‘I did. I wanted you to know that I am not a bad cook,’ he said, grinning. ‘Before you came on the scene, I’d become a dab hand at stuff like this. Not,’ he added hastily, ‘that I’d want to turn the clock back! Talking of clocks, how are your suspects ticking along?’
Ally rolled her eyes. ‘I had Greg at the three o’clock position, but after chatting to Wendy this afternoon, I became a little more confused. I’ve moved him up to one o’clock.’ She popped the pie into the microwave to defrost, while Ross opened the champagne. ‘Are we celebrating?’
‘Only that I’ve finally said farewell to the plumbers,’ Ross said, handing her a glass. ‘So, apart from Will wanting my services again at the vet clinic tomorrow morning, and an exorbitant bill for a new boiler, I’m a free man! And I just happened to find this bottle lurking in my fridge for no good reason.’
They clinked glasses.
‘Thank you, Ross,’ Ally said, wondering yet again whatshe’d do without this lovely, caring man, not to mention his pie and champagne.
‘So,’ said Ross, ‘tell me all.’
‘Wendy came knocking on my door asking if she could read her book in the dining room because Patti and Greg had had a bit of an argument, and she didn’t particularly want to be with either of them.’ Ally told him about hearing their raised voices in the garden. ‘So I asked her to come in for a cup of tea and she did.’
‘I bet you gave her the third degree!’
‘I didn’t have to,’ Ally explained. ‘She was actually very nice. She said she felt uncomfortable at times because of the animosity between Archie and Greg. They were partners in business apparently, a business which was passed down to Archie from his father. It sounded like maybe Greg was more innovative and Archie didn’t like his ideas. So maybe Greg wanted to get rid of Archie?’
‘I suppose it’s possible,’ Ross said, looking thoughtful.
‘But then she said that she and Greg wanted their son to go into the business too, but Archie wasn’t having it.’
Ross sipped his drink. ‘So now you think that she might have a hand in this? But why come all the way to Scotland to do it? Why not take a potshot at him back in Canada?’
‘I don’t know. I mean Archie was her brother, her “baby brother” she called him, and she had tears in her eyes.’
‘In other words, would her filial love be greater than her fraternal love?’ Ross mused.
‘I’ve no idea, but I can’t see her as any kind of Annie Oakley! My top suspects are still Greg and Patti,’ Ally said as she removed the defrosted pie from the microwave. ‘How long will this need in the oven?’
Ross shrugged. ‘Thirty or forty minutes probably. I can’t honestly remember. So, have you eliminated the other suspects then?’
‘No, but they’re way further down on my clock,’ Ally replied.
‘None of the contestants, so far as I can remember, had watertight alibis, and they’d all just been defeated by this Atlantic Warrior, so feelings were running high,’ Ross said. ‘It’ll be interesting to hear what your friend Amir has to say about all this next time he comes calling.’
‘He’s always interested to know what I’ve found out, if anything, but he doesn’t give much away about what he thinks himself,’ Ally said.
‘That, Ally, is why he’s a good detective.’
Ally was sure that Amir probably had a great deal of information, technical or otherwise, but he wouldn’t necessarily be aware of all the niggles taking place within the Armstrong family. That’s where she came in…
There was a frosty atmosphere at breakfast in the morning. Patti was obviously not communicating – other than very politely – with Greg: ‘Can you pass the milk, please?’ – that sort of thing. As she cleared away some of the dishes, Ally was quite relieved to see the police car draw up at the front and Detective Inspector Kandahar emerging.
Amir headed straight for the kitchen. ‘I’ll have a word with the Armstrongs later,’ he said, sitting down at the far end of the table.
‘Two of them are having cooked breakfasts,’ Ross said by way of greeting, ‘and I’ve been put in charge of the sausages!’
‘I’m most impressed,’ Amir said with a grin. ‘I’ll keep out of the way until you’ve finished!’
A few minutes later, after the breakfasts had been delivered, Ally came back into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil. ‘We all need a cup of tea,’ she said. Then, glancing at Amir: ‘No arrests yet then?’
Amir shook his head sadly. ‘We have quite a few suspects, not least the earl and his ghillie, plus a section of the Locharran bodybuilding youth, with a great deal of resentment and no proper alibis.’
‘You’ve questioned the family?’ Ally asked.
Amir nodded. ‘I have, and I’m about to question them again. You can never tell with families, you know. Blood’s supposed to be thicker than water, but I sometimes wonder.’
Ally then decided to fill him in on Patti and Greg’s argument, plus her conversation with Wendy.
