Page 36 of A Very Bookish Murder
FOURTEEN
The evenings were light now, and the view from Seascape was spectacular. As the name implied, the seafood restaurant was situated on a clifftop overlooking the sea and the craggy coastline, with stunning views out towards the islands. The tourists hadn’t arrived in force yet, but the restaurant was still two-thirds full, even on a Monday evening.
‘I expected it to be empty,’ Ross said as the waiter apologised for not having a table vacant at the window.
‘Just shows how popular this place is,’ Ally agreed.
‘It’s so good to get right away from Locharran for a few hours,’ Callum said with a sigh. ‘I’ve left Ivan in charge, so hopefully I won’t be missed.’
Ivan was the Craigmonie’s Lithuanian barman who, ten years previously, had come to Locharran as a backpacking student and decided to stay, partly because of his love for the area but more accurately for his love of Locharran whisky, which he imbibed daily and frequently.
After they’d ordered their food and poured out some wine, Ally said casually, ‘I hear that one of your women suspects has been cleared to go home, Callum?’
Callum nodded. ‘Still two to go,’ he said cheerfully.
‘Butwho?’ Ally asked. ‘Who was cleared to go?’
‘The red-haired Irish one – Delia, Della, whatever her name was,’ Callum replied.
‘Della Moran? But she was thechiefsuspect!’ Ally exclaimed, astonished. ‘How come?’
‘Well,’ said Callum, ‘while Jodi Jones was in the bar knocking back a double Scotch immediately after the disruption in the Garden Room, this bloke started chatting her up. Ivan witnessed this, and we’ve been looking for the man ever since. Luckily, he came back into the bar last night and told us what had happened. Apparently, he was suddenly riveted by the sight of this “red-haired beauty” –hiswords, not mine – going into the ladies’ room, which you can see quite clearly along the corridor from the bar. Ivan was listening in, and the bloke said something like, “Wow! Where didshecome from?” Jodi then snapped that she was the woman who’d caused the disruption, and that she was a nasty liar. Nevertheless, the bloke kept watching until he saw Della coming out again and re-enter the Garden Room, although he’d continued chatting to Jodi.’
‘He sounds a delightful type,’ Linda said acidly.
‘Doesn’t he just!’ agreed Ally.
‘Well, whatever you think of him, he did have the decency to contact the police after he heard about Jodi’s murder,’ Callum said.
‘And?’ Ally asked as the waiter approached with their starters.
‘When he got out to the car park, he could see Della through the French windows, in the middle of a group of women,’ Callum continued.
Ally was still confused as she tackled her lobster bisque. ‘So what exactly are you saying?’
‘It was confirmed that Della was the first to visit the cloakroom – theonlytime she visited the cloakroom, which wasverified by the others – and while Jodi was in the bar. Confirmed by Ivan, who took a keen interest in the whole thing. So, much as she may have wanted to, Della Moran did not kill Jodi Jones.’
‘And now she’s been allowed to go home?’ Ally asked.
‘Yes, she’s gone,’ Callum confirmed.
Linda was also looking confused. ‘So who’s still staying at the hotel?’ she asked Callum.
‘A woman from Bristol and a woman from Cornwall,’ Callum replied, ‘neither of whom are particularly interesting.’
‘It’s the dull ones you have to watch out for!’ Ross said cheerfully.
‘That’s Laura and Morwenna,’ Ally said. Then to herself she added, ‘Plus Millie, Penelope and Brigitte.’ Five women! She knew that she needed, somehow or other, to get chatting to them individually because there just had to be a clue there somewhere.
‘You’re really keen to solve this, aren’t you, Ally?’ Linda asked, studying her.
‘Yes, I am,’ Ally replied firmly. ‘Apart from anything else I need to know if I’m harbouring a murderer under my roof, and I’d like to know when I can take bookings for guests again.’
But the main reason, Ally thought, was to find out, for Rigby’s sake, who had killed his sister and why? Jodi Jones certainly did appear to be his long-lost sister, right down to the birthmark, but this information could not be made public. Apart from telling Ross, of course. Ally couldn’t risk anyone, accidentally or otherwise, passing on the information and so blighting Rigby’s chances of eventually solving the case himself.
The conversation then turned to other things, and Ally was glad of the distraction. Not least because she was thrilled to see the bond that had developed between Linda and Callum.
Could there be another wedding on the horizon? she wondered.
