Bright Sparks: A clever Scottish mystery that keeps you guessing (The Edinburgh Murders Book 5) by Traude Ailinger

Author:Traude Ailinger [Ailinger, Traude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE BOOK FOLKS cozy mystery fiction publisher
Published: 2023-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Amy watched as McLellan eventually stopped at a crumbling Victorian building, rang the bell and waited, tapping his foot impatiently. After a little while, he was admitted. When the door had closed behind him, Amy cautiously approached the entrance. A scuffed, formerly shiny sign above proclaimed it to be The Orchard, and underneath, a rusty metal sign read ‘Welcome’.

Amy waited for a while wondering what kind of business was operating here, and if it was perhaps part of an FCA investigation. But then, surely, McLellan would not have drunk so much. She had no desire to hang around this dingy place until McLellan was finished, but some instinct told her to wait.

Amy crossed the road and replied to her emails to pass the time.

She was about to press the send button for the third time, when there was a commotion at the entrance of The Orchard. Amy slunk into the shadow of the nearest doorway. A burly man had McLellan by the collar and was depositing him unceremoniously on the pavement before returning into the building. McLellan smoothed down his shirt and tucked it into the grey suit. He was not wearing a tie anymore. Pretending not to notice the stares and guffaws from the small crowd that had quickly formed to watch the spectacle, McLellan walked stiffly away in the direction of Hamilton Place. He had obviously decided to head for home.

This place has absolutely nothing to do with the FCA and John would not like this at all, Amy thought. Her mum would also strongly disapprove if she could see what Amy was about to do, but her nose told her to do an interview of a different kind, and they were not here to see it.

She waited for the onlookers to disperse before she crossed the road and pressed the bell. The heavy, wooden door of The Orchard opened with a buzz, and she found herself in a hallway guarded by the burly man she had seen a few minutes before. His tight-fitting black T-shirt stretched across his six-pack and bulging biceps. He had the short neck of a bulldog and eyes that stood too close together in a pockmarked face.

Amy swallowed. “Hi,” she said, far too cheerfully.

The bouncer looked at her with surprise.

“I don’t think this is your kind of scene, hen,” he said, scanning her up and down with a frown. “Unless you’re hard-up and needing work?”

Amy could see behind him a heavily made-up woman who was dressed in very little but a flimsy dressing gown and who eyed her curiously.

Finally realising what kind of business this was, Amy blushed and shook her head. “I’m interested in that man you threw out just now. What’s he done?”

The bouncer’s expression became more guarded.

“You his wife or what?” he asked.

Amy snorted. “Not likely. I’m from Forth Write magazine.”

“From the press? Dolly won’t like this at all. You’d better leave.”

“Is Dolly the… manager? Could I please speak to her?” Amy asked. “I’m investigating a criminal case, and it might be advantageous to Dolly to cooperate.

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