6 The Queen of Scots Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jock. ‘They talk about things in the privacy of their own homes…’
    ‘Or other people’s,’ said Christopher pointedly.
    ‘…and reach conclusions that don’t have to be backed up by evidence,’ Jock concluded. ‘You should try it, Charlie. It’s more fun than police work.’
    ‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ said Charlie, and sat down. The dog sat on his feet. They sighed in unison. ‘This is going to be really difficult,’ said Charlie after a pause. ‘Something like this happening on my own patch, and I can’t have anything to do with it. I have to sit on the sidelines and watch.’
    ‘Hmm, tell me about it,’ said Christopher.
    They stared gloomily at each other.
    ‘Well, you’re a barrel of laughs, I must say,’ said Jock McLean, glancing from one to the other. ‘I might as well go down to the cemetery and sit on a gravestone. Or round to Dave and Jemima’s. At least they always have some food in the house.’
    ‘What about your own house?’ said Christopher. ‘Isn’t there any food there?’
    He was sorry as soon as he had said it, but he seemed to have reached the stage where he couldn’t even be bothered to censor his own words on the way between his brain and his tongue. He didn’t really want Jock McLean to go home yet. In some ways, although he hated to admit it, Jock was all that stood between him and a rapid and drastic mental meltdown.
    Luckily for him, Jock didn’t take the hint. ‘I could go for fish and chips, if you like.’
    ‘All right,’ said Christopher. ‘There’s some money in a drawer in the hall. Use that.’
    Charlie Smith frowned. ‘You do realise it isn’t safe to keep money in the house, don’t you? We could – they could – send round a crime prevention officer to give you some tips.’
    He got to the end of the sentence with an effort, and went very red in the face. ‘Sorry – I forgot.’
    The others ignored both his advice and his apology.
     

Chapter 4 Banged up
    Neil had tried very hard to answer all the questions without mentioning Penelope. He wasn’t sure if the two police officers who were asking them had spoken to Jock McLean, or Dave or Jemima. He wondered, in fact, if they were from out of town: he had never seen them in the pub. Maybe they didn’t know the right people to question if they were strangers. Even men from Limekilns or Rosyth probably didn’t have a handle on Pitkirtly the way the local men did. With this in mind, although Charlie Smith was a good customer and usually caused no trouble in the Queen of Scot – apart from that last time - he hoped Charlie wouldn’t be reinstated in time to take part in the case.
    It was easy not to mention her at first. They seemed to be most interested in how Liam had got into the cellar in the first place.
    ‘So – you knew Liam Johnstone before this, did you?’
    ‘Well, I knew him by sight – he’d been into the pub. Most people come in if they’re around the town at all.’
    ‘How do you think he got into the cellar? Was it kept unlocked? Or did you deliberately open it to let him in?’
    ‘It wasn’t kept unlocked,’ said Neil slowly. ‘I suppose it’s possible I left it unlocked by mistake. I’ve had a lot on my mind.’
    ‘Such as?’
    ‘Well, you know, business stuff.’
    ‘And personal stuff? Like your divorce, for instance?’
    ‘That was a while ago.’
    ‘A year ago? Not that long. Was Liam Johnstone involved in that?’
    ‘No, of course not! I’d had very little to do with him, as I just said.’
    Neil was getting tired already. He knew the police officers could keep it up more or less forever, what with shifts changing and all the practice they’d had, but he wasn’t used to the relentless quickfire questions. He was bound to make a mistake sooner or later.
    ‘Can I have a drink of water?’
    ‘In a minute. We’ll finish this round of questions first, if you don’t mind, sir.’
    They were younger than him. They could concentrate better and last