Page 14 of A Very Bookish Murder (Ally McKinley Mystery #3)

ELEVEN

It was a beautiful calm, sunny evening, and Ally did what she always did when she needed to be on her own and do some thinking.

‘Come on, Flora,’ she called. ‘Let’s have a walk to Loch Soular.’

Flora was doing well with two walks in one day, but she wagged her tail furiously in anticipation.

She loved the twenty-minute walk to the little loch, running through the moorland heather and sniffing hopefully at every rabbit hole, and then digging in the muddy sand that surrounded the loch.

Ally had learned the hard way, by falling flat on her face in the heather, to avoid the entrances to these rabbit warrens, and now took a stick with her to test the ground ahead.

She was delighted to see clumps of fresh green grass pushing up in between the heather. Summer was almost here.

As they approached Loch Soular, Flora began to bark excitedly, which generally meant that there was someone around.

Ally sighed, her thoughts of peaceful contemplation vanishing in the breeze.

There was a swimmer in the loch, doing a steady, powerful crawl to the far end, then turning round and swimming all the way back towards where Ally was standing.

Whoever it was, they were a strong swimmer and, not only that, Ally thought, the water must still be icy after the long, bitter winter.

‘Nice loch,’ Millie remarked nonchalantly as she stepped ashore, wiping water from her eyes. Her sturdy body was encased in a plain, black, no-nonsense swimsuit, the kind used by serious swimmers, and her skin was very pink.

‘Millie!’ Ally exclaimed. ‘You are one magnificent swimmer! And that water must be so cold!’

Millie rubbed her nose. ‘Yeah, well, I like cold-water swimming, and this is no worse than most at this time of year.’ She wandered across to where she’d placed a large beach towel behind a boulder, wrapped it round and began to dry herself.

Ally waited until Millie, still wrapped in the towel, settled herself down on the boulder. She might be small and mousy, but, my goodness, couldn’t she swim!

‘My parents chucked me into the pool as a baby,’ Millie said with a grin, ‘and I think it’s fair to say that I’ve probably swum most days since. I was on the list for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, you know, but didn’t quite make it.’

‘I wish my parents had done that,’ Ally remarked ruefully, ‘because I was much older when I learned to swim and I’ve never been really confident in water.’ She watched as Millie dug a T-shirt out of a bag. ‘I’m pleased that you ladies are staying on for an extra week.’

Millie nodded. ‘We all agreed. None of us has anything special to go back for.’ She looked intensely at Ally.

‘Writing is quite a solitary occupation, and it’s nice to mix with other women who feel the same.

’ She looked around. ‘Just look at this scenery! And that magical castle up there! So we came to write, but I think we’re staying on as tourists. ’

‘I couldn’t be more delighted,’ Ally said truthfully. She waited for a moment, then said, ‘So, there’s no one at home to object to your plan?’

Millie was towelling her hair. ‘No.’

Ally wondered how to get her to open up a little. ‘That’s good in a way, isn’t it? It means you can do what you like.’

‘It does,’ Millie agreed.

This was her first chance to try to extract some information from Millie, but she wasn’t being particularly forthcoming.

Ally tried again. ‘You’re not married then?’

‘I was.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Ally said, feeling a little guilty. ‘I didn’t mean to pry.’

‘That’s OK,’ said Millie but offered no further information.

Ally tried hard to think of something to draw this woman out. ‘So, have you enjoyed the course, apart obviously from Jodi’s murder?’

Millie patted Flora’s head. ‘Yes, I’ve quite enjoyed the week. It’s been interesting to say the least.’

‘And you’re OK sharing a room with Joyce?’

‘Joyce is all right. She’s been giving me some good advice because she’s the only one of us to have four short stories published,’ Millie replied.

‘And then there’s Penelope,’ Ally said, wondering if she might be overdoing it.

‘God, she’s so posh and so loud !’ Millie exclaimed. ‘ And bossy!’

Ally laughed. ‘It takes all types.’

‘You’ve got them all here.’ Millie looked around. ‘Do you think anyone can see me if I get out of this swimsuit and get into my clothes?’

‘I don’t think they can,’ Ally replied, turning around diplomatically and looking in the opposite direction.

Ally and Millie, with Flora romping ahead, walked back to the malthouse together, but Millie wasn’t giving away any personal information.

They spoke about the scenery, the view, dogs and the weather.

Millie wasn’t nearly as forthcoming as the others and was plainly a more private person.

Somehow or other, Ally was going to need to find a way to befriend her, if possible, and try to discover what made this little woman tick.

Ross had gone home while Ally was doing breakfasts on Sunday morning and came back mid-morning after the women had left.

‘I have an interesting snippet of news for you,’ he said with a grin as he and Ebony settled themselves in the kitchen.

Ally looked at him expectantly.

‘When I took Ebony out for a walk, I saw one of your Craigmonie suspects sneaking out of Owen Jones’s camper van!’

‘ What? Who ?’

‘Can’t remember her name. The gloomy-looking one – the one you weren’t keen on?’

‘What, Laura? Average height, straight brown hair?’

‘I’m pretty sure that’s her,’ Ross confirmed. ‘Now, I don’t suppose she was visiting to give him writing lessons, particularly as she came out of the van with her clothes over her arm and then finished getting dressed. Not much room in those vans, you know!’

‘Laura’s been sleeping with Jodi’s husband?’ Ally murmured slowly, trying to digest this information. ‘Oh my God!’

‘I thought you’d be interested,’ Ross added with a grin.

‘That’s something that Amir will also be interested in,’ Ally said, amazed.

Everything was falling into place now: Laura!

Laura, the not-very-friendly one. Laura, who didn’t socialise.

Of course she didn’t socialise – because she was visiting her lover.

Owen had been here for almost a week now, and Laura had her own room at the hotel.

The other writers, Morwenna and perhaps Della had left, so no one would know if she was in or out.

Ally deduced that Laura must have been Owen’s lover for some time, and the only obstacle standing in her way to wedded – or otherwise – bliss, was Jodi, Owen’s wife who, perhaps, had some sort of hold over him or refused to divorce him.

Perhaps Jodi sent him some of her royalties on condition he remained single? But why would Laura care?

Ally thought again of what Desdemona had said about the prime motives for killing.

Jealousy and hatred came to mind, and perhaps Laura qualified on both counts?

Had she come on this course purely to kill Jodi, and Owen had then joined her once he knew his wife was dead?

Had it been meticulously planned? A set-up job!

Ally removed the board from the wall, turned it over, moved Della and Penelope down an hour and placed Laura at twelve o’clock.

The earl made a surprise visit on Sunday mid-morning.

‘Good to see you, Hamish,’ Ally greeted him as he sat down in the kitchen, ‘and how’s Magda?’

Hamish rolled his eyes. ‘The poor girl is very uncomfortable because these are big babies. And she doesn’t want me anywhere near her! Only a few more weeks to go, thank God.’

He was in for a bit of a shock because, as most women knew, even one baby could, temporarily at least, wreck their routine, and two were impossible to imagine.

‘Isn’t this weather glorious?’ Hamish added, looking out through the window.

The weather was indeed glorious. The clouds had disappeared overnight, the temperature had shot up, and everyone in Locharran has begun to shed their coats and sweaters.

Not that they ever trusted the weather to stay that way because, in this part of the world, the temperature could drop by ten or fifteen degrees overnight, for no specific reason, and so these cast-offs could not be packed away for the summer months, as they might be further south.

Most highlanders eyed the sky in the morning with mistrust, and then prepared for the worst.

‘Yes, it’s surprisingly warm for May,’ Ally agreed, wondering when she’d ever get time to tidy up her straggling garden.

‘What I’ve really come for,’ said Hamish, ‘is to find out what’s happening with your ladykillers.’

Ally laughed. ‘Ladykillers! What a brilliant name.’

‘Well, one of them must definitely be a ladykiller, I would assume,’ Hamish said.

‘They’ve all decided to stay on for another week,’ Ally said, ‘with the possible exception of the Irish lady, who hadn’t decided when last I spoke to Callum. She’s one of the chief suspects too. Anyway, all the others seem to be enjoying it here.’

Ally suddenly had an idea. ‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind if I suggested they take a walk up to the castle, just to see it at close quarters? They’ve all remarked on how magnificent it is.’

‘Certainly,’ Hamish confirmed. ‘In fact, why not bring them up this very afternoon while the sun is shining. Perhaps show them around a bit…’ He hesitated momentarily.

‘Show them the gardens maybe? I know! Why don’t we have a picnic on the lawn above the Italian garden?

Do you think they’d like a picnic, Alison? ’

‘I’m sure they’d love a picnic. But you really don’t have to go to these lengths.’

‘Yes,’ confirmed Hamish, ‘that is what we’ll do. We’ll have a picnic for you, Ross and the ladykillers in the castle gardens at half past three. I’ve checked the weather and it’s set to be fair for the next couple of days.’

‘That’s very sweet of you,’ Ally said, wondering if Magda was aware that he planned to entertain so many ladies on his lawn. ‘I have to warn you that there’s one husband as well, belonging to the French lady.’

‘French, eh?’ Hamish looked impressed. ‘Apart from anything else, I fancy reacquainting myself with my old friend, Penelope. Friend or not, though, I’m damned sure she’s your killer!’ He paused. ‘Surely these ladies wouldn’t have anything better to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon?’

‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Ally agreed. ‘Have you time for a cup of tea?’

‘No, thank you, my dear. I must be on my way. See you all at three thirty!’

The literary ladies were cock-a-hoop when they got back to the malthouse.

‘A real earl !’ Joyce exclaimed.

‘Oh, wow, wait till I tell them this back home!’ said Millie.

‘Somebody needs to go down to tell Morwenna and Laura,’ Joyce said, ‘and what about Della? Has she decided yet if she’s staying or going?’

‘I bet she’ll stay when she hears about this,’ said Millie.

‘It’s years since I last saw the old devil!’ Penelope boomed. ‘Can’t believe anyone’s married him, given his age and reputation!’

‘I think you’ll find he’s a changed man,’ Ally remarked. ‘And his wife is only a few weeks away from giving birth to twins.’

Penelope hooted. ‘ I’ve had twins! Both off my hands now, thank God. I shall certainly be able to give her some first-hand advice, like where to find a decent nanny and all that.’

That should be an interesting conversation, Ally thought, since Magda had no intention of employing a nanny.

Ross had been talking about trying to find somewhere different to eat on a Sunday evening, and so Ally thought it was best to call him before he made any arrangements.

‘Hamish is hosting a picnic ?’

Ally could hear the disbelief in his voice.

‘Yes, for all the women, who he calls the Ladykillers! I think he’s just curious.’

‘Hmm,’ said Ross. ‘The old bugger probably just wants to be surrounded with ladies all afternoon.’

‘Oh, Ross !’

‘Once a lothario, always a lothario! Not that I think he’s going to be wildly excited by any of that lot, with the possible exception of the red-haired Irish lady.’

‘Yes, she’s very attractive,’ Ally agreed.

‘Shall I wear my shorts?’ Ross asked.

As the remaining ladies had decided to relax over the weekend, they were all free to go to the picnic.

After that, Ally assumed they would all do their own thing the following week; time to contemplate, and to write and to enjoy the countryside.

That was, after all, what they were supposed to be here for.

The only person who was staying on but not the slightest bit interested in the earl’s picnic was Laura.

She’d apparently said something to the effect that she’d prefer to watch grass grow than kowtow to some hereditary peer with a brain probably about the size of a peanut.

Ally wasn’t entirely surprised. Apart from having found Laura somewhat rude and offhand, she was plainly having an affair with Owen. And she was now top of the board!