The Secrets of the Glen (Scottish Highlands #2)

Chapter 24

Robyn re-read the first sentence of the online newspaper article, dated two years earlier, before she continued.

He had a bright future ahead of him, but now rising ice hockey star David Gillespie’s hopes for glory in the Elite Ice Hockey League have been dashed after an altercation inside a grocery store in Aviemore.

Witnesses have described the moment when the young, talented player, who was on a night out with friends, confronted a suspected burglar in his father’s shop. The suspect, who had appeared to be raiding the cash register, was arrested at the scene.

Robyn paused for a moment. David was a hero. She shook her head. She didn’t get it. Why hadn’t he told her this? Why hadn’t his dad? What was the big secret?

She read on.

The suspect’s accomplice was taken away by ambulance, and died later in hospital.

Robyn frowned. So there had been two burglars. She wondered how the second had died. She kept reading, hoping she’d find out.

The police recovered a gun at the scene which had been in the possession of one of the suspects. Sources say that Mr Gillespie got into an altercation with the suspect who was holding the gun. It discharged twice, injuring the suspect, who later died, and injuring Mr Gillespie, whose injuries are described as not life-threatening.

Robyn sat back in her chair and stared at the screen. Was that why David wouldn’t talk about the so-called accident that had ended his career – because he’d been involved in the shooting and wounding of a man who had later died? Even though it wasn’t malicious, or his fault. He wouldn’t have known the burglars had brought a gun when he’d entered the shop and confronted them.

The article went on to summarise David’s life, stating that he’d always dreamed as a boy of becoming an ice hockey star, despite his father’s deep misgivings about his early abilities.

Robyn wondered where the reporter who had written the article had got that information, because she knew for a fact that it wasn’t true.

She continued reading about his triumphs in ice hockey, and how he’d been talent-spotted to join the EIHL, but that sources close to the family had confirmed that the injury would unfortunately spell the end of his career.

Robyn moved her face nearer the screen to look at the black-and-white group photo of the ice hockey team, all standing together and smiling for the cameras; one of the faces was circled. Robyn looked more closely and recognised David. The players were all wearing their ice hockey uniforms, including shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin guards and gloves, along with their jerseys in the team colours and logo. They’d removed their helmets for the photo.

The next picture was just of David. He looked very young, a teenager posing in his hockey uniform on the ice, but there was something different about him. Robyn realised what it was – he looked so happy. She got a lump in her throat, staring at David’s younger self, who had no idea that in a few short years one altercation in his father’s shop would change the trajectory of his life forever.

But if it hadn’t been for that, Robyn realised that she would most likely never have met David – let alone fallen in love with him. He would have stayed with his previous girlfriend, flying high in his sports career, and their paths would never have crossed.

There were no photos of the two burglars who had changed his life forever. Robyn was thankful for that. She didn’t want to look into the faces of the two men who had taken away David’s promising future. The news story focused on David. She imagined this was because it was a local newspaper. Perhaps they saw little point in releasing the photos of the two men; they weren’t at large. One had already been caught and apprehended. The other was dead.

The article concluded with the words:

It is not yet known whether criminal charges will be brought against Mr Gillespie.

‘Oh, my god. That can’t be right. How could they charge him when all he was doing was trying to protect his father’s business?’ Robyn said out loud.

‘I’m afraid that’s the law,’ a voice said behind her, making her jump.

Robyn turned around to find the young librarian standing behind her.

‘I heard what you said. I saw you engrossed in an article, so I was very nosy, and stopped to see what you were reading.’

Robyn frowned at her. ‘Yes, that’s very nosy.’

‘That’s me!’ The librarian pushed her large glasses further up the bridge of her nose and smiled unapologetically. ‘Mind you, it kind of comes with the territory with the profession I want to work in.’

‘You mean being a librarian?’ Robyn guessed perhaps she was a trainee.

‘A librarian?’ She looked at the books in her hand. ‘Oh, I can see how I’ve confused you. This is a holiday job. No, I meant law.’

‘You’re a lawyer?’

‘Not yet. I’m a law student. I’m in my final year of a law degree at Edinburgh University.’

Robyn decided not to mention that she was a university student too. She hadn’t exactly dropped out, just deferred this year, but she knew in her heart that it was where it was leading.

‘I hope your final year is going well.’

‘Yes, thank you.’

Robyn glanced back at the screen. ‘So, what did you mean , I’m afraid it’s the law? You can be arrested when it was the burglar’s fault for breaking into the store? And when they brought the gun?’

The young woman nodded solemnly. ‘This isn’t America, with the right to bear arms and all that. If someone breaks into your property, and you hurt them, or worse, then you can be arrested, I’m afraid. Obviously, you can plead self-defence, but that won’t stop the police charging you with a crime.’

Robyn shook her head. ‘That’s awful.’

‘I agree. But as I said before, it’s the law.’

Robyn glanced at her computer screen. She wanted to find out what had happened after David had been taken to hospital, along with the man who had later died, but she couldn’t find any further articles. Perhaps it was time to call it a day with her search and return to the shop.

Robyn got out of her seat. ‘I think I’ve had enough of searching the world wide web for one day.’

The young woman choked back a laugh.

Robyn looked at her thoughtfully. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘You’re weird – do you know that?’

‘Why do you say that?’ Robyn asked defensively. She felt a little insulted. If anything, the young librarian was a bit weird herself, with her old-fashioned dress style – woollen pleated skirt, high-necked jumper in an awful green, and flat shoes with buckles, which looked like children’s school shoes. Added to that, her hair was tied up in a bun, when a lot of young people seemed to wear their hair down. But Robyn wouldn’t say what she thought out loud.

‘Sorry, I’ve offended you. It’s just that no one calls it the world wide web anymore. Well, that’s not strictly true. She lowered her voice and looked about her. ‘Not to sound ageist, and don’t get me wrong, a lot of older people are really tech-savvy – they’re sometimes called Silver Surfers – but then again there are some older people who just don’t go online at all.’

‘So, you think I’m weird because I’ve never surfed the world … er, I mean … the web.’

‘Actually, it’s your age, more than anything. I would say unless you’ve led a very, very cosseted life, with everything done for you, and have no need of online banking or stuff like that …’

Robyn thought of those cheques she’d kept getting from her mother, who was travelling abroad. It was possible that she didn’t have a bank account herself – she’d only found a savings book. So maybe she had no need to bank online.

‘It’s just really unusual for someone of our generation to have never used the internet. It’s second nature for most people.’

‘Not for me,’ remarked Robyn.

Perhaps she had used the internet in the past, but then why would she forget how? The young woman was right – it was weird.

Outside the library, Robyn turned to the young woman, who had been on her way out for her break as Robyn was leaving.

‘I’m Robyn, by the way.’

‘Melissa.’

‘So, where do you go on your lunch break, Melissa?’

‘I eat a homemade sandwich at my desk. I can’t afford to buy lunch every day, but I do know a lovely place for a cup of coffee.’

‘Can I come too?’ Robyn hadn’t had lunch yet – Duncan had insisted on making sandwiches for both of them for lunch. He’d also made a large thermos flask of tea. Robyn fancied an excuse not to return to the shop quite yet, although she knew that when she returned, Duncan was going to ask what had taken her so long.

She had considered asking Duncan about the burglary and about what had happened to David; whether he’d been arrested for shooting that man. She’d changed her mind. Now she knew the circumstances – that his so-called accident had actually happened there in his shop, and wasn’t an accident at all – she could understand why Duncan didn’t want to talk about it.

Robyn fell in step with Melissa as they left the library. ‘Where are we going?’

‘You’ll see – it’s one of my favourite places.’

‘In that case, I’m sure I’ll love it.’

‘Oh, you will.’