Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
‘I’m back in Glasgow,’ Amir said, ‘but I can be there in the morning, around ten o’clock. How’s that?’
‘That’s fine,’ Ally replied. ‘I don’t think any of them are going anywhere.’
‘And you can’t tell me what you’ve discovered?’
‘Julie won’t tell me,’ Ally said. ‘But I think it could be important.’
‘I’ll be with you in the morning,’ he said.
Ally poured a glass of wine. Then she worried whether she’d overreacted. After all, Tom might well have just overheard Angus referring to Patti’s misspent youth, which had nothing at all to do with this case. She wished Ross was here.
Ross had gone home to cut the grass and reply to emails, and he returned at around six o’clock. He’d run out of petrol for the mower, the guests in the barn had spied a rat scuttling past the kitchen door and he’d had a cancelled booking. Ross was not a particularly happy man.
‘How was your day?’ he asked gloomily as Ally poured him a glass of wine.
‘You would not believe,’ she said.
‘Try me,’ he said.
So she told him about the events of the afternoon.
‘Dear Lord!’ he exclaimed. ‘Whatever next? Where are they all?’
‘They’re all in the sitting room now, except Patti. She’s still up in her room.’
‘Your friend Amir needs to be doing some interrogating tomorrow. Do you think she’ll keep her promise not to tell her mother?’
‘I hope so. I mean, Tom might just have overheard something quite trivial, and I’m going to feel like an idiot.’
‘Yes, but it was a front-page story, and the police were questioning everyone, so why didn’t he come forward if he’d overheard something relevant?’ Ross scratched his head.
‘Which might prove it couldn’t be anything important,’ Ally concluded sadly.
Amir arrived at five minutes past ten with his briefcase and his phone. As usual, he was persuaded to have a cup of tea while the guests finished breakfast next door.
‘I’m sorry if I’ve alerted you unnecessarily,’ Ally said as she passed him his tea. ‘I’ve been worrying all night that I might have overreacted, but it just might be important, you know.’
Amir nodded and took a sip of his tea. ‘Ally, you know that I asked you to tell me about anything that might be relevant because any one of them would be a whole lot more likely to confide in you than in me. I’d much prefer a false alarm than missing a vital clue.
’ He laid down his mug. ‘In fact, I’d like you to sit in while I question this lass – what’s her name? ’
‘Julie.’
‘How old is she?’ he asked.
‘She’s just seventeen,’ Ally replied.
‘I’d like an adult present while I chat with her, and I certainly don’t want any of her relatives around,’ Amir said. ‘This could be quite a delicate matter.’
Ross stood up. ‘Now that my sausage cooking is no longer required, I feel the urge to tackle your garden, Ally.’ And, with a grin, he made his way to the back door.
‘That man should get a medal for diplomacy,’ Amir exclaimed. Then, looking serious, he asked, ‘How has the mother been since you contacted me yesterday?’
‘To be honest, she shut herself in her room when we got back, and there’s been no sight or sound of her until breakfast this morning, and I think it’s fair to say that the atmosphere in there is somewhat tense.’
‘So not exactly the reaction you’d expect from someone worried about her daughter?’ Amir said.
‘No,’ Ally replied. ‘It’s almost as if she wanted to avoid Julie.’
‘Now I need to get Julie to open up to me as much as possible. Do you think they’ve finished eating?’ Amir asked.
‘I’ll go get her,’ Ally said.
There was definitely a strained atmosphere in the dining room. Julie and Janey had taken their breakfasts at the little table in front of the window, leaving Patti and Wendy sitting silently at the main table and studiously avoiding looking at each other.
They looked up expectantly as Ally came into the room. ‘Would you come with me, Julie,’ she said, ‘so the detective can ask you a few questions?’
At this, Patti rose from the table. ‘If he’s going to talk to my daughter,’ she said, ‘then I should be there.’
‘I’m sorry, Patti, but the detective has asked for me to be present, rather than a family member, and I’ve promised to ensure that the questioning is impartial,’ Ally said.
‘I’m her mother!’ Patti exploded. ‘It’s my place to be there!’
It was Julie herself who saved the situation. ‘Mom, I’m happy for Ally to do this, and if there’s anything bothering me, I promise to call you straight away. OK?’ Without waiting for a reply, she stood up and followed Ally into the kitchen.
Amir questioned her gently. ‘You’re Julie Armstrong?’
The girl nodded.
‘And how old are you?’
‘I’m seventeen. And a half!’
‘Good, good. Now, you’re a pretty young lady, so I can see why that young man was attracted to you.’
Julie gave a nervous little smile.
‘I believe he’s a trainee ghillie – is that what you’d call him?’ Amir asked.
‘I guess,’ said Julie.
‘And he’s in the employ of the earl but training under your mother’s uncle Angus – is that right?’
Julie nodded.
‘So the obvious place for a bit of privacy would be in a nice, quiet corner of a barn?’
Julie nodded again. ‘We were only kissing…’
‘I believe you,’ Amir said. ‘I can remember how difficult it was to find somewhere out of the way when I was dating at your age.’ He hesitated. ‘But did Tom upset you in some way?’
‘It was just something he said,’ Julie muttered. ‘Something about overhearing Mom and Uncle Angus talking the day before the games, but I promised him I’d tell no one what it was.’
‘Perhaps they’d had a row?’ Amir suggested.
Julie shrugged. ‘Mom argues a lot with people, so I wouldn’t have been surprised. I asked Tom about that but, at first, he shut up like a clam and said he wished he’d never opened his mouth.’
Amir nodded slowly. ‘Trouble is,’ he said, ‘once you’ve said something, you can’t unsay it – know what I mean? But he obviously upset you, and, honestly, Julie, I do need to know what he said.’
‘It was something real bad, and I can’t believe it.’ Julie looked at him imploringly.
‘Would you like Ally to leave the room for a moment?’ Amir nodded at Ally.
‘No, it’s fine. It’s just that it can’t be true. It can’t!’
‘Tell me, Julie. No matter how bad it was, we only have his word for it. Remember that.’
Julie lowered her head and stared at the floor. ‘He said that he overheard Mom and Uncle Angus talking, and that Mom asked Uncle Angus for a gun.’
Amir stared at her. ‘This was the day before the games?’
‘Yeah, just after we got here. She asked him for a gun!’
‘Did Angus ask her what she wanted it for?’
Julie shook her head. ‘And there’s more! She even said that he should break into the cabinet because otherwise everyone would know it was him because he has a key.’
‘And your friend, Tom, overheard all this?’
‘Yes.’ Julie was weeping again.
‘And you haven’t told your mum what it was he told you?’ Amir probed gently.
‘No because Ally said I shouldn’t tell anyone until I’d spoken to you!’ Julie blew her nose. ‘I honestly wish I’d never set eyes on that Tom!’
‘One way or the other, he doesn’t sound very admirable,’ Amir agreed. ‘I’ll have a little chat with him later. Off you go now and give your mum a hug! But, Julie, do not tell her what you’ve just told me. Promise?’
Julie stood up. ‘I won’t. Can I go now?’
‘Yes, you can,’ Amir said. ‘After you’ve promised to say nothing to anyone, including your mum, about what Tom told you. I think there’s a fair chance he was lying, and there’s no need for her to get herself upset.’
‘I promise,’ Julie said.
Then, after the door had closed behind her, Amir said, ‘You can guess where I’m heading now.’
Ally spent most of the day on tenterhooks, wondering if Amir would be able to work out if Tom had been telling the truth.
Then she thought about Rigby, his predecessor, now retired due to heart problems. Rigby would probably have had a different approach: more direct; straight to the point; yes or no; did you or didn’t you?
She had a feeling that Amir wasn’t like that.
He would probe gently to gain someone’s confidence, be almost sympathetic.
Then she wondered if Amir would tell her anything anyway because, after all, it wasn’t really her business.
Unless… unless it was something to do with her guests.
And, let’s face it, she had been extremely useful to him.
Amir phoned in the early afternoon. ‘I’m coming to question Mrs Armstrong,’ he said. ‘So I want to make sure that she’s still there and not out somewhere?’
‘I haven’t heard her go out,’ Ally replied. ‘Give me a minute and I’ll double-check for you.’
‘If you wouldn’t mind.’
She did so, confirming that Patti was still in her room, then relayed this information to Amir.
‘I’m on my way,’ Amir said.
Ross was at the surgery this afternoon, helping his son, Will, with an overload of appointments.
Ally wished that he was there as she tried desperately to think of any way in which she could overhear what Amir was going to be asking Patti.
Perhaps she could be ‘gardening’ and might hear something through the window, or could she just listen at the door?
A few years ago, she wouldn’t have dreamed of eavesdropping on anyone, but times had changed, and she was now desperate to know what Amir had found out and wanted to talk to Patti about.
Would he question Patti in the dining room, well away from the others?
In which case, she could try that old trick of putting her ear to a glass pushed against the wall. Not that that worked particularly well.
Amir arrived via the back door, and the first thing he asked Ally was, ‘Where can I talk to this woman alone?’
‘Well, there’s the dining room, or the garden I suppose,’ Ally replied.
‘I don’t want any of the others to overhear this conversation,’ he said, looking serious.
‘The garden might be best,’ Ally suggested. ‘It’s a nice, sunny afternoon, and it’s very sheltered out there.’
Amir nodded. ‘That might be best so long as no one can hear from inside.’
‘Not from inside,’ Ally confirmed, already planning to listen in at the high wall which separated the main garden from the utility area.
‘I’ll go ahead then,’ Amir said, heading towards the sitting room, where she heard him say, ‘Mrs Armstrong, could I have a word with you alone, please?’
‘Alone?’ Patti snorted. ‘I’ve got nothing to say that can’t be heard by anyone here.’
‘Alone,’ Amir repeated.
‘Why?’ asked Patti.
‘Because I’m asking you to,’ Amir replied firmly. ‘I think the garden might be best.’
There was much murmuring in the background and grumbling from Patti. She got to her feet with a great deal of sighing before following the inspector out of the front door and into the garden at the side.
Ally wasted no time in dashing out of the back door, rushing past the washing lines and tiptoeing towards the wall. She could hear Patti still mumbling about being ‘singled out’, as she put it.
‘Please sit down,’ Amir said, obviously indicating the garden seat. Ally wondered if he, too, was sitting on the other end of the seat or if he’d remained standing.
‘I understand that you visited your uncle on the Monday and the Tuesday, having arrived in Locharran on the Sunday evening?’
‘Yes.’
Amir cleared his throat. ‘You were overheard asking your uncle to provide you with a gun.’
There was silence for a moment before Patti exclaimed, ‘What nonsense!’
‘No, it doesn’t appear to be nonsense,’ Amir said calmly. ‘You were also overheard suggesting that Angus faked a break-in, so no one would suspect him.’
‘Who told you this rubbish?’ Patti asked, her voice shrill.
‘Are you denying this?’ Amir asked.
‘Of course I’m denying this! Why on earth would I want a bloody gun?’
‘Perhaps to kill your husband?’ Amir suggested.
‘Don’t be so bloody ridiculous! Why the hell would I want to kill my husband?’ Patti shrieked.
‘You tell me. Apparently, not only did Angus consider breaking in to get the gun, but he also told you the best place to hide it in the woods above the field where the games were due to take place the following day.’
‘Such bloody nonsense! Who on earth told you this?’ Patti’s voice had risen an octave or two.
‘You were overheard,’ Amir repeated.
‘By whom?’
‘I can’t tell you that,’ Amir said.
‘Why can’t you tell me?’ Patti shouted. ‘I’ve a right to know who’s accusing me, but I’m betting it’s that wretched Tom whatever-his-name-is who fancied my daughter! He’s obviously the killer and has fed you this ridiculous story to draw attention away from himself.’
Ally heard Amir sigh. ‘He insists that he’s telling the truth.
But someone’s lying. In the meantime, I ask that you do not leave this house.
I don’t want to make any arrests yet, but I will if I have to.
I’m thinking only of your daughters and how it could affect them if their mother was taken into custody. ’
‘This is so damned unfair!’ Patti shouted. ‘This is all a heap of lies! I want to go home to Canada! I cannot believe that so many ghastly events have taken place since I set foot again in this country – the country of my birth!’
‘That’ll be all for now,’ Amir said calmly. ‘I’d prefer not to position a policeman at the door, but I will, unless you promise to stay right here in the malthouse. Or the garden,’ he added hurriedly.
There followed a great deal of shuffling as they obviously made their way back inside.
Amir tapped on the kitchen door just as Ally had hurriedly tiptoed back into the kitchen.
She realised she must have been looking a little guilty because Amir said, ‘I’ve no doubt whatsoever that you managed to hear that conversation, in which case you’ll have heard me tell Mrs Armstrong to remain within these four walls.
’ He gave a wry smile. ‘I really don’t want to have to post a constable outside your door unless absolutely necessary.
And if you suspect that she might try to leave, please ring the police immediately.
There’s always someone on duty, and I shall fill them in on what’s transpired. ’
Ally nodded. ‘I will.’
How did he know that she’d been eavesdropping?