Mince Pies and Murder

by Carly Reid

  “What can I get for you?”

  “Oh nothing. Sorry, I won’t be long. I was just wondering where Craig was?”

  The woman looked about. There were no other customers at the bar at that moment, so she seemed happy to chat.

  “Is he no’ back? He nipped out for a cigarette. He does that when there’s a lull.”

  Jessica nodded. Scotland had banned smoking in public places some years before.

  “I’d have thought he’d be back by noo – maybe he’s gone to change the barrels. Although, he did that just the other night.”

  “Change the barrels?”

  “Aye, they’re in the cellar. You have to go out, and round the building into a side door and down to change them. I hate doing it, especially in the dark like this. Craig normally does it although as I say, he just did it on Friday, so I cannae imagine they’d be needing changed again just yet.”

  Jessica’s ears pricked up.

  “On Friday?”

  “Aye, later on, once the Yule Night stuff was all done and people just poured in all wanting a drink at the same time. The taps started to run dry quite quickly so Craig had to go and change them. He probably had a wee sneaky cigarette at the same time, mind. So I don’t think that’s where he can be now…”

  As Cat spoke, Craig arrived back in the front door, stamping his feet on the mat. His arms were filled with logs.

  “Oh aye, that’s the other place he might have gone. To get more wood in. Mystery solved!” Cat smiled.

  Jessica wasn’t sure she agreed, however. For her, the plot had just thickened.

  A Way of Life

  Magnus’ chat with the farmer turned out to be quite lengthy, and in the end Jessica accepted an offer of a run home by Reenie’s neighbors. She would be home quicker this way, and so would Magnus. He, too, was offered a ride home, by the garrulous farmer. Under other circumstances Jessica would have been more disappointed, but she wanted space to reflect on the information she had just learned about Craig.

  She went very early to the newspaper office the next day, and as a result ended up opening the offices. Tuesdays were busy and it could be hard to get a desk. Jessica had completed all of her assignments apart from the Carol Concert. It only needed a couple of paragraphs, but even so, as she ascended the stairs and unlocked the dark, chilly offices, she wished, again, that she was a little closer to getting a new laptop. She could have written in the comfort of her own home, she thought, mentally censoring the word ‘bed’.

  So far, her plan had worked. Jessica made herself a quick coffee – she was too early to pick up her usual order from Ealisaid – and spent the next hour writing her short report on the Carol Concert, focusing on the details that she knew people loved to read about – the children, and the food.

  As other people started to arrive in the office, she was glad of her early start. Grant was first, and he raised his eyebrows to find Jessica there already.

  “Morning, Jessica! You’re in early. Is everything OK?”

  “Everything’s fine. I just wanted to finish the report on the concert, and I knew that Magnus and Marian would need the desks. I think Magnus has a lot of photos to process.”

  Grant chuckled. “He will that, it’s a bumper issue for photographs. Well, that’s very good of you Jessica. Have you sent it over already…? Excellent. Would you mind starting a pot of coffee , and giving me a few minutes to review it? I’ll give you a shout if there are any major changes needed.”

  Grant and Skye walked through into the inner office. Jessica was grateful for his arrival. Having more people in the office definitely made it seem warmer, plus Grant had a little space heater in the inner office that he tended to put out in the main one, to try and bring the whole place up by a few degrees. She logged out of her computer and did as instructed, going through to the small shared kitchen to start on the coffee.

  Marian was the next to arrive. She started a mug of tea brewing in the kitchen, and then settled herself into Jessica’s vacated desk. A woman of few words, she got to work straight away on the diary section, processing all the events that locals had submitted. Jessica thought that it, too, would probably be a particularly full section. At Christmas, every organization in Dalkinchie and Drummond seemed to be throwing some sort of Christmas bash. Grant and Jessica were sharing the reporting between them, and starting to feel the pressure.

  Magnus arrived shortly after and immediately started to upload his photos. While his drive was processing, he joined Jessica in the kitchen.

  “Morning, Magnus. Do you want some of this?”

  Magnus was leaning against the door frame. As Marian came through to pick up her tea he apologized, squeezing himself back out of the way. He waited until Marian had moved back through into the office before answering Jessica.

  “Aye, aye, some coffee would be lovely. Listen Jessica…I’m sorry about last night. It would have been nice to have that last drink together. Jimmy, he’s a good friend of my dad’s and he was wanting to ask about milking techniques and whether we were considering going automated…”

  Jessica handed him a coffee, and their hands touched briefly. Magnus looked down for a second, and then up again, smiling hesitantly.

  “So, did you have some time now to look over the photos like I asked?“

  Of course, Jessica thought, he wants me to do some work with him. Oh well, it wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to be. Although she wanted to spend some time putting together the pieces that she had uncovered the day before, her next move wasn’t clear. Normally she would speak to Ealisaid, or Reenie, but she didn’t feel that either of them was the right choice this time. Ealisaid wouldn’t hear of Craig being further implicated, and although Reenie and Jessica had resolved their argument, Reenie still wasn’t happy with the idea of Jessica investigating again. Grant, often a good listening ear, was too busy today. Maybe some time spent working with Magnus would help her sort out her thoughts, and work out what she could do next.

  Magnus had been very busy. He scrolled past screen after screen of thumbnail images, all of them taken in just the last few days. Jessica could see why he might need some assistance in narrowing them down, but it wasn’t going to be an easy job. Every image was as evocative and high-quality as the last. Magnus had really captured the atmosphere of the community Yule Night, the magic, excitement and anticipation. There were photographs from the procession, a montage of photos inside the Village Hall, and some beautiful shots of decorative touches throughout the village. As lovely as these were, Jessica thought they might be best used for another purpose, perhaps to add to the bank of stock images. The ones people wanted to see in The Herald were photos of people, capturing specific events and displaying the movement of the evening. There were plenty of those as well, shots of excited children following Santa’s procession down the High Street, smiling couples and families. Despite the light conditions he had been dealing with, Magnus had managed to capture plenty of detail.

  Jessica pulled up a spare chair at Magnus’ desk and together they categorized the images, then chose the most suitable from each category to accompany the articles in The Herald. Jessica enjoyed this experience, the buzz of industry, the growing feeling of competence after several months in the job. She still wasn’t sure whether journalism was definitely her future path, but she felt fulfilled by the work and that she had a flair for it. Working in a small team like this suited her too, especially when that team also included a canine member. Skye accompanied Grant everywhere, and her presence in the office definitely kept everyone calm, even when working against a punishing weekly deadline.

  Magnus spoke.

  “Right, well, I think we have what we need here. Thanks for your help, Jessica. I’m going to grab another coffee and then get stuck into editing them. Can I get you one too?”

  Jessica didn’t want to hang around any longer. She was done for the day, she’d just get in the way if she stayed now, and she had skipped breakfast too. Plus, she really wanted one of Ea
lisaid’s coffees…no disrespect to the office supplies, but it just wasn’t the same. She also wanted to try and catch up with Amy again. There was something she wanted to confirm before meeting up with Murdo and DI Gordon the following day.

  “No thank you, Magnus. I’ll head out and let you get on with work.”

  Was it her imagination, or did she detect a flicker of disappointment pass over his face?

  “Aye, right you are, then Jessica. I’ll maybe catch up with you later. Thanks for helping me oot – you make a great photographer’s assistant.”

  Magnus swung out of the room to the small shared kitchen. Jessica lingered for a moment, lost in thought, her gaze still focused on the computer screen. Assistant. As she mulled things over, her attention was drawn more to the little images displayed there. Looking at them gave her a strange sensation, and she wasn’t sure why. Completely focused now on the screen, her previous thoughts forgotten, she scrutinized the display. The photos were from the beginning of the evening. Magnus had taken a few early test shots on the High Street, at the point when the crowds were gathered before the procession, with one or two close ups of families, individuals and children, and the MacNaughton giving his short talk. Jessica could see the shadowy figure of Bill Johnston talking to Amy in the background. Then the photos showed the procession get on its way, complete with Santa in the cart. He was resplendent in his bright red suit and fluffy, cotton wool-like beard completely obscuring his face. Jessica didn’t know how Magnus managed to take such colorful photos in the dark, but they were incredibly vivid. She must ask him. Perhaps in her role as ‘assistant.’ She allowed herself a resigned sigh.

  The photos gave no clue to her odd feeling. Perhaps it was just that looking at them retrospectively was sad, given the events that had followed. It was hard to see Santa waving at the children, shouldering his sack of presents, when by the end of the evening someone had taken final, decisive action against him.

  * * *

  Lissa’s was busy when Jessica popped in for her takeaway coffee and sandwich.

  “Good morning, Jessica! I expected to see you before now. Late night?” Ealisaid winked at her friend from behind the counter, where she had automatically started to prepare Jessica’s drink.

  “I hate to disappoint you, Ealisaid, but I went home alone. I got an offer of a ride from Reenie’s neighbors and it made much more sense all round for me to take them up on it. Plus, I was actually up very early this morning. I’ve already been to work.”

  Ealisaid paused and peered at Jessica’s face.

  “And are you OK with that? Did you have a nice wee drink wi’ Magnus anyway?”

  Jessica explained what had transpired the night before, with Magnus pulled away on farm business. Ealisaid nodded sagely.

  “Aye, well, you’d have to get used tae that if you and Magnus get together. Farming’s no’ a job, it’s a whole way of life. I don’t know whether Magnus or Murdo will take over the farm full-time when Dairy Smith retires, but they are both quite lucky at the moment, getting the chance to pursue other interests.”

  Jessica had never met the Smith brothers’ farmer father, and she suddenly realized that she didn’t even know what his real name was. Always called ‘Dairy’, he was one of a long line of Smiths that had owned and run Balnaguise. Unlike many of the other farms and crofts in the area which were managed by the MacNaughton and only leased to the farmers, Balnaguise was proudly independent. They sold their milk locally as well as supplying bigger chain stores, and it was also made into beautiful local cream, cheese and yoghurt. Jessica hadn’t even considered what Dairy Smith’s retirement might mean for Magnus and Murdo. They had never mentioned it, so she assumed it wasn’t on the agenda quite yet. She caught herself. She hadn’t even been on a date with Magnus. It was a little too soon to worry about the future.

  “So that must have been a bit dull, all the milking chat! Did you just sit there?”

  “I–” Jessica was about to respond, but she didn’t really feel comfortable discussing this any further with Ealisaid. After she had been caught out eavesdropping on the conversation with Craig the day before, she wasn’t sure how her friend would react to the news that Jessica was trying to work out the barman’s movements on the night of Bill Johnston’s death. As Ealisaid had already pointed out, it didn’t really matter what either of them thought. If the police could build a case against Craig, then he was a suspect.

  Luckily, at that moment a crowd of women arrived in the café, looking for food and drinks. Ealisaid was on her own for the moment and she was immediately occupied in serving them. Jessica had ordered her drink and food to go, and waved goodbye to her friend before leaving and heading towards Amy’s apartment.

  * * *

  As luck would have it, Amy was at home again. This time, Jessica had gone straight to the correct buzzer, and there was no mistaking the welcome in Amy’s voice. Jessica felt guilty once again – but, she reminded herself, she was following up another clue. One that might bring another suspect into the frame again, and exonerate Amy. She climbed the stairs to the landing, and once again Amy had left her door slightly ajar. The young woman was wearing her hair in a long braid again, but today she was wearing a patterned dress over thick hose – tights, Jessica knew they were called here – and on her feet, a pair of ridiculous fluffy slippers.

  “Hi Jessica. I didn’t expect to see you today. Are you not working at the paper?”

  “I’ve actually done my shift already. We don’t have enough desks, so when all my reports are written up for the week I tend not to be needed on deadline day. All the other staff are in. What about you?”

  “I’m free at the moment. College is already closed for Christmas, and wi’ everything up in the air about Bill Johnston’s business, I cannae do jobs on my own because I’m not qualified, so I’m at a bit of a loose end. Although, I’ve got some good news – the college are sorting everything out for me. They were very understanding. They will bring in an external assessor to look at the work I’ve done and the reports I have been working on, and I can do some assistance work in the college to make up for the last few weeks of my apprenticeship. So obviously I have not passed yet, but this assessor should be fairer than Bill Johnston – it would be hard no’ to be!”

  Jessica smiled, but inside her stomach was churning again. Didn’t Amy see that this gave her more of a motive than ever? If getting Bill Johnston out of the way paved her way to full qualification, and being able to keep the flat she called home, then Jessica was sure the police would take an interest.

  “Amy, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “Tallking to people…I’ve heard a couple of times that Ian Johnston was known as a bit of a–” Jessica paused. Was crook too strong? She tried again.

  “Ah, um, there’s a suggestion that his prices were perhaps too cheap and that possibly he was involved in…”

  Amy came to her rescue.

  “You’ve heard the rumors about Ian Johnston being dishonest?”

  Jessica was relieved.

  “Yes, exactly. Is there any truth to that?”

  Amy looked reflective.

  “Honestly Jessica, who knows. His quotes did usually undercut Bill’s, that’s true. But then some would say that Bill Johnston charged too much for labour. That’s also true, given how much he got me to do, and the amount he pays me – used to pay, I mean.”

  Jessica waited, believing that Amy would continue. She often found that silence was better than asking more questions.

  “Bill used to spread that about. He might have started the rumor – probably did, to be honest. I don’t know Ian Johnston well at all, and I certainly don’t know anything about tax fraud, but it’s definitely something that was said around here so honestly, does it really matter whether it was true or not? If people believed it…”

  She trailed off. Jessica couldn’t help but agree. If people wanted to believe something, then believe it they would, even if all the evid
ence pointed to the opposite. She was struck by something Amy had said, however. Tax fraud? That hadn’t been mentioned. Amy wasn’t finished.

  “Actually, you’ve reminded me. Something Bill said recently. He was all full of himself, and hinted that he had proof about his brother’s dealings. In fact –”

  Amy screwed up her face in concentration.

  “– I think he said that he had some information that would change the hotel’s mind. I’m sure that was it. I was only half-listening if I’m honest, I got into the habit of shutting him out. But if that was true – if Bill had real proof than Ian was behaving illegally –”

  Jessica finished the sentence for her.

  “Then that would be a real motive for Ian Johnston to murder his brother.”

  Following Up

  The next day, Jessica felt more light-hearted than she expected as she made her way to her meeting with Murdo and DI Gordon. While she had definitely found out a few things that implicated both Amy and Craig, surely this piece of information about Ian Johnston gave the police the motive that they had been looking for. Surely too, this would help to resolve the case before Christmas.

  Mindful of Amy’s words, she even realized that it didn’t matter whether Bill Johnston had proof of his brother’s misdeeds or not. If he could cast enough doubt over his work methods, then that would jeopardize Ian Johnston’s Lochside Hydro contract. Having visited the hotel, Jessica was sure that the contract was worth a lot of money – definitely a motive for murder.