Death of Yesterday by M.C. Beaton

Author:M.C. Beaton
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 2011-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Seven

Secret guilt by silence is betrayed.

—John Dryden

Outside, Jimmy said, “I’m going for a drink. They’ll phone me when the search warrant is being brought over. But it cannae be them. Someone strong had to have moved that body.”

“Ian Robertson’s got powerful arms on him,” said Hamish.

“Aye, but he’s in a wheelchair.”

“Jimmy, I think we ought to wait a bit in case they make a run for it.”

“I need a drink.”

“I’ve a flask of brandy in the back of the vehicle.”

“Oh, well fish it out.”

“We’d better look as if we’re going away,” said Hamish. “We can park round the corner and watch from the end of the street. Their house is a bit isolated so there’ll be no nosy neighbours to tell them we’re still here.”

Half an hour dragged past. Then the door opened and Dorothy appeared carrying two suitcases, which she put into the back of a Subaru estate car.

“Wait!” urged Hamish as Jimmy would have run forward. “Wait for the brother.”

The door opened and Ian appeared pushing his wheelchair, which he loaded in the back.

“That’s it!” cried Jimmy. “Let’s get them!”

Ian fought hard until Hamish was able to disable him, bring him down, and clip on a pair of handcuffs. Jimmy charged him with faking a disability and his sister with enabling him. He called for backup.

When brother and sister were taken away, the search warrant arrived, along with the Scenes of Crime Operatives. Hamish and Jimmy waited outside. Back at the end of the street, Dick took out a folding canvas chair and sat down, placidly watching the dog and cat run around.

“Do I have to wait?” asked Hamish, glancing at his watch.

“You’d better,” said Jimmy. “If they don’t find any evidence, we’re stuffed.”

Hamish felt he should phone Priscilla but kept putting it off, hoping he would still have time to get to the restaurant by eight o’clock.

“It’s a wonder none of the villagers in Southey saw anything,” said Jimmy.

“You would have to stand on the cliff and look down to see that rock,” said Hamish. “They probably knocked Bob on the head and put him in the wheelchair. You know what teatime in the Highlands is like. Nobody moves outdoors.”

Jimmy’s phone rang again. When he had finished his call, he said, “Good news. Bob Macdonald is going to recover. Thank God it was a warm night or he’d have surely died of cold and exposure. So that should wrap things up.”

“I’d better get back to the police station and type up my report,” said Hamish.

“All right. Off you go. Oh, wait a bit. They’ve found something.”

Hamish fretted while Jimmy talked to a white-coated figure, carrying a box. “Spikes!” he said, returning to Hamish.

“Great,” said Hamish. “Come along, Dick.”

Hamish raced to Lochdubh. His report would have to wait. He left Dick and his pets at the station and hurried along to the restaurant, still wearing his uniform.

Priscilla smiled as he joined her at the table. “It must have been something urgent,” she said. “But you’re only about ten minutes late.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.