‘Oh, quite,’ Ally said.
‘We’re sure that Patti will be exonerated by the end of the day, but of course she’ll have to sit tight for the moment. Oh, I’m so glad Joel’s here!’ Wendy beamed.
Ally wondered if Amir might not be quite so delighted with their input, but this newfound confidence they were all displaying did make her wonder if indeed they might have something important to say.
In the meantime, Ross was keen to keep working in the malthouse garden and tidy up before the frosts set in, so he was going to be around for most of the day. And Patti remained alone in the sitting room with the door tightly shut.
It was just before lunchtime before the others returned. Ally wondered what they’d been up to but decided it was wisest not to ask. And then Wendy was knocking on the kitchen door again.
‘I’m really sorry to bother you again, Ally, but we need the addresses of all the suspects for these murders, and we wondered if you could help us?’
Ally was quite taken aback. ‘Wendy, I don’thavetheir addresses.’And if I did,she thought,I wouldn’t be giving them to you.
‘You must ask the police,’ she added.
‘The police haven’t been particularly helpful,’ Wendy saidsadly. ‘They just said that they had the matter in hand. But Joel thinks they’re dragging their feet, and he wants to get things moving. And, let’s face it, we all want to get things moving so we can gohome.’
‘I’m sorry, Wendy,’ Ally said, ‘but I really can’t help you.’
Not for the first time, Ally felt sorry for Amir. She doubted he would receive these new amateur sleuths with open arms.
NINETEEN
While she and Ross were eating sandwiches at lunchtime, Ally told him about her conversation with Wendy. ‘What I don’t understand is why this Joel thinks he can solve the case when the police can’t, and when he doesn’t know anyone in the village. But even Patti seems to think he’s going to get things moving because she’s finally left her bedroom and is sitting in there waiting for something to happen.’
‘Just as well he doesn’t know that if he goes into the Craigmonie Bar most nights of the week, he’ll find all the suspects commiserating with each other over pints of beer,’ Ross said with a grin.
But Joel was just getting started and, according to Wendy – who was admiring Ross’s spadework in the garden – they were now heading for the castle because Joel was convinced that the Earl of Locharran must surely know what was going on. Ally wondered if she should phone Hamish to warn him, but then decided she’d like to know how he’d act spontaneously and, doubtless, very politely.
Leaving the girls with their mother, Wendy and Joel setoff for the castle and, shortly after they left, Amir appeared at the back door, having driven up in an unmarked car.
‘I didn’t want to draw attention to myself,’ he told Ally and Ross, ‘in case they started questioning me again.’ He grinned, and Ally, as usual, delighted in his beautiful smile. ‘I’ve had quite a morning with this son of the victim. He’s upset the constable on the door, he’s shouted at me for being inefficient and I believe he’s going to have a go at the earl next.’ He emitted a loud sigh.
‘I think you need a cup of tea, Amir,’ Ally said.
‘That’s very kind. Is he staying here?’
‘No, he’s at the Craigmonie. We ate down there last night and met him shortly after he got here,’ Ally said.
‘Would you believe he wanted a list of the suspects?’ Amir asked. ‘He’s actually planning to interrogate each of them and come up with an answer.’
‘I hardly dare to ask,’ Ross said, ‘but are you any further on with the investigation?’
Amir nodded. ‘A little. We’re concentrating on Angus at the moment, but I can’t tell you more than that. I’m just hoping Joel won’t come across Angus. Not that Angus would give him the time of day!’ He accepted the mug of tea from Ally. ‘But if he’s not staying here, then there’s no point in my asking you to ask him to keep his nose out of this investigation.’ He paused. ‘But, to be fair to the man, we are talking about his father and his uncle, so we can hardly blame him for wanting to get justice done quickly.’
‘I could perhaps have a word with Wendy,’ Ally said. ‘She’s been very brave and is holding this family together at the moment.’
‘Yes, maybe you could encourage her to dampen down her son’s enthusiasm a little for solving the case. I can assure you, and her, that we’re doing every damn thing we can to bring this to a close, and I think we’re getting there, albeit slowly.’ Amirreplaced his mug on the table. ‘I must go. I’ll let you know as much as I’m allowed to in due course.’
After he’d gone, Ally realised that her supply of coffee was rapidly running out. ‘I’m going to have to pop down to the shop,’ she said.
‘And I’ve got one more flower bed to do,’ Ross said.
Queenie was, as usual, gossiping with a little clique of four local women as Ally entered the shop, and they stopped chattering when they noticed her arrival.
‘Ye’ll no’ be needin’ much now with half yer guests bumped off!’ Queenie greeted her cheerfully.
Ally ignored the remark. ‘I’ve just come for some coffee,’ she said.
