‘It’s particularly cosy in the winter,’ Ally said. ‘Now, how do you like your tea?’
‘Black with two sugars, please.’
‘Similar to myself,’ Ally said.
‘Have you lived here long?’ Wendy asked.
‘Coming up to three years,’ Ally replied as she gathered the tea things and got out the biscuit tin, then went on to explain about converting the malthouse and trying to convince her family that she hadn’t gone completely gaga. She wondered how to turn the conversation round to Wendy’s family. ‘I imagine this must be a very tense time for you all,’ she said. ‘It must be horrible.’
Wendy nodded as she accepted her cup of tea and took a chunk of shortbread. ‘It is,’ she confirmed.
Ally could see that her eyes were full of tears and began to wonder if she should have said anything at all.
Wendy wiped her eyes. ‘Archie was my baby brother, and he was a good guy. And a good businessman. Areal good guy,’ she repeated.
‘I’m sure he was,’ Ally said.
‘But he could be difficult, no denying that, when it comes to business. And, of course, he and Patti weren’t all that well suited,’ Wendy continued, frowning slightly. ‘They were always rowing, but they kinda thrived on it – know what I mean?’
‘Some couples do,’ Ally agreed.
‘Whereas me and Greg, we just jog along, you know?’
‘Yes, my marriage was like that,’ Ally said.
‘Archie and Greg went into business together about five years ago,’ Wendy continued, sipping her tea, ‘but it’s not worked out that well.’
‘What went wrong?’ Ally asked.
Wendy sighed loudly. ‘Personality clash, I guess. Both good guys but not together.’
‘Oh dear,’ Ally said, hoping Wendy would tell her more.
Wendy sighed again. ‘Archie was the senior partner, you see, because he’d inherited the business from our father. Our dad had set up the premises shortly after he emigrated from Mallaig. But Greg worked really hard, and he had so many ideas for increasing our output. And he always resented the fact that Archie inherited all the business, when half of it should have come to me, in his opinion, when Dad died. But I was never bothered. After all, Archie worked in the business and I never did. I think Archie might have thought Greg was trying to take over.’ She gazed at the glow of the fire. ‘Greg can be quite forceful but’ – here she looked Ally straight in the eye – ‘he didnotkill my brother!’
‘Of course not!’ Ally agreed, looking at her fruity picture on the wall, still glad that she’d kept Greg at three o’clock. ‘Do you have children?’
‘Yes, we have a son. He’s working in construction at the moment, but Greg and I were both keen to bring him into the business – another bone of contention. But I guess Greg can do that now. Joel would be a great asset to the company, but Archie was always hesitant about him. It’s damned difficult when it’s your own brother, and your own husband and your own son! Thing is, I suppose I’ve come to agree with Greg over the years because he had so many good ideas for expanding the business. But… there we are!’ She sighed.
‘I’m sure it must be tricky. So when did your brother begin competing?’ Ally asked, by way of diversion.
‘I guess he’d have been around sixteen,’ Wendy replied. ‘We had a lot of Scottish traditions, and he was very keen on bodybuilding and all that kind of thing. Then he began winning competitions all across Canada – because there’s lots of folk with Scottish ancestry in Canada, you know. Anyway, he became the Canadian champion about three years ago and then thought he should try his luck back here where it all began.He’s been over a couple of times and won all the prizes here too.’
‘More tea?’
Wendy shook her head. ‘I’d best go upstairs in a minute. Greg will have calmed down by now, and he’ll be wondering where I’ve got to. This is my first visit to Scotland, and I’m loving it, but know what?’
Ally shook her head.
‘We should have come on our own, Greg and me. It was never going to work out well with Archie and Patti.’
With that, she got to her feet, thanked Ally profusely and headed towards the stairs, leaving Ally to muse quietly in the kitchen on everything she’d just heard, and wonder if anything Wendy had just told her would be relevant to her investigation.
NINE
Ross arrived in the early evening with a bottle of champagne and a fish pie from his freezer.
‘Did you make this?’ Ally asked once he’d hugged her.
