“And no one saw anything?”
“Oh, they all saw something or heard something, but that was because of the bloody television cameras. Even those Currie sisters were wearing make-up and inventing things like mad.”
“How do you know they were inventing things?”
“I’m apt to discount reports of a tall black man with a scar.”
“Oh, dear. Still, I’d like to go through them just in case. There might be something there. Any report on the bank balances?”
“Nothing important, fifty pounds here, a couple of hundred there.”
They were standing together outside the police station. Hamish saw Mary Cannon approaching them from the police mobile unit.
“Well, Macbeth, anything to report?”
“No, ma’am. He shopped in Braikie, and then he went to Strathbane and bought books and went back home. But I was in a restaurant in Strathbane and I overheard Dr. Renfrew, who has been having an affair, telling Fiona Fleming that it was all over, and she threatened to make him sorry.”
“Write a report of that and let me have it. Was the professor in this restaurant?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then what were you doing in the restaurant?”
“It was obvious the professor was going back home, and I was hungry.”
“You were told to follow him, not disobey orders because you were hungry. Get back on it tomorrow. He’s our strongest lead.”
She turned on her heel and walked away. Mary had received a stern warning from Daviot not to get too friendly with Hamish, due to a spiteful report from Blair.
“Michty me!” said Hamish. “Didn’t anyone ask the professor what he was doing when Shona was getting bashed on the head?”
“I did. Got him up at dawn. Was he furious! Said he was in his bed fast asleep. No alibi, as he lives alone. Same with the rest of them.”
“It’s getting late and I’m tired,” said Hamish. “I am not going to hang around here, or she’ll find something to keep me up all night.”
♦
“Now what?” asked the manager of the Tommel Castle Hotel when Hamish arrived carrying an overnight bag and followed by his cat and dog.
“I really need a quiet night,” pleaded Hamish, “and I’m not going to get it if I stay at the police station.”
“Oh, all right. I can let you have a spare room, but that’s all you get. Leave the minibar alone, and breakfast is not included in this non-paying visit.”
♦
Elspeth was sitting in the bar with Luke when she saw Hamish arrive and then follow Mr. Johnson up the stairs.
“Back in a minute,” she said to Luke. He barely heard her. He was surrounded by other reporters, and all were busy making up legends about each other. Luke had not repeated his proposal of marriage, and Elspeth assumed he had proffered it because he wanted to tease Hamish. He made a few desultory tries to make love to her which she always rebuffed.
Hamish was just unpacking his bag when Elspeth knocked on his door.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said bleakly. “I was just going to bed. What do you want?”
“I want to talk about the murders.”
“Look, I’ve got a dragon of a police inspector on my back, and I can’t talk to the press.”
“I wanted to talk as friends.”
Hamish looked down at the small figure of Elspeth. She was casually dressed in a white Aran sweater, jeans, and smart black leather boots. Her odd silver eyes studied his face.
“All right,” said Hamish, suddenly remembering how useful Elspeth’s intuition had been in the past. “I can’t offer you a drink because the room’s free and I’ve been told not to touch the minibar.”
“Fine. I see Lugs and Sonsie have made themselves comfortable on the bed. I hope there’s room for you.”
“I’ll just push them to one side.”
There were two easy chairs in front of the window. They both sat down.
“Go ahead,” said Elspeth. “It’s all off the record.”
“Not a word to Luke!”
“Promise.”
Hamish outlined everything he knew. When he finished, Elspeth sat very still. Then she said, “Wouldn’t it be odd if we had two murderers here?”
“How do you mean?”
“Say Professor Sander did pinch that student’s work. He’s a very vain man. I can see him following Mrs. Gillespie down his drive, and overcome with rage, braining her with her bucket. Or Fiona Fleming might really have pushed her husband down the stairs, although I doubt it, and decided to get rid of Mrs. Gillespie once and for all.”
“But what about Shona Fraser?”
“Ah, I’m coming to that. Before she came up here, Shona Fraser worked in London for Trant TV. She worked as a researcher. Now, Trant TV specialises in reality television – you know, fly-on-the wall documentaries, exposures of famous people. They did a scam with that soap actress Bernice James. One of their reporters pretended to be a drug dealer and went to her hotel room to supply her with coke. They had a hidden camera and got her snorting coke on film. What if Shona had found out something about someone during her researches and they followed her up here and killed her to keep her quiet?”
“How do you know all this about Shona?”
“From the London press in the bar. You may not like the press, Hamish, but they sometimes can find out things the police can’t.”
“How long was Shona working for Trant TV?”
“I don’t know. I can easily find out. So can you.”
“It’s hard for me to get a bit of peace from my superiors these days. Could you…?”
“Very well. How can I contact you?”
“I’ll give you my mobile phone number. Is there anything serious between you and Luke?”
Elspeth hesitated. Then she decided it would be better to leave Hamish guessing. He had hurt her badly in the past, and she had no intention of letting him hurt her again.
“Mind your own business,” she said. “Any news of darling Priscilla?”
Hamish flushed angrily. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Sonsie let out a slow hiss.
“I’d better go,” said Elspeth. “Your guard cat is getting upset.”
“Look, I’m very grateful to you for this stuff about Shona. There may well be something there. I’ve got to follow the professor again tomorrow. I feel it’s a waste of time.”
Elspeth had half risen. She sat down again. “I’ve a thought. What about Miss Creedy?”
“She may well have been fiddling the bingo results – but murder!”
“There are still people in this wicked world today who prize respectability, particularly in small towns and villages.”
“But Mrs. Gillespie couldn’t have threatened to expose her without exposing herself.”
“Look at it another way. She must have had something on Miss Creedy to make the woman even want to cheat.”
Hamish groaned. “I only wish I wasn’t stuck with the professor.”
“I really am off now, Hamish.” Elspeth stood up, and Hamish followed her to the door. “I tell you what, I might have a go at Miss Creedy myself.”
“Would you? That would be grand. I’ll buy you dinner tomorrow night.”
“Oh yeah, Sherlock? And like those previous times, you’ll fail to turn up.”
“I’m sorry about that. If I could just explain…”
“Forget it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
♦
Hamish showered and got into his pyjamas, lifted his grumbling pets off the bed, and got in himself. The cat leapt back on and lay beside him, and Lugs lay at his feet. He fell into a dreamless sleep, not waking until seven in the morning.
♦
Hamish left his pets at the police station and was getting into the Land Rover again when Mary Gannon came up behind him, making him jump.
Hamish swung round. “Just off to Braikie,” he said.