‘Ooh a treasure hunt – I love those. Where shall we start?’
‘I thought maybe in the yard where you found me?’
‘Good idea,’ said Effie pointing a finger at Liv. ‘Follow me.’ She picked up the tray and set off.
Effie gave Liv Fraser’s coat to wear and they went outside. Liv had seriously misjudged what she thought was a coating of snow as she stepped out and her boots disappeared. ‘Chuffing heck, that’s quite a bit of snow.’
‘Noooo, that’s barely a flurry,’ said Effie striding out in her wellingtons. ‘Now where shall we start?’
Liv pointed to where the crates had toppled over and then moved her finger about so it was more of a general area.
After twenty minutes Liv couldn’t feel her fingers. It had started to snow again and there was no sign of her phone. Liv was getting fed up and a little fraught. There was a distant rumbling sound, which made Effie stand up straight.
‘That’ll be Doc McLeod.’
Liv wanted to find her phone but she really had no choice but to give up for now, so she had one last look around before heading inside.
It wasn’t a lot warmer inside until Effie took her through to the library. She could hear Fraser greeting someone at the door and was keen to listen to what he said, but unfortunately they were a bit too muffled. Liv sat down on the window seat.
‘This is my favourite view,’ said Effie.
Liv followed her gaze. Down a sweeping lawn, some stone steps drew the eye to a gap in some trees and a vast expanse of water, with impressive mountains beyond. ‘Is that Loch Lochy?’ she asked.
‘Ahh now that is a good sign,’ said an older gentleman joining them. ‘Don’t get up. I’m Doctor McLeod, but you can call me Doc. Everyone does. Now tell me what happened.’
‘You see I heard a scream like this,’ began Effie. ‘Arrrrrrgh!’
‘Thank you, Effie. But it would be best if I heard it from this young lady. Perhaps you can tell me your version later.’
‘Let’s leave them to it, Effie,’ said Fraser. He nodded at Liv and shut the door once Effie had reluctantly left.
Liv kept things sketchy and told the Doc what happened from after she came round. She was fairly certain that she had managed to knock herself out but for how long she wasn’t sure. Given Effie’s account it was likely she’d come outside not too long after she’d heard the scream, so Liv couldn’t have been unconscious for more than a couple of minutes. The Doc examined her head and ankle, took her temperature and blood pressure, and checked her pupils and reflexes.
‘Any dizziness or nausea?’ he asked.
‘No. I felt a bit sick last night when it happened but I feel fine now.’
‘I don’t think there’s any cause for alarm. You have concussion and I suspect in the next day or so your memory will come flooding back. If you do feel dizzy, have any head pain or pass out, you must go directly to hospital. Understood?’ he asked getting to his feet.
‘Yes, Doc. So I’m good to go then?’
‘Well you can’t drive, if that’s what you mean. You need to stay put until you are fully recovered.’
‘But there might be people worried about me.’
‘I’m sure there are. But I understand the police are already aware.’
‘The police?’ Liv barely managed to squeak the word out. This was getting out of hand.
‘Yes, the police. Robbie Williams. Cheerio.’
Why did he keep naming musicians? Liv was beyond baffled.
9
Liv waited, thoughts swirling in her mind like a snowstorm. Fraser saw the doctor out and after a few minutes, where she assumed he was getting an update on her condition, he came back into the library.
He pouted. ‘Got concussion then,’ he said.
