She went to the chest of drawers, knelt down and pulled open the bottom drawer where she kept the essentials of her winter wardrobe: roll-neck sweaters, thick-knit cardigans, woolly hats and a favourite cashmere scarf. She slipped her hand beneath the clothes and rummaged around inside, retrieving first her passport, then a credit card held in joint names which they used only for emergencies and finally, an old leather purse stuffed with cash brought back from their last – and only – holiday together.
Cameron, as May had come to expect from someone who cared only about himself, was lying on the sofa, eyes closed. Any concern for her welfare or the state of their marriage clearly not as important as he’d implied minutes earlier. She stood and watched as his breathing, laboured and short, caused his chest to heave, and smiled at the way his face, and then his left arm, twitched spasmodically, like a puppy in the depths of a dream.
Alone in the kitchen, May poured herself another large Scotch and downed it in one, gasping as it hit the back of her throat, before taking the empty vial of ketamine from her handbag and tossing it in the bin. She frowned as she opened the drawer, the one used for storing all manner of essential-but-rarely-used knick-knacks, before shrugging off the missing roll of black insulating tape and yanking out the drawer completely, setting it down on the worktop and releasing the nine-inch carving knife gaffer-taped to the back.
* * *
Cameron, to all intents and purposes on the verge of a coma, lay oblivious to the football commentary blaring from the television, unaware of his wife standing over him and unaware of the tip of the blade gently prodding at his throat. May moved the knife over his chest and poked it gently, deliberating over the ideal place to make the fatal incision, before jumping, startled at the sound of somebody coughing politely behind her.
‘If you’re not about to carve a chicken with that,’ said Munro, smiling broadly, ‘then I’m afraid you’re in terrible trouble, Mrs. Cameron. Aye, that’s the word. Trouble.’
Epilogue
INTERVIEW ROOM 2:32pm
‘You’re not listening, Inspector. How many times do I have to tell you – I didnae do it to get back at Don, I did it to get back at Jenny. Aye, that’s right, Jenny. Look, those girls, those poor wee lassies, they were all innocent in this. I get that. It was Don who led them on, Don who charmed them into bed, not the other way round – but it wasnae them I was after. It was Jenny. I wanted my sister to suffer. Big time. Why? You have to ask why? Okay, look, you’re probably thinking I should be thankful to her, for introducing us in the first place. Maybe. But a leopard doesnae change his spots, we’d have separated sooner or later, only she made sure it was sooner.
See here, the thing with Jenny is she wouldnae let go. She wouldnae leave us alone. If we went to the pub, she’d be there. If we went for a meal, she’d be there. If I went out for the evening with my friends, she’d turn up to sit with Don until I got home. Aye, of course she still fancied him, you know that, but there’s a difference between fancying someone and being downright obsessed.
She liked her books. She thought she was better than everyone else because she was so well-read – always quoting literature, always quoting Burns. That’s what gave me the idea, see. Our name. Her name. Clow. Jenny Clow.
Did you know Burns had a fling with a lassie called Jenny Clow? Aye, well, she knew that too, so have a wee guess at what her pet name for Don was. Rabbie. Makes me want to heave. “Och, Rabbie, did this” and “Rabbie did that” and “Och, Rabbie, you’re so funny”.
Then, when I told her about the stuck-up lassie who came calling to say Don was moving in with her, she had the cheek to tell me it was meant to be, that I should let him go, that Robbie Burns went out with an Agnes Craig. Any opportunity, she’d rub it in. So I thought, okay you wee bitch, I’ll have you for this.
Did I know about the other girls? Are you stupid? Of course I did. I made it my business to find out. Everything I could. About all of them. And that’s what they call serendipity, Inspector. When I discovered they all shared the same names as Burns’s lovers, that’s when it all came together.
Now, I’m not into reading, it bores me. I’m a creative person. I like to create things, I like to paint. I like my crafts but see, that book she bought for Don, the one on the shelf in the lounge? It’s amazing how much information there is in there. You do know that was a gift for Don, don’t you? From you know who? Aye, so, job done as they say. I knew you’d figure it out sooner or later. You’re a clever man. And that would’ve been the end of it had she not gone on at me about losing him. About how there must be something wrong with me if he could attract all these other women and not find me attractive.
That’s when the red mist came down. I didnae mean to kill her. That really was an accident. Death was too good for her. Too easy. But she tipped me over the edge. Not with her teasing or snide comments but with a taunting revelation. She looked so… smug.
See here, Inspector, you know how Don liked to bed the younger lassies, don’t you? The students and the bar workers? Well, that’s not all he liked to bed. Here’s something to make your skin crawl. Did you know he often enjoyed the company of what you might call “the more mature woman”? Or rather, someone more his own age? Someone who almost mothered, if not smothered him? No, I bet you didnae see that coming.
Okay, now I’ve a wee question for you. Who do you suppose fitted the bill? Who do suppose was always there, willing to jump when he barked? Who do you think thought so little of herself she succumbed to his every whim?
Aye. In one, Inspector. My beloved sister. She was sleeping with him even after I’d moved out. So, there you have it. That’s why I did it. And no, I’m not sorry. About Jenny, I mean. And I’ll tell you this for nothing, if she’s a conscience, she’ll not rest in peace. She’ll not rest in peace at all.
Character List
D.I. JAMES MUNRO – Shrewd, smart and cynical with an inability to embrace retirement, he has a knack for expecting the unexpected.
D.S. CHARLOTTE WEST – Racked with self-doubt after a floundering engagement, she regains her confidence with Munro as her mentor in his native Scotland.
D.S. DON CAMERON – A rough diamond with roguish appeal who plays by the book and likes to keep his skeletons locked firmly in the closet.
D.C. DOUGAL McCRAE – A clever, young introvert with more brain than brawn who’d rather be fishing than drinking in the pub.
D.C.I. GEORGE ELLIOT – Laid back and relaxed, happy behind a desk and happiest at home, he prefers to let others do the dirty work having spent a lifetime dicing with death.
ANDREW “MAX” MAXWELL STEWART – Hyper-intelligent with zero qualifications, the proverbial loner whose quest in life is to find “the answer”.
AGNES CRAIG – A beautiful, passionate student with aspirations to make a difference in the world of psychology.
MARY CAMPBELL – Agnes’s best friend, fellow student and a talented artist who forsakes a career as a painter for one as a therapist.
LIZZIE PATON – A strikingly attractive single mother content to bide her time as a receptionist until Mr. Right comes along.
MAY CAMERON – A sassy, sexy, art teacher whose classes attract mainly male students, tied to a copper in a loveless marriage.
JENNIFER CLOW – Officious spinster empowered by her role as an Assistant Manageress and the opportunity it provides for her to belittle her colleagues.
All books in this series, in order of publication:
SHE – Book 1
With a serial killer on their hands Scottish detective Munro and rookie sergeant West must act fast to trace a woman placed at the scene of crime. Yet discovering her true identity, let alone finding her, proves difficult. Soon they realise the crime is far graver than either of them could have imagined.
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
AVARICE – Book 2
A sleepy Scottish town, a murder in a glen. The local police chief doesn't want a fuss and calls in DI Munro to lead the investigation. Bu
t Munro is a stickler for procedure, and his sidekick Charlie West has a nose for a cover up. Someone in the town is guilty, will they find out who?
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
ENMITY – Book 3
When it comes to frustrating a criminal investigation, this killer has all the moves. A spate of murders is causing havoc among in a remote Scottish town. Enter Detective Inspector Munro to catch the red herrings and uncover an elaborate and wicked ruse.
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
DUPLICITY – Book 4
When a foreign worker casually admits to the murder of a local businessman, detectives in a small Scottish town guess that the victim’s violent death points to a more complex cause. Money appears to be a motive, but will anyone believe that they might be in fact dealing with a crime of passion?
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
TERMINUS– Book 5
Avid fans of Scottish detective James Munro will be worrying it is the end of the line for their favourite sleuth when, battered and bruised following a hit and run, the veteran crime-solver can’t pin down a likely suspect.
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
TALION – Book 6
Left to her own devices Detective Sergeant Charlie West struggles with the responsibility of a full-blown murder investigation when a man is pushed off a cliff. Once the police have discovered the identity of the dead man, and established his demise was definitely the result of foul play, the race is on to hunt down the murderer.
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
PERDITION – Book 7
A man is found dead in his car. A goat is killed with a crossbow. What connects these events in a rural Scottish backwater? DI Charlotte West investigates in this gripping murder mystery that ends with a sucker punch of a twist.
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
RANCOUR – Book 8
Police are suspicious when the body of a girl found on a mountainside tests positive for a date rape drug. They suspect a local Lothario is responsible. He certainly had the means, motive and opportunity. But is this really such a cut and dry case? A spanner is thrown in the works when another girl is found murdered. What are the police missing?
amazon.com / amazon.co.uk
More great fiction by Pete Brassett:
THE WILDER SIDE OF CHAOS
YELLOW MAN
CLAM CHOWDER AT LAFAYETTE AND SPRING
THE GIRL FROM KILKENNY
BROWN BREAD
PRAYER FOR THE DYING
KISS THE GIRLS
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ENMITY: An enthralling Scottish murder mystery (Detective Inspector Munro murder mysteries Book 3) Page 18