Chapter 3
THREE
Ally predicted that breakfast was likely to be a shambles, and it was.
She’d given the Armstrong family the usual spiel about breakfast times when they’d first arrived and, for the last couple of days, they’d all trooped down at nine o’clock, had full Scottish breakfasts and then gone out by ten, leaving Morag sufficient time to do their rooms without interruption.
This morning, however, the only person who appeared at nine o’clock was Morag.
‘Where are they all?’ she asked as she removed her purple anorak and tied on her apron.
‘Still upstairs, I’m afraid,’ Ally replied. ‘I should think we can write off any normal routine this morning.’
Hands on hips, Morag surveyed the kitchen. ‘How am I supposed to do their rooms then?’
Ally shrugged. ‘We’ll have to play it by ear. See who comes down first, and then perhaps you could nip up and do a quick tidy while they’re eating. If they’re eating.’
‘Tsk, tsk,’ said Morag grumpily, heading for the kettle to make herself a cup of tea. ’I suppose it’s to be expected.’
‘Of course it is. They’ve just lost a husband, a father, a brother – killed in front of their very eyes.’
‘Aye, well it wouldn’t be anyone from round here that would have tried to shoot him. It was probably one of them that pulled the trigger!’
‘I doubt that very much,’ Ally said, ‘because they were in such a state when they got back last night. They were really absolutely shattered and weeping. They all needed a drink, even the girls, and, in fact, there are probably still some glasses lying around in the sitting room.’
Morag wasn’t finished yet. ‘They was all standin’ well back when that man started off with the caber!
Come to think of it, I only saw the daughters and the sister cheerin’, and nobody was lookin’ at them, was they?
Everyone was gawpin’ at that big brute, Armstrong!
’ She pursed her lips into a tight line. ‘That’s all I’m sayin’!’
At this point, Ross came in with two damp and exuberant dogs. He’d taken them for an early morning walk across the moors as he usually did when he stayed overnight. He grabbed an old towel and dried them off in the lobby at the back, where they’d stay while breakfast was being served.
Morag had gone to check the sitting room for any stray glasses and returned, wide-eyed. ‘My God, there’s a bloody woman asleep in there!’
‘There is?’ Ally rushed out across the hallway and peered around the sitting-room door.
There was indeed a woman, fully dressed and fast asleep, draped across the sofa, and it took Ally several minutes to identify her as Wendy Watson.
She had plainly fallen asleep in there the previous evening, and the rest of the family had decided to leave her to it.
Ally sighed. What to do now?
‘It’s Archie’s sister,’ she said as she re-entered the kitchen.
‘So how am I supposed to get my work done?’ Morag asked, gulping her tea and running her hand through her mop of dyed-blonde hair.
At that moment, there was the sound of footsteps in the hall, and Ally looked out to see Greg, Wendy’s husband, heading towards the sitting room.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said when he saw Ally. ‘My wife fell asleep in here last night. She was exhausted from crying, and I thought it best to leave her.’
‘That’s not a problem, Greg. Do you fancy breakfast?’
‘Don’t think I could eat much,’ he said, ‘but I’ll have some cereal, and coffee would be great.’
‘Same for me,’ said a female voice, and Ally turned to see Patti Armstrong had padded silently downstairs in her socks.
She was wearing tight jeans and an oversized sweater, and she was perfectly made-up, her blonde hair immaculate.
Ally tried not to gawp at this newly bereaved widow who, only last night, had looked a total wreck.
‘Have you managed to get some sleep?’ Ally asked solicitously.
‘Oh yeah,’ said Patti. ‘A little. The girls are still pretty upset though.’
How on earth had Patti recovered so rapidly, Ally wondered, from the death of her husband of twenty years, or whatever it was?
Ally remembered then two points: Detective Inspector Kandahar saying something about ‘reverting to type’, and Morag’s suggestion that one of the family had fired the gun. Was that possible?
If nothing else, at least now Morag could do two of the rooms upstairs.
Amir Kandahar arrived at ten o’clock, just as Wendy had woken up and staggered into the dining room to join her husband and sister-in-law.
‘I’ll talk to them later,’ Amir said as he sat down at the kitchen table and opened up his briefcase, accepting a mug of tea.
He sighed. ‘Let me know when they’re all in the dining room,’ he said, ‘but, in the meantime, could you take me through yesterday again in more detail – where you were standing in relation to the caber tossing area, and what, if anything, you saw going on among the other spectators?’
Ally looked at Ross, and they both shrugged.
‘The thing is,’ Ross said, ‘everyone’s eyes were riveted on Archie Armstrong. He’d already won the hammer throwing, his daughters had won the dancing and I guess that people were either grudgingly admiring the man, or hoping he’d trip up.’
‘Well, he certainly did that,’ Amir said drily.
‘According to the post-mortem, judging from the grazing on his ear, the bullet was fired from somewhere due east to where he was staggering around with the caber. Thank God a couple of people were videoing the event so we have a little film footage.’ He frowned and passed a piece of paper across the table.
‘This is a rough map of the field, with the tossing area marked off. Where exactly would you say you were standing?’
Ally studied it for a moment. ‘We were sort of south-east, I suppose,’ she said, pointing her finger at the likely spot and handing him back the sheet of paper.
‘We think the killer must have been hiding in the trees at the top of the hill, above where the mobile toilets were, but can you remember some of the people standing on this east side near you?’
‘Most of the competitors and their supporters were near where we were standing because it was the best viewpoint, and the Armstrong family, of course.’
‘Hmm,’ said the inspector, ‘that’s interesting. I think it’s time I spoke to them again.’
Ally could hear some movement in the dining room. ‘Let me have a look in there,’ she said.
There was still no sign of the two girls, but Wendy, looking dishevelled and blotchy, was pouring herself some fruit juice, her husband at her side.
She was tall, like her brother, but gangly and not very strong-looking, with dark hair tied back in a ponytail.
Patti was seated, ramrod straight, at the table toying with a bowl of cereal.
They could probably manage coffee and toast, they said in unison, but nothing else.
The girls did not want to come down and so they’d take some fruit upstairs to them, if Ally didn’t mind. Ally didn’t mind at all.
She went back into the kitchen and related the conversation to Amir.
‘Did you tell them I was here?’ he asked as he prepared to head towards the dining room.
Ally shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t.’
‘I’ll have a word with them then.’ Amir picked up his files and, as he got to the door, asked, ‘What about your cleaner? When can I speak to her?’
‘She’ll be down as soon as she finishes the bedrooms,’ Ally said.
‘Good,’ said Amir. ‘Don’t let her leave until I’ve spoken with her. And watch out for reporters because they’re likely to be here in force and probably knocking at your door. Tell them absolutely nothing.’
‘The girls are still in their bedroom,’ complained Morag as she arrived in the kitchen shortly afterwards, ‘but at least I’ve had a chance to tidy up the other two rooms—’ She stopped short as she saw Amir come in from the dining room.
‘Can I have a word, please, Mrs Mc…’
‘McConnachie,’ said Morag. ‘Just a moment while I have my much-needed cuppa.’
He looked slightly taken aback as Morag made her way to the kettle and made herself a large mug of tea. ‘I always have a cuppa when I’ve done the rooms,’ she told him.
‘Just a few questions, Mrs McConnachie, if you don’t mind. I believe you were at this event yesterday?’
‘Aye, of course I was. With Murdo, my husband, the postie.’ She looked at him as if he should have known this. ‘I’ll have ye know I had two boys competin’ in them events, and a wee granddaughter in the dancin’, and—’
‘And where were you standing in relation to this map?’ Amir interjected, handing her the field plan.
Morag scowled. ‘I was standin’ right next to Ally here. Wasn’t I, Ally?’ She looked across to where Ally was loading the dishwasher.
‘Yes, you were.’
‘And you stayed there all the time?’ asked Amir.
Morag gave him another of her looks. ‘Of course not! As soon as the caber tossin’ started, Murdo and me moved over to where our lads had been standin’.’
‘You saw or heard nothing suspicious?’
‘Nobody was runnin’ around with a gun, if that’s what ye mean? Whoever it was, it wouldn’t be anyone from Locharran, let me tell ye that! This is a peaceful place with law-abidin’ folk, but, of course, I canna speak for all them foreigners.’ She shook her head and took a large gulp of tea.
‘Foreigners?’ asked the inspector. ‘What foreigners?’
‘That man’s family, of course. All Canadians, them. And some folk from Fort William who could have been foreigners too. How would I know?’
‘Oh, indeed,’ said Amir, exchanging glances with Ally. ‘And your husband stayed at your side throughout this time?’
‘Well, he went for a pee at some stage, I canna remember when.’ Morag frowned.
‘Me and Murdo don’t go around shootin’ people, you know?
We have better things to do.’ She paused.
‘Even though he bloody well deserved that bullet! Cavortin’ around at village gatherin’s and winnin’ all the prizes, when our lads have been practisin’ all year!
And they’re locals! It’s not bloody fair!
Just as well I don’t have a gun! Have you done with me? ’ Morag scowled as she drained her tea.
‘Oh, indeed, Mrs McConnachie. Thank you for your help.’
Morag disappeared into the porch to remove her apron, hang it up and put on her purple anorak again. ‘See you tomorrow!’ she yelled at Ally. ‘If the good Lord spares me.’
‘Well, that’s me told,’ said Amir with a grin as he left.
Ally didn’t really think that Morag could be involved, but she couldn’t say the same for Morag’s two sons. Or any of the other competitors, for that matter. There seemed to be quite a few people who might have wanted Archie dead.