Read Online 6 The Queen of Scots Mystery by Cecilia Peartree - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cecilia Peartree
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questions,’ he continued, ‘but you’ve got to do it anyway.’
Christopher noticed Zak opening his mouth to speak, and Penelope turning to him as if she sensed this, and putting a finger to her lips in a hushing gesture.
‘They’re the prime suspects, of course,’ said Jan from the wool shop, still counting stitches. ‘Neil’s ex-wife and her husband.’ She stared round at the shocked faces that surrounded her. ‘If anybody had a reason to murder Liam, it was one of these two.’
Such was the drama of the moment that almost everybody in the room jumped perceptibly when Christopher’s phone rang out in the hall.
So few people ever rang him that he considered leaving it to ring out and letting whoever it was leave one of these voicemail messages that he never listened to. But he was glad he hadn’t done that when he heard the voice at the other end.
‘Amaryllis?’
So much cheering broke out in the front room that he had to close the door. His words echoed in the dim empty hall. Or was that just in his mind, which also seemed dim and empty at this moment?
He listened to what she had to say with increasing anger. ‘But why?’ he asked. ‘Why did they do it?’
‘It was a test,’ she said. ‘They wanted to know if I still had what it takes.’
‘And did you pass?’ he said, afraid to hear the answer but compelled to ask.
‘Of course I passed. That isn’t the point. I’ve told them I’ll never do anything for them again anyway.’
‘Good,’ he said. The single word didn’t actually express what he meant, but it seemed to act as a full stop in some way. Her next sentence was a question about what had been happening in Pitkirtly and why his house was full of people, and when he told her, she said, ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can,’ and ended the call abruptly.
‘Is she all right?’ said Jock McLean as soon as he opened the door to the front room again. Christopher nodded.
‘She’s on her way home.’
Chapter 9 Famous last words?
Neil wondered if he should ask for his lawyer now. He had hoped the police might let him go after running through the same questions several times, but evidently – and not surprisingly – they still seemed to think he had been somehow involved in Liam Johnstone’s death. Constable Burnet, a baby-face officer who might only have existed to prove the saying about policemen looking younger, had said to him the evening before, while escorting him back to his cell for the night, that even if the death didn’t look like murder it could still be a case of culpable homicide. But apparently the police still hadn’t made up their minds. Neil hated the idea of scene of crime teams scouring his cellar, and probably his pub and the flat above too, for clues. They would find the DNA and fingerprints of so many people it would take them weeks – perhaps months – to sort it all out. And in the mean-time he would be stuck in here pondering on the complete loss of his freedom and livelihood.
There was one bright spot: he still hadn’t mentioned Penelope’s visit to them, and they hadn’t asked him about it. He hoped she hadn’t given them a statement about it either. If the police came to think they were having an affair or something, it would give both of them some sort of a motive for doing away with Liam Johnstone, although in this day and age and with both parties divorced, there wouldn’t exactly be any huge scandal involved. Right enough, he wouldn’t want any of his friends to think he was carrying on with Penelope Johnstone, whom he had never found at all attractive, but he could survive a few knocks to his reputation if it came to that.
The only thing was that if Penelope’s visit came to light, there would be knock-on effects for other people too. Neil and Andrea hadn’t parted on particularly good terms, but that was all water under the bridge and he didn’t wish her any ill. Her current husband was another matter, of course.
Neil started
Christopher noticed Zak opening his mouth to speak, and Penelope turning to him as if she sensed this, and putting a finger to her lips in a hushing gesture.
‘They’re the prime suspects, of course,’ said Jan from the wool shop, still counting stitches. ‘Neil’s ex-wife and her husband.’ She stared round at the shocked faces that surrounded her. ‘If anybody had a reason to murder Liam, it was one of these two.’
Such was the drama of the moment that almost everybody in the room jumped perceptibly when Christopher’s phone rang out in the hall.
So few people ever rang him that he considered leaving it to ring out and letting whoever it was leave one of these voicemail messages that he never listened to. But he was glad he hadn’t done that when he heard the voice at the other end.
‘Amaryllis?’
So much cheering broke out in the front room that he had to close the door. His words echoed in the dim empty hall. Or was that just in his mind, which also seemed dim and empty at this moment?
He listened to what she had to say with increasing anger. ‘But why?’ he asked. ‘Why did they do it?’
‘It was a test,’ she said. ‘They wanted to know if I still had what it takes.’
‘And did you pass?’ he said, afraid to hear the answer but compelled to ask.
‘Of course I passed. That isn’t the point. I’ve told them I’ll never do anything for them again anyway.’
‘Good,’ he said. The single word didn’t actually express what he meant, but it seemed to act as a full stop in some way. Her next sentence was a question about what had been happening in Pitkirtly and why his house was full of people, and when he told her, she said, ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can,’ and ended the call abruptly.
‘Is she all right?’ said Jock McLean as soon as he opened the door to the front room again. Christopher nodded.
‘She’s on her way home.’
Chapter 9 Famous last words?
Neil wondered if he should ask for his lawyer now. He had hoped the police might let him go after running through the same questions several times, but evidently – and not surprisingly – they still seemed to think he had been somehow involved in Liam Johnstone’s death. Constable Burnet, a baby-face officer who might only have existed to prove the saying about policemen looking younger, had said to him the evening before, while escorting him back to his cell for the night, that even if the death didn’t look like murder it could still be a case of culpable homicide. But apparently the police still hadn’t made up their minds. Neil hated the idea of scene of crime teams scouring his cellar, and probably his pub and the flat above too, for clues. They would find the DNA and fingerprints of so many people it would take them weeks – perhaps months – to sort it all out. And in the mean-time he would be stuck in here pondering on the complete loss of his freedom and livelihood.
There was one bright spot: he still hadn’t mentioned Penelope’s visit to them, and they hadn’t asked him about it. He hoped she hadn’t given them a statement about it either. If the police came to think they were having an affair or something, it would give both of them some sort of a motive for doing away with Liam Johnstone, although in this day and age and with both parties divorced, there wouldn’t exactly be any huge scandal involved. Right enough, he wouldn’t want any of his friends to think he was carrying on with Penelope Johnstone, whom he had never found at all attractive, but he could survive a few knocks to his reputation if it came to that.
The only thing was that if Penelope’s visit came to light, there would be knock-on effects for other people too. Neil and Andrea hadn’t parted on particularly good terms, but that was all water under the bridge and he didn’t wish her any ill. Her current husband was another matter, of course.
Neil started
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