coaxing voice: ‘The sad thing is, Milly, that Henry owed us all money. We are sure you are going to honour your dead husband’s debts.’
‘It’s an awful lot of money,’ quavered Milly, ‘and I don’t have that much left.’
‘Then you’ll need to sell this house,’ said John Sanders. ‘I am sure you would not want people to think badly of your husband.’
Enough, thought Hamish. He pushed open the door and went in. ‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘What is the reason for this call?’
‘Just to give the lady our condolences.’
‘It’s too soon after all the shocks for Mrs Davenport to be disturbed. I’ll just be seeing you out.’
Hamish suddenly sensed evil in the room, but he did not know which one of them was emanating it.
He held the drawing-room door wide. ‘Good day to you.’
Charles Prosser said haughtily, ‘We’ll be back to see you when this interfering policeman is not around.’
‘No you won’t,’ said Milly, getting to her feet. ‘I’ve had enough. Don’t come back. I haven’t any money.’
‘What’s this?’ asked Hamish. ‘Have you been harassing Mrs Davenport for money at such a time?’
‘We’ll be on our way,’ said Bromley. They pushed past Hamish and left.
Milly sobbed quietly while the sound of their car died away. ‘Look here,’ said Hamish, ‘that money was got from them by fraud. You are not responsible.’
‘I was thinking of selling the house,’ said Milly, dryingher eyes. ‘But the village people are so kind. I’ve never really had friends of my own since I got married. To tell the truth, I didn’t like their wives, but Henry insisted they were my best friends.’
‘Will your sister-in-law have left you anything in her will?’
‘I very much doubt it.’
Hamish took out his phone. ‘I think I’ll just be calling in a few favours from a couple of men on the Forestry Commission. As soon as all the shrubbery is taken away, you’ll get a clear view of who’s approaching the house.’
There was a knock at the door, and Milly winced. Hamish went to answer it. But it was Ailsa and Edie bearing a cake. ‘We thought a bit o’ cake might cheer her up.’
Milly appeared behind Hamish. ‘How kind of you. Let’s go into the kitchen. The drawing room is cold.’
Hamish returned to his phone call. ‘Two forestry men’ll be along this afternoon,’ he said.
‘What do I pay them?’ asked Milly.
‘Nothing. Like I said, they’ll take away the wood as payment.’
When Hamish arrived back at his police station, he phoned the hotel and found to his dismay that none of the four had checked out. For once he would have welcomed Detective Inspector Blair with his bullying ways. Why wasn’t he up at the hotel grilling them?
He phoned Jimmy and asked. ‘I’m on my road over,’ said Jimmy. ‘Blair smells that this is a case that’ll never be solved. He’s got a glowing report on all four men from the regiment. He says I’ve got to concentrate on the villagers in Drim. He says they’re probably all inbred and daft. He says some lunatic stuffed the captain up the chimney. He says we cannot go around annoying brave soldiers.’
‘Ex-soldiers,’ corrected Hamish, ‘and they were up at Drim this morning, trying to get money out o’ Milly.’
‘Where are they now?’
‘Tommel Castle.’
‘I’ll just be having a wee word wi’ them.’
‘Drop in here first. I’ve got an idea.’
When Jimmy arrived, demanding whisky as usual, Hamish said, ‘Has anyone looked into how their businesses are doing?’
‘Don’t think so.’
‘All of them or one of them must be desperate for money or they wouldn’t go to such lengths.’
‘I’ll use your phone and get on to it. Where’s Elspeth? I heard she’d been spotted.’
‘Down in Surrey, trying to get some background.’
‘Good luck to her. But believe me, the police down there have been thorough. Wait! I’ll use your phone and get on to them and see if one of the
‘It’s an awful lot of money,’ quavered Milly, ‘and I don’t have that much left.’
‘Then you’ll need to sell this house,’ said John Sanders. ‘I am sure you would not want people to think badly of your husband.’
Enough, thought Hamish. He pushed open the door and went in. ‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘What is the reason for this call?’
‘Just to give the lady our condolences.’
‘It’s too soon after all the shocks for Mrs Davenport to be disturbed. I’ll just be seeing you out.’
Hamish suddenly sensed evil in the room, but he did not know which one of them was emanating it.
He held the drawing-room door wide. ‘Good day to you.’
Charles Prosser said haughtily, ‘We’ll be back to see you when this interfering policeman is not around.’
‘No you won’t,’ said Milly, getting to her feet. ‘I’ve had enough. Don’t come back. I haven’t any money.’
‘What’s this?’ asked Hamish. ‘Have you been harassing Mrs Davenport for money at such a time?’
‘We’ll be on our way,’ said Bromley. They pushed past Hamish and left.
Milly sobbed quietly while the sound of their car died away. ‘Look here,’ said Hamish, ‘that money was got from them by fraud. You are not responsible.’
‘I was thinking of selling the house,’ said Milly, dryingher eyes. ‘But the village people are so kind. I’ve never really had friends of my own since I got married. To tell the truth, I didn’t like their wives, but Henry insisted they were my best friends.’
‘Will your sister-in-law have left you anything in her will?’
‘I very much doubt it.’
Hamish took out his phone. ‘I think I’ll just be calling in a few favours from a couple of men on the Forestry Commission. As soon as all the shrubbery is taken away, you’ll get a clear view of who’s approaching the house.’
There was a knock at the door, and Milly winced. Hamish went to answer it. But it was Ailsa and Edie bearing a cake. ‘We thought a bit o’ cake might cheer her up.’
Milly appeared behind Hamish. ‘How kind of you. Let’s go into the kitchen. The drawing room is cold.’
Hamish returned to his phone call. ‘Two forestry men’ll be along this afternoon,’ he said.
‘What do I pay them?’ asked Milly.
‘Nothing. Like I said, they’ll take away the wood as payment.’
When Hamish arrived back at his police station, he phoned the hotel and found to his dismay that none of the four had checked out. For once he would have welcomed Detective Inspector Blair with his bullying ways. Why wasn’t he up at the hotel grilling them?
He phoned Jimmy and asked. ‘I’m on my road over,’ said Jimmy. ‘Blair smells that this is a case that’ll never be solved. He’s got a glowing report on all four men from the regiment. He says I’ve got to concentrate on the villagers in Drim. He says they’re probably all inbred and daft. He says some lunatic stuffed the captain up the chimney. He says we cannot go around annoying brave soldiers.’
‘Ex-soldiers,’ corrected Hamish, ‘and they were up at Drim this morning, trying to get money out o’ Milly.’
‘Where are they now?’
‘Tommel Castle.’
‘I’ll just be having a wee word wi’ them.’
‘Drop in here first. I’ve got an idea.’
When Jimmy arrived, demanding whisky as usual, Hamish said, ‘Has anyone looked into how their businesses are doing?’
‘Don’t think so.’
‘All of them or one of them must be desperate for money or they wouldn’t go to such lengths.’
‘I’ll use your phone and get on to it. Where’s Elspeth? I heard she’d been spotted.’
‘Down in Surrey, trying to get some background.’
‘Good luck to her. But believe me, the police down there have been thorough. Wait! I’ll use your phone and get on to them and see if one of the
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