Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
Half an hour later, Ally and Linda walked along to the temporary police station in the vague hope that Detective Inspector Amir Kandahar might actually be there.
He wasn’t, of course, but the policeman on duty called him, and Amir said that he’d be there in a couple of hours or so, and he’d go straight to The Bistro.
As they left, Linda once again studied the notice she’d been handed at the police station, appealing for witnesses who could corroborate Patti’s story.
‘That’s definitely her, Ally. She’s got quite a distinctive face and, although we only saw each other for a moment, I’d swear that it was her.
I’ll go crazy waiting back at The Bistro on my own.
Please, can you stay with me for a bit?’
With no one requiring her assistance back at the malthouse, Ally was happy to oblige.
‘I know it was her,’ Linda said again. ‘I thought for sure that she didn’t look like a local resident, and when she thanked me for holding the door open, I thought I could detect a faint American or Canadian accent.’
‘So long as you’re absolutely sure,’ Ally reminded her each time, ‘because the woman’s future may well depend on it.’
Linda had no bookings for her bistro that evening, so they were watching The Greatest Showman when they saw Amir’s car draw up outside. Ally said she was going to go home because Amir would want to question Linda on her own.
‘What on earth have I let myself in for?’ Linda asked as she accompanied Ally to the front door.
‘Amir Kandahar is a really nice man,’ Ally assured her, ‘and he’ll listen carefully to what you have to say. Just tell him exactly what you told me, OK? And don’t forget how important this is because it could save a woman a lifetime in prison.’
‘I know, I know!’ Linda still sounded anxious. ‘But you know, there must have been other people in the queue behind her, so why haven’t they come forward?’
‘Probably because, like you, they didn’t read the notice outside the police station,’ Ally replied.
‘I’ll phone you later to let you know how it goes,’ Linda said as they parted company on the doorstep.
Ally couldn’t settle to do anything. She desperately wanted to be the bearer of glad tidings to the teenagers, but it would be folly to do so yet, just in case…
She phoned Ross and told him about her visit to Linda and Linda’s revelation; she phoned her son, Jamie, in Edinburgh, and her daughter, Carol, in Wiltshire; she cleared all the emails in her inbox, and she swept up all the leaves in the garden – anything to occupy her mind.
She was just considering pouring herself a glass of wine when her phone rang.
‘Whew!’ said Linda. ‘That was certainly an in-depth interview! But he did appear convinced that I was telling the truth. I’m really glad I was able to help because I keep thinking about those two daughters…’
‘Yes,’ agreed Ally. ‘I think everyone’s been concerned about them.’
Later, she heard Wendy come in, while Joel remained in the Jeep, engine running, before she reappeared with the two girls and they all drove off together, presumably to eat somewhere.
Ally cooked herself a pasta supper from the freezer, had a glass of wine and had another early night.
Wendy, Julie and Janey all appeared together for breakfast at nine o’clock the following morning. Both girls wanted scrambled eggs on toast again, and Wendy wanted a cheese omelette. Their appetites were on the up again, and Ally wondered if they had some inkling about Patti.
It was half past ten, while Ally was clearing away the empty plates, that Amir appeared. He settled himself at the kitchen table and got out his now bulging file.
‘As you know,’ he said, ‘Mrs Armstrong has been given an alibi.’ He accepted a cup of tea from Ally.
‘Your friend Linda was very definite and has sworn her statement to be true, so we are now obliged to release Mrs Armstrong on bail, for the moment anyway. She’ll still have to face charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
’ He paused. ‘I must stress that officially she should remain under house arrest, but I’ve been lenient and told her that she cannot leave the village – no trips to Inverness or Fort William or anywhere like that, but she is free to go in and around the village. ’
‘If Patti didn’t fire the shot, then that takes us back to square one, does it not?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ Amir replied rather wearily.
‘Would you like some breakfast?’ Ally asked.
Amir shook his head. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I have to get this show on the road. I shall shortly set off for Inverness. Have you said anything at all to the daughters?’
‘No, I didn’t want to give them false hope,’ Ally replied.
‘Good. Let’s keep it that way. And thanks for the tea!’
Patti Armstrong was released from the detention centre at noon, then transported in a police car to The Auld Malthouse, and was given strict instructions as to where she could go and where she couldn’t go.
Any breaking of the rules and she’d be straight back in that cell, the accompanying policewoman told her sternly.
Wendy appeared to have accepted the situation, once more telling Ally that she was aware that her brother could be violent and adding that she herself had been afraid of him at times.
Julie and Janey were beside themselves with delight. After hugs and kisses all round, all Patti wanted to do was to have a very hot shower, lie down on her comfortable bed and catch up on sleep.
With that, she headed up to her room and shut the door firmly behind her. The girls had looked a little dejected but cheered up when Wendy suggested that later, after Patti had had her nap, they could all go down to Concetti’s for some Italian food.
Ross had come back and spent most of the afternoon washing and valeting both his and Ally’s cars – a job which was not one of Ally’s favourites.
Two sparkling cars later, Ross came into the kitchen, wiping his brow exaggeratedly. ‘Your friend Wendy,’ he said to Ally, ‘keeps coming outside and chatting to me.’
‘Perhaps she fancies you?’ Ally suggested. ‘After all, she’s a widow now too!’
‘But not a merry widow,’ Ross emphasised.
‘She was full of complaints – she wants to go home; she’s bored; the two girls are bored; they haven’t brought winter clothes and it’s getting cold now; the police don’t seem to be any further on with their enquiries, the press are getting on her nerves, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. ’
‘I suppose,’ Ally said, ‘that if you look at it from her point of view, having lost her brother and her husband, not to mention the affair she’s only just learned of, she has quite a lot to moan about!’
‘Funnily enough,’ said Ross, ‘neither the husband nor the brother were referred to at all. It was mainly all about what it was costing.’
Ally sighed. ‘I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever see the back of Patti. After all, she did conspire with Greg to commit murder, even if she didn’t actually do the deed. It’s a serious offence whichever way you look at it.’
‘Well, if she ends up back in jail, at least you’ll get your room back,’ Ross joked.
Nevertheless, Ally was having doubts about ever getting rid of this family. Wendy was right – the days were dragging on and the killer – or killers – had still not been found.
It later transpired that Patti did not want to go out to eat Italian or anything else.
She did, however, ask Wendy to bring her back a ciabatta sandwich filled with sundried tomatoes, Parmesan and basil.
This information was imparted to Ally by Janey, who’d been chasing the dogs around in the garden.
‘I guess Mom’s really tired,’ she said in a resigned voice.
Later, when she and Ross were watching a Netflix thriller, Ally heard them all coming back and tramping upstairs.
She imagined Patti sitting up in bed eating her ciabatta sandwich and hoped she wouldn’t drop too many crumbs.
She had enough on her plate without having to deal with a furious Morag too.