Death of a Chimney Sweep - M. C. Beaton [30]
“After that, I called at the house a couple o’ times but the wife always said he wasn’t at home and she always looked as if she’d been crying. I watched and waited one day until I saw him marching off for one of his walks. I followed him. He denied the whole thing. I said I’d go to the police. He smiled and said, ‘What proof do you have? You’ll just look like some old senile fool.’ ”
“Did you tell Jock?” Hamish asked Ailsa.
She shook her head. “Edie swore me to secrecy.”
Thank goodness for that, reflected Hamish. If word had got around what had happened to Edie, then he would have to suspect the village men, who would have banded together behind Jock to teach the captain a lesson.
“Will you be taking me in?” asked Edie. Tears were running down her thin face. Her mascara ran in black streaks.
“I’ll keep it quiet for now,” said Hamish. “I’ll see what I can do.”
When he left, he looked down to the beach. Lugs and Sonsie were chasing each other around and seemed to be having a good time. He walked on up to Milly’s house.
She led him into the kitchen, where he found Tam Tamworth ensconced by the stove. “Get lost, Tam,” ordered Hamish. “This is private business.”
“Anything that concerns Milly concerns me,” said Tam.
“Please, Tam,” said Milly. “I must hear what he has to say.”
He closed the kitchen door behind him. Hamish waited a moment and then jerked the door back open. Tam nearly fell in. “Out!” ordered Hamish. “As far away as you can go.”
Tam gave a sheepish smile and walked to the front door. Hamish waited until he heard the door slam behind him and returned to Milly.
He told her about Edie Aubrey. “But that’s awful,” said Milly. “I’ll give you a cheque for her. I’ve already sent a cheque to Angela Brodie.”
“I’m afraid there might be others. How are you situated financially?”
“I thought I had enough to keep me going for a bit and then I’ve got Henry’s army pension and my widow’s pension. But if those four colleagues of Henry’s are telling the truth, then I will need to sell this house.
“Oddly enough, ever since Henry’s death, I’ve begun to like this place. The women are so friendly.”
“I wouldn’t pay any more until the murder is solved. I mean, I don’t trust those men. Any one of them or all of them could be claiming inflated amounts of money. What’s Tam doing hanging around?”
“Oh, he’s been so kind.”
“I’m warning you, a reporter will be kind to anyone to get a story.”
“Tam’s not like that. He’s promised to only write up any background I gave him after the murder is solved.”
“Get it in writing,” said Hamish cynically.
“I’ll get you that cheque,” said Milly in a thin little voice. She obviously did not like any criticism of Tam.
When she returned with the cheque, Hamish left and found Tam moodily kicking at a clod of earth in the garden.
“Don’t you go messing up that poor woman,” cautioned Hamish.
“It’s not like that,” said Tam. He turned dark red and gave the clod another kick. “Fact is, I’ve got it bad. I want tae marry the lass.”
Hamish stared at him in amazement. They were in the lee of the house so he had heard clearly what Tam had said.
“Why?” he asked.
“She’s such a lady wi’ her gentle ways, and I’ve a mind to settle down.”
“She doesn’t have much money.”
Hamish sidestepped quickly as Tam took a swipe at him. “I love her, you useless loon!”
“All right, all right,” said Hamish, backing off. “Invite me to the wedding.”
As Hamish walked back down towards the village, he turned and looked back. The bushes had all been cleared, and only the monkey puzzle tree remained. It meant that Milly would have a clear view of anyone approaching the house.
He gave a tearful and delighted Edie her cheque and then headed to the beach. Sonsie and Lugs were now sheltering beside the Land Rover. He noticed that the sea loch’s tide was very high—higher than he could ever remember it.
He had an uneasy feeling that the seas were coming back to claim the land they had lost.
Chapter Six
The shadows now so long