—Sir Walter Scott
Hamish did not have any hope of a speedy DNA analysis of the used condom, but for once, Daviot was really desperate for answers. Forensic swabs were taken from Jock and the men living in the boarding house and sent to the forensic laboratory in Aberdeen along with the condom.
While he waited for the results, the investigation seemed to have temporarily ground to a halt. Mrs. Daviot phoned him in high excitement to say that her husband, once the case was closed, was going to take her on a second honeymoon. Robin came into the police station just as Hamish was putting down the phone.
“That was Mrs. Daviot,” said Hamish.
Robin eyed him warily. “If she’s looking for her husband, he’s on his way from Strathbane.”
“She just wanted to tell me that they are going on a second honeymoon once this case is over. Now, isn’t that romantic?”
“Oh, sure,” she said sarcastically. “I’ve got some news about Mrs. Addenfest.”
“What’s that?”
“She said she arrived at Glasgow airport after she had been notified of Hal’s death. But she was in the country before Hal died. She arrived at London airport two days before his murder. I don’t know how she hoped to conceal it. Checked with New York police, and they said they got the number of her cell phone – that’s American for mobile – and called her on that with the news because she was out when they visited her flat and her maid gave them the number.”
“He can’t have left her that broke if she had a maid. Didn’t the maid tell the police she had gone to Britain?”
“The maid has about two words of English. Mrs. Addenfest’s over at the unit. I’ve come to fetch you.”
They walked out together. “Men are bastards,” said Robin, suddenly and viciously.
“You’re talking to one.”
She shrugged in reply.
Gloria Addenfest was seated before Jimmy in the unit. Her perfume hit them like a scented wall when they walked in.
Hamish felt a rush of gratitude for Jimmy. He was so used to Blair keeping him away from every interview.
“Now we’re all here,” said Jimmy, “you’d better explain why you lied to us about your arrival in this country.”
“I thought it looked bad,” said Gloria, crossing her long legs. “So I lied. No big deal. I didn’t murder him.”
“So when did you really arrive up here?”
“Right after the cops phoned me about him being murdered. I came straight up from London.”
“What were you doing in London?”
“Look, it’s like this, see.” Gloria lit a cigarette. “I’ll come clean. I really meant to come up here and confront the little rat. They had an audit at his company and found Hal had been embezzling. I remembered his high and mighty moral tone at the divorce proceedings, the way his lawyers made me look like a whore. I wanted to see his face when I told him his firms lawyers had been to the police and were trying to get an extradition order. I just wanted to see the look on his stupid face. But I stayed in London.”
“Why?”
“Do I have to tell you?”
Hamish regarded her with amusement. “You met someone on the plane over,” he said.
She flushed angrily. “Well, okay. He was in pharmaceuticals, and we hit it off. He said he’d show me a good time. We moved into the Ritz together and started to do the town.”
“Name?” asked Jimmy.
“Must I? He’s married.”
“Name!”
“James Roden. He’s still at the Ritz as far as I know.”
“We’ll check out your alibi. In the meantime, stay in Lochdubh and give us your passport. Now, how much had Mr. Addenfest embezzled?”
“Close to a million. He’d been siphoning it off over the years. Funny, though,” said Gloria. “He had one hell of a salary. But he was secretive and nasty. He probably enjoyed ripping them off.”
Jimmy got a statement typed up and told her to sign it, then got a police officer to escort her back to the hotel.
“There are too many women in this case, and all of them seem to be covering up for something,” said Jimmy. “The forensic lab promised us the DNA results fast. Meanwhile, keep asking around the village if anyone saw anything. I know you’ve done it over and over again, but folks are funny. Sometimes they come out with something amazing that they never even thought of telling us at the time.”
“Who first?” asked Robin outside.
“I’ve got a salmon in the freezer.”
“So what?”
“So we’ll go back and see Angus.”
¦
The seer invited Hamish in but grumbled that the salmon was frozen, saying he liked it fresh-caught.
“Have you thought of anything, Angus?” asked Hamish.
The seer leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Women everywhere,” he said. “Manipulating women.” He opened his eyes and looked at Robin. “You were out to ruin a marriage. Just thank the stars you didnae succeed.”
“Forget about Detective Mackenzie,” said Hamish impatiently. “I know all about that.”
Robin’s face flamed.
Angus settled back in his chair again and closed his eyes. If the old sod goes to sleep this time, I’ll strike him, thought Hamish. I want one salmon’s worth.
“Strong sexual urges and bad, bad jealousy,” crooned Angus. “You’re looking for a woman.”
“Which woman?”
Angus opened his eyes. “The spirits have left me.”
“I expected more for a whole fish,” exclaimed Hamish.
¦
“So who have we got?” asked Hamish as he and Robin walked down to the police Land Rover. “We’ve got Caro Garrard, Gloria Addenfest, Dora Fleming, and Betty Barnard.”
“My moneys on Dora,” said Robin.
“I thought you suspected Betty.”
“I think it’s Dora now. She’s had a rough, coarse life. I bet she was in a lot of fights when she was on the streets.”
“But what would Dora have to do with the murder of Effie?”
“Maybe Effie’s death
“Hal phoned his wife to say he was getting married,” said Hamish. “One of the women must have been seen with him. We’d better go up to the hotel and start again.”
“All that stuff about me trying to break up someone’s marriage was rubbish,” said Robin. “You said you knew.”
“I don’t think you planned to break up a marriage, more to sleep your way to the top.”
Hamish’s phone rang before Robin had time to reply. “Get back here immediately,” Jimmy ordered. “They’ve phoned over the DNA results.”
¦
“Whose is it?” demanded Hamish as soon as he and Robin walked into the police unit.
“Jock Fleming. They’ve gone to fetch him,” said Jimmy.
“Where’s Mrs. Fleming?”
