Death of a Chimney Sweep - M. C. Beaton [60]
“Who is it?” called a male voice.
“Go away,” hissed Milly. A man appeared behind her. He was tall and middle-aged with thick grey hair and a pugnacious face. “Who is this?” he demanded.
“An old friend of mine, Tam Tamworthy,” said Milly. She raised a hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face, and the sun sparkled on a large diamond ring on her engagement finger.
“Come in, Tam,” said Milly. He gave her the roses.
He followed her into the kitchen. “This is my fiancé, Giles Brandon,” said Milly in a low voice. “We got engaged when I was on a cruise.”
Giles put an arm around Milly’s shoulders. “We’re getting married as soon as possible. Milly wants to get married here.”
Tam wanted to shout that Milly was engaged to him but there was something in her pleading, frightened eyes that stopped him.
“Don’t just stand there, Milly,” said Giles. “Make us some coffee.”
“It’s all right,” said Tam. “I’m off.”
He walked down to the village store. “I tried to stop you,” said Ailsa sadly. “They arrived yesterday, and, och, he’s as bad a bully as the captain was. She was only in the shop a few minutes. She tried to pretend it was the great romance but he came shoving in and said, ‘Shouldn’t you be getting my dinner instead of standing here gossiping?’ ”
“I’ve got to talk to her in private,” said Tam.
“I’ve an idea,” said Ailsa. “Get yourself over to Lochdubh and get Hamish to ask that Giles call at the police station. He’ll think of something.”
Hamish listened as Tam poured out his woes.
“So you really do love her?” said Hamish. “It’s not chust for a story?”
“I’d do anything to get her back.”
“I think Prosser’s in the neighbourhood and looking for a chance to get his revenge on me,” said Hamish. “I’ll see if I can get Brandon over here.”
Hamish phoned and spoke to Giles Brandon. He said that a killer was stalking the area, and he feared Milly might be in danger. He suggested that Mr. Brandon should come to the police station immediately so that they could discuss security measures.
“Can’t you come over here?” demanded Giles.
“There are some papers you need to see.”
“Oh, very well.” He hung up.
“I’ve got to go to the police station in Lochdubh, Milly,” Giles told her. “Some bollocks about security. That man Prosser who’s on the run wouldn’t dare show his face in Scotland. These local yokels do panic. In my regiment, we didn’t run from anyone. And when I get back, we’ll go to an estate agent and put this place on the market.”
“Couldn’t we stay?” asked Milly timidly. “I like it here.”
“You don’t know what’s good for you. Stuck up here at the back of beyond! Just leave everything to me. Got it?”
He loomed over her, and she cringed back in her chair. “Yes, dear.”
“That’s the ticket. Won’t be long.”
When he had gone, Milly thought miserably of how tender and caring he had been on the cruise. But when they had become engaged and got back to Britain, he had revealed himself to be a bully. She hadn’t told him about the money she had found. She had been frightened he would tell her to hand it over to the police and so she put it back in her late husband’s attache case and reburied it in the flower bed.
Tam waited on the waterfront until he saw Brandon arrive at the police station and then roared off to Drim.
When Milly answered the door, Tam cried, “Oh, Milly, why did you go away without telling me?”
“I overheard that phone call from your editor,” said Milly. “It was plain you were just using me.”
“I wasn’t,” said Tam desperately. “I do love you, Milly, but I’ve got to keep up a front with the editor that I’m a hard-nosed reporter. If I told him the truth, he’d have stopped me spending so much time with you.”
“It’s too late now,” said Milly. “Go away. Don’t make trouble for me.” And then she shut the door.
Prosser lay up on the moors. With a pair of powerful binoculars, he picked out the press card on the windscreen of Tam’s car. Bloody reporters. But whoever that man was who was staying with Milly had to be got rid of. Then he would deal with Hamish Macbeth. After