Chapter 29

 

   When the Thompsons got home, they sat at their kitchen table without taking their boots off. Jock thumped his fist onto the breakfast table and clattered the condiments.
   'What's up brother?'
   'Perhaps we should put our affairs in order,' he said. 'If we are going to jail, we had better put our affairs in order.'
   'I wonder how long we will be jailed for?' said Jimmy quietly with weary eyes.
   'Who on earth would have been walking the moors out there during the night?'
   'It would have been pitch dark, it was a dark night.'
   'I don't know.'
   'What about something to eat?'
   'Now you are being ridiculous!' barked Jock.
   'Am I?'
   'The police will be here any moment,' said Jock, almost in tears.
   'Yes, so we better have something to eat,' replied Jimmy, walking over to the stove to prepare some dinner.
   'I tell you Jimmy, this is a bad day.'
   'Would you like a slice of black pudding?'
   'Is there any left?'
   'I'm going to cook some for myself.'
   'All day breakfast sounds good. Shove on an extra egg for me while you're at it please.'
   'We could lose the business over this,' muttered Jimmy.
   'And the house, everything, but I don't see what else we could have done.'
   'I suppose the reporters will be here, and we will see our picture in all the newspapers.'
   'On television as well.'
   'The whole world will think we are grave robbers.'
   Jimmy finished making them something to eat in silence, served the food and sat back at the table with his brother.
   'Things have changed,' sighed Jock. 'What did we do to deserve this?'
   'All because of Charlie mixing up the bodies at the mortuary. None of this is our fault.'
   'I really do not want to go to jail,' said Jock emphatically. 'There must be a way out of this. There is always a solution to every problem.'
   'We will just have to tell the police the truth when they arrest us.'
   'Poor Mrs Drummond,' sighed Jock, 'and we promised her we would take care of it.'
   'It was Charlie's mistake, not ours.'
   'Charlie didn't bury the body and try to dispose of it though, did he?'
   'What are we going to do?'
   'I don't know, I guess it's all over for us.'
   'I wonder who found the body?'
   Just then, a car pulled in off the main road, scrunched up their driveway and parked outside the workshop. The two brothers stared at each other. Jimmy sneaked a glance out of the kitchen window.
   'It's Holmes!'
   'Put the kettle on, I need a cup of tea,' said Jock sadly.
   'A cup of tea? You want a cup of tea? The man is in uniform, so this is an official visit.'
   'Is he alone?'
   Jimmy looked out the window again. Holmes was standing beside his car, having a stretch.
   'Yes, he is.'
   'Then he has not come to charge us with anything or arrest us.'
   Neither of them moved when the doorbell rang. A few moments later it rang again. It was Jock who found the courage to answer the door.
   'Good morning Bob,' he greeted as amiably as he could under the circumstances. 'And what brings you out here in the evening?'
   'Hmmmm,' mused Holmes, adopting a stern look.
   'Come you in man, Jimmy is making a pot of tea.'
   'Well now,' remarked Holmes sagely, noting their downcast expressions.
   'Are you going to handcuff us?' asked Jock. 'We'll give you a full confession down at the station.'
   'Good heffins!' said Holmes. 'Listen, this is a serious matter, stop horsing around.'
   When they were all seated at the kitchen table, Jock broke the uncomfortable silence.
   'When are you going to arrest us?'
   'Jock, you speak in riddles.'
   'Well, if you're not here to arrest us, why are you here?'
   'It's a bad business,' said Holmes heavily.
   'What is it, Bob? What's on your mind?' asked Jock, blinking at him.
   'I stopped by in case you'd perhaps not heard the news.'
   'What news?' asked Jimmy, his tea cup trembling in his fingers.
   Holmes eyed the two of them with his head cocked to one side. His police mind was telling him he was missing something.
   'I had no idea you two would be affected so deeply by this whole affair.' He watched their faces very closely. 'Will you be going to the funeral?'
   'Funeral?' said Jock.
   'Funeral? said Jimmy.
   Holmes looked at them quizzically.
   'What is the matter with you two?'
   'Whose funeral?' asked Jock again, his mind so fogged up he couldn't think clearly.
   'Whose funeral do you think? Roddy's funeral is tomorrow morning.'
   'Would you like another cup of tea?' asked Jimmy suddenly, jumping to his feet.
   'I haven't started this one yet.'
   'Of course we will be there,' said Jock, his mind racing as he came to the realisation that the police didn't yet know about the missing coffin.
   'That's good, I was hoping you would be there. He wasn't a popular man, so I expect there won't be very many show up.'
   'Yes, yes,' agreed Jimmy with great relief in his voice, 'we will be there for sure.'
   They chatted about island life, midges and salmon for a while, then Holmes finished his tea and got up from the table.
   'Thank you for the support,' he said with a little smile. 'I'll see you in the morning then.'

   Just then, another car drove up the driveway and Mary clambered hastily out.
   'Good morning Mary,' greeted Jock without enthusiasm as he opened the door.
   'I'll see you tomorrow then,' said Holmes, and headed towards his car.'
   Mary quickly grabbed his arm.
   'Oh please stay Bob.'
   Holmes pulled up in some astonishment.
   'Me?'
   'What is the matter Mary?' asked Jock. 'You finished with me, remember?'
   'Everything!' retorted Mary indignantly.
   'Look, I have no idea what you're talking about.'
   Jimmy then appeared at the door and looked deeply into the girl's eyes. Jock noticed his brother's cheeks starting to blush again. Holmes for his part found difficulty making sense of everyone's body language.
   'It's lovely to see you again Mary,' said Jimmy.
   'Well, I fail to see how any of this affects me,' said Holmes. 'Perhaps I should be on my way.'
   'Oh, but it does affect you Bob,' said Mary. 'Please wait.'
   'I don't understand.'
   'I don't think I like the sound of this,' said Jock menacingly. 'Next thing you'll be telling me you've had sex with my brother behind my back.'
   Mary stepped forward.
   'Why you—'
   Jock turned his face away as she slapped him hard.
   'For your information,' she fumed, 'I only accepted your offer to go out with you because I knew you were a friend of Bob's.'
   'What do you mean?' asked Holmes, his eyes widening.
   'She looked up at him with puppy eyes.
   'I was desperate to find some way to meet you.'
   Holmes was lost for words.
   'Why would you want to meet me?' he asked incredulously. 'There is no need for this nonsense. Bringing me into this just to get your own back on Jock, is hardly very ladylike.'
   'Oh but Bob, it's true!' she said.
   'I'm a professional man,' said Holmes, turning once more for his car. 'And I've no time for such things.'
   'But Bob!' she blurted as he stalked off, 'please wait!'
   'This is a personal matter, none of my business,' said Holmes.
   'Well, if you're really not interested, would you please return my red knickers?'
   It was as if Holmes had walked into a granite wall.
   Jock and Jimmy glanced at each other, their mouths open.
   Holmes turned and gave Mary a quick once up and down and then looked her straight in her eyes.
   'That was you?'
   Jock and Jimmy put their hands up in defeat and headed back into the house and closed the door.
   Holmes took a few moments to compose himself, and when the initial shock had subsided, he walked over to her.
   'I've very little to offer such a beautiful young lady.'
   'You have everything,' she whispered, looking up into his eyes.
   'I'm on my way to the hotel for a drink. Would you care to join me?'
   'Yes please,' she smiled sweetly.

Back to Top