‘I do, and I’m not surprised,’ Ally said.
‘I cannot believe this “affair” business. I cannot think that my father would have an affair withanyone, far less Patti Armstrong! I do believe Patti was quite capable of killing Uncle Archie for her own selfishdesires, but who then killed my father? One thing’s for sure, we can’t face taking the girls to Inverness today to see their mother.’
‘I can understand that, but the girls are entitled to see their mother, and I’m happy to take them to Inverness,’ Ally said, already thinking that this would give her an opportunity to have a word with Patti on her own.
‘That would be wonderful because neither Mom nor I want to face Patti at the moment.’
‘Please be very careful what you say within earshot of the girls,’ Ally reminded him. ‘Whatever you think of their mother, these girls are innocent, missing their mum and must be worried sick.’
‘She’s never been much of a mother,’ Joel snapped and turned back into the hallway at the exact moment that Wendy got to the foot of the stairs. ‘She’s always been far too obsessed with herself.’
Mother and son disappeared out of the door, and shortly afterwards, Ally heard the sound of Joel’s Jeep driving away. She wondered where they might be going and how was she supposed to tell the girls that it was she herself who would be taking them to visit their mother? And how was she to explain how their aunt and cousin couldn’t – or wouldn’t?
Ross had taken Ebony down to the surgery for some medicine because the dog had eaten something which had caused her to be sick during the night. Ally sat down with a cup of tea and tried to work out how to tell the girls, and she’d just drained her cup when there was a timid knock on the door.
‘Ally, we wondered if you might know where Auntie Wendy and Joel have gone?’ Julie asked. ‘You see the inspector said we could visit Mom today, and we’re booked for two o’clock this afternoon, so it seems strange that?—’
‘I’m taking you,’ Ally interrupted quickly. ‘They’ve probably forgotten.’
‘Howcouldthey forget?’ Janey wailed from where she was standing just behind her sister.
Julie pulled a face. ‘I’ve got a feeling Auntie Wendy’s avoiding us for some reason because it seems weird that she didn’t knock on our door before she left with Joel, knowing that we have this appointment.’
‘Well, never mind,’ Ally said. ‘I’m not doing anything today, and I’m happy to take you.’
‘You’re so kind!’ Julie exclaimed, giving Ally a big hug.
Ally was close to tears. ‘Could you be ready to leave in half an hour or so?’ she asked them. ‘I have to wait for Ross to get back and look after the dogs while we’re away.’
‘Thank you! Thank you!’ they both chorused. ‘We’ll go right now and get ready.’
Ross and Ebony got back about fifteen minutes later. He’d given Ebony her medicine, and she seemed a little better, if a little more sad-eyed than usual.
‘I should be taking them there,’ he said when Ally had relayed the earlier conversations, ‘but I’m still a teeny bit worried about Ebony. Would you like to take my car?’
‘No,’ Ally said firmly. ‘I’ve got a full tank of fuel in the Golf, and it could do with a nice, long run. And I’d be so relieved to know that you were here with the dogs.’
She could see that Ross wasn’t altogether convinced, so she added, ‘And it might give me an opportunity to have a word with Patti on her own, which you probably wouldn’t be allowed to do.’
Thirty minutes later, Ally brought her car round to the front where Julie and Janey were ready and waiting. Julie bagged the front passenger seat, while Janey sprawled in the back. Off they went with Ross waving from the door.
‘Your Ross is a really nice guy,’ Julie informed her, waving back.
‘Yes, he is,’ Ally agreed.
‘And he loves dogs,’ Janey piped up from the rear. ‘Daddy didn’t much care for dogs and wouldn’t let us have one.’
‘Maybe Mom will let us have one when we get home,’ Julie said as she gazed out of the car window at the golds and bronzes of the autumn leaves on the trees mirrored in the lochs with the mountains behind. ‘This is quite a spectacular drive, isn’t it? Reminds me a little of a trip we did to BC and Alberta a few years back, which was fantastic.’
‘We’re not quite in the same league as the Rockies,’ Ally agreed, ‘but it is beautiful.’
She was relieved that the girls seemed relaxed and quite chatty, and wondered how long that would last.
It lasted until they got to Loch Ness. Ally could almost feel the tension rising as both girls became quiet, chewing their gum more lustily than usual.
‘Little chance of seeing any monster today,’ Ally said, looking at the rough surface of the temperamental loch.
‘I guess there are more monsters roaming around Locharran than Loch Ness,’ Janey remarked. ‘Like the one who killed our dad and uncle.’
