“It’s too long a story. Do you know where she lives?”
“I know where she is at the moment. Her ladyship is out wi’ her husband for dinner. They’re at the Taste Of France restaurant in the High Street.”
“Let me use the phone in your office. I’ll call her.”
Fiona, when she came to the phone, appeared to be furious that her caller was none other than Hamish Macbeth. “What the hell do you think you are doing, interrupting my evening off?” she raged.
“Listen!” said Hamish urgently. He began to tell her rapidly and concisely what they had learned about Malky. When he had finished, she said, “Get back to your station and I will call on you in the morning.”
Mungo, who had left his office while Hamish was phoning, met him on the road out. “Flea in both ears?” he asked sympathetically.
“Something like that,” said Hamish, and hurried off.
In the morning, he awoke early, showered, and put on his uniform. He reluctantly allowed the dog and cat out to play. He walked to Patel’s and bought the morning paper. He was relieved to learn that the wild cat sanctuary of about five hundred square miles at Ardnamurchan was being extended to Morven. I hope the beasties breed and breed, he thought, so that there’ll be so many wild cats no one will bother about Sonsie.
He heard a knock at the kitchen door. He reluctantly went to open it, hoping that his dislike for the inspector would not show. Why couldn’t the wretched woman have left Charlie alone?
But it was Charlie who came lumbering in. “Maybe I should send you away on something,” said Hamish.
“I’ll probably have to see her sometime,” said Charlie. “I’ve brought you a tray o’ shortbread from the chef, some bones for Lugs, and a fish for Sonsie.”
“I’ll phone him later and thank him. Coffee?”
“Grand.”
Hamish turned and put the kettle on the stove. “Where is that bloody woman?” he said.
“Here,” said a voice from the kitchen door. Fiona had walked in quietly. Her eyes, hard and mean, fell on Sonsie. The cat was lying by the stove.
“That is a wild cat,” she said. “And I feel it my duty to report it.”
Hamish’s hazel eyes blazed, but before he could say anything, Charlie commented, “It’s just a big *cat. It would be a shame to take up police time with a false report—like some of the reports of sexual harassment.”
Fiona glared at him. Unfazed, Charlie smiled back.
She pulled out a chair and sat down. “What’s all this about?” she demanded.
“Just what I told you on the phone, ma’am,” said Hamish. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No! Oh, well yes.”
Hamish reached into the cupboard for cups and said over his shoulder, “Play the tape for the inspector, Charlie.”
She listened intently. When it was finished, she said, “Why didn’t you arrest them?”
“And let Strathbane know we’d been poaching on their patch? It is my belief that Mr. Daviot would be so furious, he would discount the whole thing. He would say that druggies would say anything and they never knew what day it was. Then there is the alibi of Andrew Harrison. He claims that he and his wife were at a wife-swopping party in Edinburgh. Now why say that? He could just have claimed to have been at an ordinary party and I’m sure the other people there would ha’ backed him up. They must all be furious with him. So if by any chance he or his wife could have slipped out at any time, I’m sure they would tell us.”
He put a mug of coffee and a plate of shortbread down in front of her.
She drank coffee and ate a finger of shortbread. Hamish and Charlie waited in silence.
“I tell you what I’ll do,” she said at last. “I will handle the Edinburgh end. You go about your normal duties and wait to hear from me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Hamish, thinking he would be glad of a day off. He waited uneasily, praying she would not ask Charlie to accompany her, but she rose, nodded to them, and walked out.
There was a long silence. Then Hamish asked, “How do you feel, Charlie?”
He looked puzzled. “I don’t feel anything. It’s like having a bad fall and then finding nothing’s broken. Is the snow still deep?”
“Pretty deep,” said Hamish, “and no sign of a thaw. I was hoping we might have a day off, but we’d better check up on the old people and see they’re all right.”
After a long and tiring day, Hamish said, “I never want to see another cup of tea again.” At each place they had visited on their enormous beat, highland hospitality demanded they accept refreshment.
Charlie said he would go back to the hotel. He was welcomed by the colonel. “Just in time to join us for dinner, Charlie. Priscilla is back on one of her flying visits.”
Charlie hesitated. “All right. But I’ll just have a salad or something. I’m up to the eyeballs in tea and scones. Been out wi’ Hamish, checking on the old folk. I’ll just change out of my uniform.”