not be bought out.’
‘Thanks, Jenkins. Tell Maria Worth to step in here.’
‘ Mr Jenkins to you,’ snapped the maître d’hôte l and stalked out.
‘Still think Crystal did it?’ asked Jimmy Anderson.
‘Aye, maybe. Let’s see this wumman.’
Maria came in. It was evident to all she had been crying.
‘Miss Worth,’ said Blair. ‘I’ll come straight to the point. You were overheard threatening to kill Peta Gore because she would not let you buy her out.’
‘Yes, I did,’ said Maria shakily. ‘She was ruining everything with her appalling eating habits and by trying to flirt with the men. I was furious with her. But I did not kill her. It’s just something one says when one is furious.’
‘Oh, does one,’ sneered Blair. ‘Where were you last night?’
‘I was in my room making calls to various clients in London to see how they were getting on. That would be right up until eleven o’clock. The hotel switchboard will have a record of those calls.’
‘Mrs Gore could have been killed after eleven o’clock.’
‘Well, I didn’t do it,’ said Maria wearily.
‘Apart from her niece,’ asked Hamish suddenly, ‘did any of the clients of Checkmate know Peta before this trip to the Highlands?’
‘I don’t think so. Why?’
‘I just wondered. I mean, you go into the background of your clients pretty thoroughly, do you not? Would there have been something there that Peta might have got hold of and threatened to use?’
‘Peta took no interest in the business.’
Hamish remembered what Priscilla had told him. ‘She had enough interest to operate your computer files and find out where you were,’ he put in. ‘I had this idea she might have had hopes of finding a husband for herself, which might lead her to check up on backgrounds.’
‘Yes, she could have done that,’ said Maria slowly. ‘She never helped in the office, but she was very nosy, and yes, she did want another husband.’
‘And did any of the men show any particular interest in her at any time?’ Hamish asked.
‘Ah’ll ask the questions,’ muttered Blair, his Glasgow accent getting thicker the more irritated he became. It was just like Hamish Macbeth to start cluttering up the scene with red herrings when it was clear that the only person with a real motive was Crystal.
But Maria was still looking at Hamish. ‘Yes, three of them: John Taylor, Matthew Cowper and Sir Bernard. It was after she had announced she was worth three million. I think those three got temporarily greedy. We were off to the theatre in Strathbane and they did rather vie for her attention.’
‘Was anyone else heard threatening her life, apart from yourself?’ demanded Blair.
‘Well, just in a joky way. When we went out on a fishing-boat trip, I remember Jessica Fitt and Peter Trumpington capping each other’s ideas about ways to kill Peta.’
‘And why would they do that?’
‘Peta Gore had become a thoroughly repulsive woman,’ said Maria tearfully. ‘She used to be such fun, such a nice person. That’s why I’m crying. I can’t help remembering what she used to be like.’
When Maria had left, Hamish said, ‘I should tell you that Sean Gallagher, the cook, says that a picnic hamper is missing from the kitchen. It was taken along with some food during the night. It is also my belief that Sean has done time in Glasgow for assaulting his wife.’
Blair sent for Sean, who came in cringing. ‘I gather ye’ve got a record,’ said Blair without his usual pugnacity, for Blair himself was from Glasgow and Glasgow was the Holy City and Sean was therefore a spiritual brother.
‘Only a few months,’ whined Sean. ‘Ah’m telling ye, it’s this wimmin’s lib. I only knocked the missus about a bit and they put me in the poky.’
‘We’ll come tae that later. Now about the stuff that’s missing frae the kitchen.’
‘Aye.’ Sean looked relieved the subject had moved from his background. ‘A picnic hamper, bread and ham, a
‘Thanks, Jenkins. Tell Maria Worth to step in here.’
‘ Mr Jenkins to you,’ snapped the maître d’hôte l and stalked out.
‘Still think Crystal did it?’ asked Jimmy Anderson.
‘Aye, maybe. Let’s see this wumman.’
Maria came in. It was evident to all she had been crying.
‘Miss Worth,’ said Blair. ‘I’ll come straight to the point. You were overheard threatening to kill Peta Gore because she would not let you buy her out.’
‘Yes, I did,’ said Maria shakily. ‘She was ruining everything with her appalling eating habits and by trying to flirt with the men. I was furious with her. But I did not kill her. It’s just something one says when one is furious.’
‘Oh, does one,’ sneered Blair. ‘Where were you last night?’
‘I was in my room making calls to various clients in London to see how they were getting on. That would be right up until eleven o’clock. The hotel switchboard will have a record of those calls.’
‘Mrs Gore could have been killed after eleven o’clock.’
‘Well, I didn’t do it,’ said Maria wearily.
‘Apart from her niece,’ asked Hamish suddenly, ‘did any of the clients of Checkmate know Peta before this trip to the Highlands?’
‘I don’t think so. Why?’
‘I just wondered. I mean, you go into the background of your clients pretty thoroughly, do you not? Would there have been something there that Peta might have got hold of and threatened to use?’
‘Peta took no interest in the business.’
Hamish remembered what Priscilla had told him. ‘She had enough interest to operate your computer files and find out where you were,’ he put in. ‘I had this idea she might have had hopes of finding a husband for herself, which might lead her to check up on backgrounds.’
‘Yes, she could have done that,’ said Maria slowly. ‘She never helped in the office, but she was very nosy, and yes, she did want another husband.’
‘And did any of the men show any particular interest in her at any time?’ Hamish asked.
‘Ah’ll ask the questions,’ muttered Blair, his Glasgow accent getting thicker the more irritated he became. It was just like Hamish Macbeth to start cluttering up the scene with red herrings when it was clear that the only person with a real motive was Crystal.
But Maria was still looking at Hamish. ‘Yes, three of them: John Taylor, Matthew Cowper and Sir Bernard. It was after she had announced she was worth three million. I think those three got temporarily greedy. We were off to the theatre in Strathbane and they did rather vie for her attention.’
‘Was anyone else heard threatening her life, apart from yourself?’ demanded Blair.
‘Well, just in a joky way. When we went out on a fishing-boat trip, I remember Jessica Fitt and Peter Trumpington capping each other’s ideas about ways to kill Peta.’
‘And why would they do that?’
‘Peta Gore had become a thoroughly repulsive woman,’ said Maria tearfully. ‘She used to be such fun, such a nice person. That’s why I’m crying. I can’t help remembering what she used to be like.’
When Maria had left, Hamish said, ‘I should tell you that Sean Gallagher, the cook, says that a picnic hamper is missing from the kitchen. It was taken along with some food during the night. It is also my belief that Sean has done time in Glasgow for assaulting his wife.’
Blair sent for Sean, who came in cringing. ‘I gather ye’ve got a record,’ said Blair without his usual pugnacity, for Blair himself was from Glasgow and Glasgow was the Holy City and Sean was therefore a spiritual brother.
‘Only a few months,’ whined Sean. ‘Ah’m telling ye, it’s this wimmin’s lib. I only knocked the missus about a bit and they put me in the poky.’
‘We’ll come tae that later. Now about the stuff that’s missing frae the kitchen.’
‘Aye.’ Sean looked relieved the subject had moved from his background. ‘A picnic hamper, bread and ham, a
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