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Authors: M. C. Beaton
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Hamish.
“Oh, he was so carried away wi’ the idea of getting rid of you that it fair went to his head,” said Jimmy. “I looked in on the lassie myself. She gave me this note for you.”
Hamish gingerly opened the sealed envelope. Hannah had written: “Dear Hamish, I was drunk and made a bad mistake. Please forget all about it and don’t tell anyone. Hannah.”
Hamish passed the note to Jimmy, who read it and chortled, “You’re dumped! Just as well.”
“So what about the Palfours?” asked Hamish.
“Charles is singing like a canary. Olivia’s got a lawyer and says it was in self-defence.”
“Think a jury will go for that?”
“Could do. Andronovitch was responsible for the death of her parents. He was a Russian mobster. Charles is begging to be kept in prison. He’s now terrified of his sister. Anyway, it’s back to our own murders.”
Chapter Five
Rarely do great beauty and great virtue live together.
—Petrarch
A month went past after the arrest of the Palfours. Hamish haunted Cnothan, questioning and questioning, hoping always to find someone who would admit to having seen anything of importance.
He could only be glad that Hannah had left for Glasgow. He felt ashamed of his reaction to her fake appearance and certainly did not want to see her again.
In between his investigations, he often wondered why there had been no news of Elspeth Grant’s marriage to her boss, Barry Dalrymple.
He would have been amazed had he known that Elspeth often thought of him.
* * *
Elspeth Grant’s engagement to Barry had fizzled out. At first, at the height of their romance, it had seemed as if they were soul mates. Then gradually, it began to appear that they had little in common. Elspeth could not help marking the relief on Barry’s face when she handed back her engagement ring.
She had a new worry to occupy her thoughts. She had been secure in her job as Strathclyde’s main television news presenter. She presented the news at the important slots of the day—the one o’clock news and the six o’clock news. But she felt a rival had cropped up to threaten her position.
Hannah Fleming’s beauty had so impressed the television executives that they had hired her to present a children’s programme, screened twice weekly at five o’clock in the afternoon.
Her beauty and her lilting highland accent captivated the viewers—and Barry Dalrymple as well.
To Elspeth’s dismay, Hannah was suddenly promoted to news presenter, taking over the early-morning and evening slots.
Elspeth was often at war with her own ambition. She often wished she could throw the whole business over and return to her undemanding job as local reporter in Lochdubh. It wasn’t only ambition, she thought ruefully, but money. She was earning a top salary and had become used to the comforts that had brought her. She loved her apartment overlooking the Clyde. She enjoyed buying new clothes without looking at the price.
So that when Barry ordered her to go north to do a feature on the murders, her heart sank. Hannah was to take over until her return. In vain did Elspeth protest that the story was dead. There had been no breakthrough in the murders.
She found herself gloomily taking the road to the Highlands complete with crew of researcher, soundman, and cameraman.
Hamish Macbeth had learned of her imminent arrival from the manager of the Tommel Castle Hotel who had taken a booking of the crew.
He was waiting for Elspeth in the car park when she arrived.
Elspeth’s heart gave a lurch when she saw him. He looked the same as ever with his flaming red hair, hazel eyes, and tall figure.
For his part, Hamish felt he would never get used to the new Elspeth. The old Elspeth had worn thrift shop clothes and had frizzy hair. The new Elspeth had straightened hair and was expensively dressed.
“The other press have all gone,” said Hamish. “What brings you?”
“Wait until I check in,” said Elspeth. “We’ll have a drink and
“Oh, he was so carried away wi’ the idea of getting rid of you that it fair went to his head,” said Jimmy. “I looked in on the lassie myself. She gave me this note for you.”
Hamish gingerly opened the sealed envelope. Hannah had written: “Dear Hamish, I was drunk and made a bad mistake. Please forget all about it and don’t tell anyone. Hannah.”
Hamish passed the note to Jimmy, who read it and chortled, “You’re dumped! Just as well.”
“So what about the Palfours?” asked Hamish.
“Charles is singing like a canary. Olivia’s got a lawyer and says it was in self-defence.”
“Think a jury will go for that?”
“Could do. Andronovitch was responsible for the death of her parents. He was a Russian mobster. Charles is begging to be kept in prison. He’s now terrified of his sister. Anyway, it’s back to our own murders.”
Chapter Five
Rarely do great beauty and great virtue live together.
—Petrarch
A month went past after the arrest of the Palfours. Hamish haunted Cnothan, questioning and questioning, hoping always to find someone who would admit to having seen anything of importance.
He could only be glad that Hannah had left for Glasgow. He felt ashamed of his reaction to her fake appearance and certainly did not want to see her again.
In between his investigations, he often wondered why there had been no news of Elspeth Grant’s marriage to her boss, Barry Dalrymple.
He would have been amazed had he known that Elspeth often thought of him.
* * *
Elspeth Grant’s engagement to Barry had fizzled out. At first, at the height of their romance, it had seemed as if they were soul mates. Then gradually, it began to appear that they had little in common. Elspeth could not help marking the relief on Barry’s face when she handed back her engagement ring.
She had a new worry to occupy her thoughts. She had been secure in her job as Strathclyde’s main television news presenter. She presented the news at the important slots of the day—the one o’clock news and the six o’clock news. But she felt a rival had cropped up to threaten her position.
Hannah Fleming’s beauty had so impressed the television executives that they had hired her to present a children’s programme, screened twice weekly at five o’clock in the afternoon.
Her beauty and her lilting highland accent captivated the viewers—and Barry Dalrymple as well.
To Elspeth’s dismay, Hannah was suddenly promoted to news presenter, taking over the early-morning and evening slots.
Elspeth was often at war with her own ambition. She often wished she could throw the whole business over and return to her undemanding job as local reporter in Lochdubh. It wasn’t only ambition, she thought ruefully, but money. She was earning a top salary and had become used to the comforts that had brought her. She loved her apartment overlooking the Clyde. She enjoyed buying new clothes without looking at the price.
So that when Barry ordered her to go north to do a feature on the murders, her heart sank. Hannah was to take over until her return. In vain did Elspeth protest that the story was dead. There had been no breakthrough in the murders.
She found herself gloomily taking the road to the Highlands complete with crew of researcher, soundman, and cameraman.
Hamish Macbeth had learned of her imminent arrival from the manager of the Tommel Castle Hotel who had taken a booking of the crew.
He was waiting for Elspeth in the car park when she arrived.
Elspeth’s heart gave a lurch when she saw him. He looked the same as ever with his flaming red hair, hazel eyes, and tall figure.
For his part, Hamish felt he would never get used to the new Elspeth. The old Elspeth had worn thrift shop clothes and had frizzy hair. The new Elspeth had straightened hair and was expensively dressed.
“The other press have all gone,” said Hamish. “What brings you?”
“Wait until I check in,” said Elspeth. “We’ll have a drink and
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