restaurant. Loads of witnesses.
In fact all of them had dined at the restaurant. Thomas Bromley and his wife had invited John Sanders and his wife, Charles Prosser and Mrs Prosser, along with the Castles, for dinner on the evening of the day of the murder . Thomas Bromley ran a chain of men’s clothing stores, John Sanders repaired computers, and Charles Prosser ran a chain of supermarkets.
‘Read about the dinner party?’ he asked Elspeth. ‘They could be covering for one another.’
‘Yes, I thought of that, but John Sanders’s neighbours reported all the comings and goings.’
‘I wonder about that dinner party. I wonder if they got another old army buddy who looks like one of them to stand in. Now, apart from Castle, one of the others could have taken a flight up to Glasgow, hired a car, and driven up there, then back again late the next day. That’s what’s missing. What were they all doing the day after? Whoever it was would need time to cover his tracks.’
‘I was promised unlimited expenses to get this show on the road,’ said Elspeth. ‘What if I take my team over after I see them leave the hotel and film them coming out? Then I could go down to Guildford and start to dig.’
‘Elspeth! That could be verra dangerous. One of them or all of them are psychopaths. If Davenport had just been shot … but to stuff him up his own chimney and then attack the poor sweep.’
‘It’s very hard to get at me with a big television van, a soundman, a cameraman, and a wee researcher.’
‘You have a researcher! She could be a help.’
‘Betty Close is a wimp. She works hard but never seems to come up with anything useful. She’ll need to come with us.’
‘Maybe she can do some foot slogging. Send her out to the regiment’s headquarters and see if she can dig up anything out there.’
‘Maybe. Drive me back to the hotel, Hamish. I could do with a rest.’
‘Could you tip me off when you see them leave?’
‘Will do.’
‘Oh, Elspeth, I’ve been meaning to explain about Corsica …’
‘Another time. I’m too weary.’
She went out and shut the door behind her.
At least I’m not that attracted to her now, thought Hamish with a feeling of relief. But he remembered Elspeth when she used to work on the Highland Times : Elspeth with her charity-shop clothes and frizzy hair and those big grey eyes which turned silver, gypsy eyes, and he felt a little pang. The new Elspeth was sophisticated, and there was a hardness about her.
Chapter Four
I would like to be there, were it but to see how the cat jumps .
– SIR WALTER SCOTT
The following morning, Hamish drove to Drim. Milly nervously called through the door, ‘Who is it?’
‘Hamish Macbeth.’
He had to wait until locks were opened and a chain removed.
‘You’re getting well protected,’ he said, taking off his cap and following her into the kitchen.
‘The villagers are so kind. There’s a retired locksmith here and he came and put new locks all over the place, even on the windows.’
‘Grand. Now, the reason I am here is because I think those four men will be back this morning, seeing if they can get any money out of you.’
‘Right after the funerals! Surely not.’
‘We’ll see. Could you take them into the drawing room and then I’ll listen at the door to make sure you’re all right?’
‘I’ve known them all before,’ said Milly, ‘and their wives. We were all such friends.’
‘Nonetheless, it’s better to be safe. I hear the sound of a car. I’ll wait in here until they’re all safely in the drawing room.’
There was a knock at the door. Hamish listened hard. He could hear Milly welcoming the men. He waited until the voices went into the drawing room and he heard Milly shut the door. Then he nipped across the hall and pressed his ear to the panels.
They sat around at first, murmuring the usual platitudes about how sad and peculiar the death of Captain Davenport had been.
Then Thomas Bromley said in a
In fact all of them had dined at the restaurant. Thomas Bromley and his wife had invited John Sanders and his wife, Charles Prosser and Mrs Prosser, along with the Castles, for dinner on the evening of the day of the murder . Thomas Bromley ran a chain of men’s clothing stores, John Sanders repaired computers, and Charles Prosser ran a chain of supermarkets.
‘Read about the dinner party?’ he asked Elspeth. ‘They could be covering for one another.’
‘Yes, I thought of that, but John Sanders’s neighbours reported all the comings and goings.’
‘I wonder about that dinner party. I wonder if they got another old army buddy who looks like one of them to stand in. Now, apart from Castle, one of the others could have taken a flight up to Glasgow, hired a car, and driven up there, then back again late the next day. That’s what’s missing. What were they all doing the day after? Whoever it was would need time to cover his tracks.’
‘I was promised unlimited expenses to get this show on the road,’ said Elspeth. ‘What if I take my team over after I see them leave the hotel and film them coming out? Then I could go down to Guildford and start to dig.’
‘Elspeth! That could be verra dangerous. One of them or all of them are psychopaths. If Davenport had just been shot … but to stuff him up his own chimney and then attack the poor sweep.’
‘It’s very hard to get at me with a big television van, a soundman, a cameraman, and a wee researcher.’
‘You have a researcher! She could be a help.’
‘Betty Close is a wimp. She works hard but never seems to come up with anything useful. She’ll need to come with us.’
‘Maybe she can do some foot slogging. Send her out to the regiment’s headquarters and see if she can dig up anything out there.’
‘Maybe. Drive me back to the hotel, Hamish. I could do with a rest.’
‘Could you tip me off when you see them leave?’
‘Will do.’
‘Oh, Elspeth, I’ve been meaning to explain about Corsica …’
‘Another time. I’m too weary.’
She went out and shut the door behind her.
At least I’m not that attracted to her now, thought Hamish with a feeling of relief. But he remembered Elspeth when she used to work on the Highland Times : Elspeth with her charity-shop clothes and frizzy hair and those big grey eyes which turned silver, gypsy eyes, and he felt a little pang. The new Elspeth was sophisticated, and there was a hardness about her.
Chapter Four
I would like to be there, were it but to see how the cat jumps .
– SIR WALTER SCOTT
The following morning, Hamish drove to Drim. Milly nervously called through the door, ‘Who is it?’
‘Hamish Macbeth.’
He had to wait until locks were opened and a chain removed.
‘You’re getting well protected,’ he said, taking off his cap and following her into the kitchen.
‘The villagers are so kind. There’s a retired locksmith here and he came and put new locks all over the place, even on the windows.’
‘Grand. Now, the reason I am here is because I think those four men will be back this morning, seeing if they can get any money out of you.’
‘Right after the funerals! Surely not.’
‘We’ll see. Could you take them into the drawing room and then I’ll listen at the door to make sure you’re all right?’
‘I’ve known them all before,’ said Milly, ‘and their wives. We were all such friends.’
‘Nonetheless, it’s better to be safe. I hear the sound of a car. I’ll wait in here until they’re all safely in the drawing room.’
There was a knock at the door. Hamish listened hard. He could hear Milly welcoming the men. He waited until the voices went into the drawing room and he heard Milly shut the door. Then he nipped across the hall and pressed his ear to the panels.
They sat around at first, murmuring the usual platitudes about how sad and peculiar the death of Captain Davenport had been.
Then Thomas Bromley said in a
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