.”

”I warned the villagers tae stay away, not tae risk eternal damnation by going there, but it seems that young McLeod paid no heed and he and Donald McColl will both pay the ultimate price…”

"Do ya ken if there any journals? documentation of his trip to Africa?" Asks Dr Douglas.