‘That would be wonderful,’ Ally agreed.
‘How was your day?’ Ross asked as he unloaded the box and decided which vegetables he was going to use.
Ally told him. ‘Magda popped in with the twins, but the real news is that Amir has questioned all the Armstrong adults separately down at the police station.’
‘Oh, has he?’ said Ross. ‘Incidentally, remember what Morag was saying this morning about Micky? Well, a few people today have mentioned he was drunk as a skunk in the Craigmonie Bar last night, telling anyone who’d listen what a crack shot he was, how he and his brother were cheated out of their prizes, how his daughter was a better dancer than the Armstrong girls and should have won. He added that he’d had enough of the Canadian bastard!’
‘Presumably everyone knows what he’s like though?’ Ally said.
‘They do, but poor Ivan had had enough and had to call the police because Micky was becoming drunk and disorderly. There was a group of the press in the bar last night, I believe, so they’ve been having a field day. He’s going to get himself into serious trouble one of these days.’
‘You don’t really think hecouldhave had anything to do with it, do you?’ Ally asked.
‘Frankly, I think he’s all mouth,’ Ross said, ‘but who knows? Anyway, I must get started on this curry. Have we any rice?’
Ross stayed overnight and then had to spend the next day at his own place. There was maintenance to attend to, and he needed to show his face occasionally to his self-catering guests just to ensure that all was well and that they had no complaints. But first he was in charge of cooking the sausages, a self-appointed job which he’d taken over since the Armstrongs had arrived. He took great pride in getting them beautifully golden on all sides, and Ally, in charge of everything else, wasn’t about to argue.
There was a definite frosty tension between the three adults in the dining room. Fortunately, the girls didn’t seem to be aware of it, or, if they were, chose to ignore it. They ate hearty breakfasts while gazing into their phones between each forkful.
As Ally re-entered the kitchen, Morag had just arrived, was tying her pinny on as usual and then burst into noisy tears.
‘Morag, whatever is the matter?’ Ally asked, exchanging glances with Ross, who merely shrugged as he turned each sausage over carefully.
Morag rubbed her eyes. ‘They’ve arrested our Micky –that’swhat’s the matter!’
‘Oh no!’ Ally exclaimed, giving Morag a hug.
‘Oh yes, they bloody well have!’ shouted Morag, tearing off a piece of kitchen roll and blowing her nose.
‘Why?’ Ross asked.
‘Just cos he was in the Craigmonie the other night and said that he’d had enough of the Armstrong bastard! Just cos he’d had a few too many! Your bloody Amir is getting desperate if you ask me!’ She spat the words out as she tied her pinny round her waist.
‘He is notmyAmir,’ Ally protested, ‘and he must have had a reason.’
‘We’dallhad enough of the Armstrong bastard, but that didn’t mean we was linin’ up to kill him, did it?’ Morag demanded loudly. ‘And I’ll tell you somethin’ else – if it was our Micky firin’ that gun, he’d have done a proper job and not shot the bloody caber!’
Ally drew in her breath. ‘Morag, please keep your voice down. You may not have liked him, but his grieving family are all in the dining room.’
‘They won’t keep him in for long,’ Ross assured her, ‘once they realise they’ve got the wrong man. Where is he now?’
‘They burst into his house yesterday evening and took him to Fort William,’ Morag said. ‘And wee Katy’s been cryin’ all night for her daddy! And so has Nell, Micky’s poor wife. Cryin’ all night!’ Morag blew her nose lustily on another piece of kitchen roll. ‘It was them reporters, that’s who it was. They was listenin’ in a corner of the bar, and they was puttin’ two and two together, and makin’ God only knows what!’
‘They can only keep him for twenty-four hours or so,’ Ross said consolingly, ‘and without some sort of definite proof, they’ll have to let him go. And I’m sure they have nothing else other than a few drunken words, Morag.’
‘Aye, well, do they know about this next door?’ Morag sniffed as she pointed towards the dining room.
‘I shouldn’t think so, if Micky was only arrested last night,’ Ally said.
Morag braced herself. ‘I’m goin’ to go right in there and tell that family a thing or two! Because it wasn’t our Micky that did it!’
‘No, no!’ Ally, alarmed, grasped Morag by the arm. ‘You can’t do that! They don’t seem to know yet about the arrest, and since Micky’s liable to be released soon, there’s no reason for them to know at all – or for anyone to know for that matter!’
This seemed to pacify Morag for a moment.
‘Let’s get you a cup of tea before you start on the rooms.The Armstrongs will be in the dining room for a while yet, and they usually go into the sitting room afterwards anyway.’ Ally was trying to dispel visions of Morag reading out the riot act to her guests.
Morag didn’t need a great deal of persuasion and flopped onto a chair while Ally was plating up the full breakfasts, assisted by Ross depositing his perfectly cooked sausages onto each plate.
