played jokes on people in the village as well. They hated him like poison. Everyone knows that.’
Hamish’s stomach rumbled and he coughed to conceal the noise. He was hungry, but if Priscilla knew that, she would start clattering pots and pans to make him a meal and he wanted to discuss the case.
‘Aye, that’s right,’ he said slowly. ‘Mind you, someone would need to be a lunatic to kill him over a joke.’
‘There are jokes and jokes,’ said Priscilla. ‘He might have humiliated someone quite dreadfully and you Highlanders are a terribly touchy lot.’
‘I’ll go over to the village in the morning,’ said Hamish.
‘Is Blair allowing you in on this case?’
‘For the moment. I’m covering MacGregor’s patch, so I have every right to be there.’
Priscilla leaned forward. ‘Is it any use pointing out to you that promotion would mean more comfort? If you like it so much here, why didn’t you rush back to feed your dog instead of coming to the hotel?’
‘I told you,’ said Hamish stiffly, ‘I wanted tae see you. Iss there anything wrong in that, Miss Halburton-Smythe?’
She studied him thoughtfully and then gave a rueful smile. ‘I should be flattered, Hamish Macbeth, but I happen to know you are a moocher.’
‘Well, if you want to think I wass after the free drink and the free heat, that iss your damned business.’
Priscilla stared at him in amazement. He coloured but turned his head away and sat with his arms folded.
‘I’m off,’ she said suddenly. ‘It’s a good thing I brought my own car. Call on me again when you’re over your sulks.’
Hamish felt like a fool when she had gone. What on earth had possessed him to snap at her like that? His stomach gave another rumble. That was it. He was hungry. It was not as if he were still in love with Priscilla and sensitive to her every remark. But he shouldn’t have left Towser behind in the freezing cold. He would take the dog with him in the morning.
* * *
Titchy Gold and Charles Trent were snuggled up in bed, his bedroom, Titchy’s being still sealed off. ‘So you didn’t mean that about leaving me,’ said Charles.
‘Silly,’ she giggled. ‘I was out of my mind with all those hellish jokes.’
Charles clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. ‘I just hope you aren’t pinning your hopes on that will. I’m not.’
‘Oh, yes, you are,’ said Titchy. ‘You’ve been strung up all day.’
Charles gave a reluctant laugh. ‘Terrible, isn’t it? But I am his son and so he’s got to leave me the bulk of it.’
And at that remark, Titchy ended the conversation by becoming very amorous indeed.
Along the corridor in their room, Betty and Angela Trent lay awake. Betty kept snivelling dismally and the tip of her nose was pink.
‘I don’t know why you’re so upset,’ complained Angela. ‘I mean, we were both shocked at first, but it’s good in a way to be rid of him and it’s no use pretending otherwise.’
Betty shivered. ‘That’s a sinful thought. Do you believe there is a hell, Angela?’
‘No, but then I don’t believe in heaven either.’
Betty shifted restlessly. ‘I suppose Charles will get the bulk of the money and then he’ll marry that little tart and she’ll get her claws into it.’
‘Just hope he’s left us something,’ said Angela, ‘or we’ll be in real trouble.’
Jeffrey was striding up and down his bedroom, berating his wife, an odd state of affairs, for in their marriage it was usually the other way around. ‘What on earth possessed you to get the servants to take the body away and clean up?’ he kept asking. ‘You dote on that boy of yours and yet you’ve landed him in terrible trouble and all because you were frightened he had done it. You must be mad. That wimp couldn’t kill anyone.’
Jan found her voice. ‘Don’t you dare criticize my son,’ she said in a thin voice. ‘At least he earns decent money, which is more than I
Hamish’s stomach rumbled and he coughed to conceal the noise. He was hungry, but if Priscilla knew that, she would start clattering pots and pans to make him a meal and he wanted to discuss the case.
‘Aye, that’s right,’ he said slowly. ‘Mind you, someone would need to be a lunatic to kill him over a joke.’
‘There are jokes and jokes,’ said Priscilla. ‘He might have humiliated someone quite dreadfully and you Highlanders are a terribly touchy lot.’
‘I’ll go over to the village in the morning,’ said Hamish.
‘Is Blair allowing you in on this case?’
‘For the moment. I’m covering MacGregor’s patch, so I have every right to be there.’
Priscilla leaned forward. ‘Is it any use pointing out to you that promotion would mean more comfort? If you like it so much here, why didn’t you rush back to feed your dog instead of coming to the hotel?’
‘I told you,’ said Hamish stiffly, ‘I wanted tae see you. Iss there anything wrong in that, Miss Halburton-Smythe?’
She studied him thoughtfully and then gave a rueful smile. ‘I should be flattered, Hamish Macbeth, but I happen to know you are a moocher.’
‘Well, if you want to think I wass after the free drink and the free heat, that iss your damned business.’
Priscilla stared at him in amazement. He coloured but turned his head away and sat with his arms folded.
‘I’m off,’ she said suddenly. ‘It’s a good thing I brought my own car. Call on me again when you’re over your sulks.’
Hamish felt like a fool when she had gone. What on earth had possessed him to snap at her like that? His stomach gave another rumble. That was it. He was hungry. It was not as if he were still in love with Priscilla and sensitive to her every remark. But he shouldn’t have left Towser behind in the freezing cold. He would take the dog with him in the morning.
* * *
Titchy Gold and Charles Trent were snuggled up in bed, his bedroom, Titchy’s being still sealed off. ‘So you didn’t mean that about leaving me,’ said Charles.
‘Silly,’ she giggled. ‘I was out of my mind with all those hellish jokes.’
Charles clasped his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. ‘I just hope you aren’t pinning your hopes on that will. I’m not.’
‘Oh, yes, you are,’ said Titchy. ‘You’ve been strung up all day.’
Charles gave a reluctant laugh. ‘Terrible, isn’t it? But I am his son and so he’s got to leave me the bulk of it.’
And at that remark, Titchy ended the conversation by becoming very amorous indeed.
Along the corridor in their room, Betty and Angela Trent lay awake. Betty kept snivelling dismally and the tip of her nose was pink.
‘I don’t know why you’re so upset,’ complained Angela. ‘I mean, we were both shocked at first, but it’s good in a way to be rid of him and it’s no use pretending otherwise.’
Betty shivered. ‘That’s a sinful thought. Do you believe there is a hell, Angela?’
‘No, but then I don’t believe in heaven either.’
Betty shifted restlessly. ‘I suppose Charles will get the bulk of the money and then he’ll marry that little tart and she’ll get her claws into it.’
‘Just hope he’s left us something,’ said Angela, ‘or we’ll be in real trouble.’
Jeffrey was striding up and down his bedroom, berating his wife, an odd state of affairs, for in their marriage it was usually the other way around. ‘What on earth possessed you to get the servants to take the body away and clean up?’ he kept asking. ‘You dote on that boy of yours and yet you’ve landed him in terrible trouble and all because you were frightened he had done it. You must be mad. That wimp couldn’t kill anyone.’
Jan found her voice. ‘Don’t you dare criticize my son,’ she said in a thin voice. ‘At least he earns decent money, which is more than I
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