Chapter 12
TWELVE
Ross, having done an afternoon working at the surgery, appeared just after six o’clock, accompanied, as usual, by Ebony. ‘I’ve just passed a group of brawny young men heading up this way,’ he said.
‘Ah, they’ve started practising for their fun run on Saturday then,’ Ally said, ‘because they’ve a long way to go before they get to their beer and barbecue – not to mention the prize!’
‘Best of luck to them,’ Ross said as he brought in a bag. ‘And how are your guests today?’
‘Well, Greg is particularly belligerent, and none of them are really happy now that no one’s been arrested.
And Patti and her daughters are watching something on Netflix.
The girls, predictably enough, are becoming very bored.
There’s not a lot for them to do. And Amir wants them to stay here for the moment. ’
‘So, what’s Greg so angry about?’ Ross asked.
Ally rolled her eyes. ‘He obviously wants to get back to his cabin building, and I get the impression that he doesn’t much care who’s arrested, as long as someone is, so he can leave. And, in his own words, he thinks the earl and Micky could have been in cahoots!’
‘Always a possibility, I suppose!’ said Ross cheerfully. Then, seeing Ally’s face, added, ‘Not likely though!’ He dug in his bag and produced a carton of eggs. ‘Will gave me these, so I thought we might have omelettes or something?’
‘Great idea!’ Ally agreed. As she spoke, she heard someone stomping around in the hall.
She exchanged glances with Ross and peeked round the corner of the door to see Greg taking off his walking boots and placing them in the cupboard under the stairs, where the shoes were kept.
‘Everything OK, Greg?’ Ally asked, realising that he’d seen her.
‘I’ve just been for a walk up on the moor to try to wind down a little,’ he said. ‘But, damn me, no sooner had I set off than all these young guys start running past me! What’s going on?’
‘Well, the earl has organised a fun run for Saturday, a sort of mini marathon of ten or eleven miles. It’s for the competitors in the games really because they’ve all been feeling very low since Archie’s death, and they’re obviously practising this afternoon.
The earl’s laying on a barbecue at the castle at the end of the race, and a prize for the first one back. ’
Greg snorted. ‘I suppose they’re all glad that they don’t have to compete against Archie because he’d be bound to win it if he was here. Doesn’t it matter to the earl that one of these guys could be the killer?’
‘Of course it matters,’ Ally said sharply. ‘But they can’t all be killers, and they need something to boost their morale. And keep them healthy!’
He didn’t look convinced.
‘It would be good to go up there on Saturday to watch the race as they come round the loch, and then we’re all invited to the barbecue afterwards,’ Ally added.
‘Huh!’ Greg shook his head. ‘I guess I’ll find something better to do.’
‘I think the girls would like it,’ Ally said. ‘They’re becoming very bored here, and it would be something more interesting for them. In fact, you could all do with cheering up!’
‘I’ll put it to the vote,’ Greg said, climbing the stairs.
Ally sighed as she closed the door. ‘That man is really bitter,’ she said to Ross.
‘Yes, he sounds it. I think it would be good if you could encourage them when they have breakfast in the morning,’ Ross said.
‘I will,’ Ally agreed.
They all appeared, looking morose, at breakfast in the morning. Greg was uncharacteristically quiet, Wendy seemed a little more nervous than usual, and Patti and her daughters just looked bored.
As she wished them all a bright, ‘Good morning!’ Ally repeated what she’d told Greg about the race and the barbecue.
‘Oh, cool!’ enthused Julie. ‘Oh, please can we go and watch?’
‘A barbecue would be fun!’ Janey exclaimed.
‘It might be getting dark before they all get back for a barbecue,’ Patti said, ‘and you are not going anywhere in the dark on your own!’
‘Everyone’s invited,’ Ally reminded her. ‘It would be nice to all go together, wouldn’t it?’
‘I’ll come with you, girls,’ Wendy said, looking more cheerful. ‘I’d like to see the runners – and the barbecue later.’
‘Oh, Auntie Wendy, that would be great!’ Julie turned to her mother. ‘Why don’t you come along, Mom? It’s only a bit of fun, and we haven’t had much of that while we’ve been here!’
Patti pulled a face. ‘Oh, OK, I’ll come.’
‘I might even try to walk part of the route,’ Greg said. ‘I really like walking up there. Not the eleven miles, of course, but maybe two or three miles.’
‘I could come with you,’ Wendy said, ‘and then we can go on to the barbecue, can’t we?’
‘I suppose so,’ Greg grunted without enthusiasm.
‘I’m told that the race will begin at five o’clock,’ Ally said. ‘Leaving from the village shop, up past here to Loch Soular, all the way round the loch and then they follow a path over the moor to where the castle grounds begin – and the barbecue.’
Both girls were now in a huddle discussing what jeans they might wear, would it be warm enough just to wear a T-shirt and had they better wash their hair?
‘I think we’ve cheered them up a little,’ Ally said with a smile as she got back into the kitchen, ‘particularly the girls!’
‘They’re teenagers, Ally. They’re going to be impressed with all that testosterone! I mean most of these guys taking part are single and in good shape,’ Ross remarked.
‘I hope that doesn’t present any problems!
’ Ally said with a sigh, reminding herself that these girls hadn’t had contact with any young men since their arrival at the malthouse.
‘Anyway, I’ve told them that we’ll set off late afternoon, to watch them coming round the far end of the loch and see if anyone’s dropped out. ’
The following day, the day of the fun run, everyone was in the hall at half past five, as planned, having watched the runners galloping past the malthouse about twenty minutes before.
Patti was wearing an outfit Ally imagined more suitable for a yoga class, and the girls were wearing skintight jeans and skimpy tops, but at least they’d all taken jackets with them.
Greg and Wendy, on the other hand, were clad in serious-looking sportswear, a well-known logo scrawled over their chests and a stripe down the sides of their jogging bottoms. They had a ‘we-do-this-all-the-time’ type look on their faces and plainly meant business as they searched in the hall cupboard for their walking boots.
As he tied his laces, Greg glowered at Wendy. ‘You sure you’re going to be OK with these new boots?’
‘Oh, they’ll be fine,’ she replied. Then, turning to Ally: ‘I didn’t bring any with me from home, so I bought these in Glasgow, and they need to be christened! I’m kinda hoping they’ll be OK.’
And so they set off, Greg and Wendy leading the way and slightly ahead, followed by Patti and the girls, with Ally and Ross bringing up the rear.
Ally was beginning to feel that she and Ross were quite frumpy in their normal jeans and T-shirts, with warm sweaters tied around their waists, in readiness for the cooler temperature in the evening to come.
As they walked, Ally noticed that Wendy was limping a little and, halfway up, she stopped.
‘It’s no good,’ she said sadly. ‘These boots are killing me, specially the left one. I’m going to have to go back.’
Greg sighed. ‘Well OK, but do you mind if I carry on? I really want to do this.’
Wendy nodded, looking disappointed. ‘You carry on; I don’t want to hold you back if I’m limping.’
‘Are you OK to get back?’ Ally asked her anxiously.
‘I can come with you!’ Patti said eagerly.
‘No, I’ll be OK,’ Wendy said. ‘I’ll hobble slowly!’ With that, she turned on her heel and limped back down the hill.
They watched her for a moment until she was out of sight, and then made their way towards where the flags were positioned.
Someone had planted the little red flags about every hundred yards all the way up to the loch, and Ally wondered who’d been assigned to this task.
Angus? Much more likely he’d sent one of his under-ghillies.
On arrival at the lochside, they could see the runners in the distance on the far side of the water’s edge, but it was impossible to make out who was who or who might be in the lead.
The path which eventually led to the castle was clearly marked with the flags, so there was no chance of anyone getting lost. There was a group of spectators already there, including Finlay McKinnon and Murdo McConnachie.
‘No Morag?’ Ally asked as she approached Murdo.
‘Och, she’s no’ a great one for walkin’,’ Murdo said, ‘but she’ll be at the castle later and, hopefully, to see one of our lads as the winner!’ He produced a couple of plastic water bottles. ‘Thought I’d better have these spare in case they need it by the time they get here!’
At this point, Greg took his leave, with much waving, and set off for his walk along the flag-decked path.
‘See you at the barbecue!’ they yelled.
As Ally studied the distant figures on the far side of the loch, she reckoned it must be a good four or five miles to circle round, and then there was as far again to get to the castle.
Ross had had the good sense to bring his binoculars and was using them to try to decipher who was who among the runners.
‘I can make out Micky and Bobby, and Ivan… and Forby and that could be Forby’s younger brother…
’ He screwed his face up. ‘And a few others whose names I don’t know.
Oh, and I think that’s Tom, the heart-throb ghillie. ’
‘Oh, he’s real cute,’ Julie said as she and Janey collapsed into giggles.
‘How do you know him?’ Ally asked.
‘Oh, it was when we went up to see Mom’s Uncle Angus,’ Janey replied.
Patti sniffed. ‘Well,’ she said, turning up the collar of her jacket, ‘I hope they bloody well hurry up because it’s getting cold.’ She was making it clear that she was here on sufferance.
Finlay McKinnon had had the foresight to bring along a flask of whisky, which he imbibed at regular intervals.
Murdo had a can of beer and politely offered a mouthful to Ally, who thanked him but refused.
She was beginning to wish they’d brought a Thermos of something hot to drink because it was turning decidedly chilly.
‘I think I might go back anyway,’ Patti said. ‘Come on, girls – there’s not much to see!’
‘No, we want to stay!’ Julie protested. ‘We want to see these guys running past here!’
‘Well, you can see them at the castle,’ Patti snapped.
‘Can’t we stay?’ begged Janey.
‘Not on your own,’ Patti said firmly.
‘But we’ve been here before, with the dog,’ Julie protested.
At this point, Ross, ever the gentleman, said, ‘I’ll stay and keep an eye on the girls if you ladies want to go back.
I’ll bring them back to the malthouse, and then we can all go up to the castle together.
’ He looked through his binoculars again.
‘They’re on the east bank now, hidden by the trees, and my guess is that the runners will be here in less than half an hour. ’
Ally, now feeling very chilly, decided that she too would go back.
‘It’s very kind of your Ross to stay with the girls,’ Patti said as they set off. ‘Thing is, it’s getting to the stage where they’ve become real interested in boys, and I can see I’m going to have problems.’
‘Ross will keep an eye on them,’ Ally assured her.
As they arrived back, she decided she’d put on a warm jacket before they headed for the castle. The evenings were cooling rapidly.
When they got back to the malthouse, they found a note from Wendy on the table in the hallway.
I’ve treated my foot, but it’s still sore, even in comfortable trainers, so I’m setting off early to the castle as I really want to be there when Greg arrives, and I don’t want to hold you all back with my hobbling!
Shortly afterwards, Ross returned with the two girls, had time for a quick hot drink, and then they all set off for the castle.
The girls raced ahead, followed by Ally and Ross, with Patti a few steps behind.
‘Barbecue food is so fattening,’ Patti grumbled. ‘How many fry-ups can you consume in one day, for God’s sake!’
Ally didn’t reply, knowing full well that Patti normally breakfasted on just coffee and toast, or cereal.
For what seemed like the fiftieth time, she reminded herself that this woman had just lost her husband and was entitled to be a bit erratic.
But how erratic was too erratic? And just how quickly could she solve this mystery and get this family off her hands?