Death of a Kingfisher Read Online Free

police?’
    ‘I did. I phoned Strathbane. Did they send anyone? No. All I got was a visit from the man who rescued him, no doubt looking for an award.’
    ‘Can you remember his name?’
    ‘Some doctor from Lairg, that’s all I can remember.’  
    ‘Do you know that someone has hanged the kingfisher from a branch and poisoned the rest of them?’  
    She put a trembling hand to her chest. ‘No,’ she whispered . ‘Get out of here.’  
    ‘But I want a word with the boy.’
    ‘Speak to him and then get out!’
    Hamish rose and made his way down the lawn. Thetwo children watched his approach with their peculiarly dead eyes.
    ‘Charles,’ said Hamish, ‘when you were pushed in, did you see who did it?’
    ‘No,’ he said. ‘I was playing on the rocks under the bridge when I got this almighty shove in the back. I screamed my head off. Some man dived in and pulled me out. I kept telling him and everyone else I was shoved, but no one would listen to me.’
    ‘There’s another thing. The kingfisher and family have been murdered,’ said Hamish.
    Both children stared at him and then began to laugh. ‘What’s so damn funny?’ demanded Hamish.
    Olivia recovered first. ‘You police do see crime in the Highlands,’ she said. ‘I am here to investigate the case of the dead bird. What a hoot!’
    ‘I hope someone pushes you both in the pool next time,’ said Hamish, ‘and makes a good job of it.’
    Their cackles of laughter followed him into the house. Mrs Colchester had disappeared. Bertha showed him out. ‘She seems to have had a funny turn,’ said Bertha. ‘She’s off to her bed.’
     
    Hamish sat on the step outside and tried to remember the name of the doctor in Lairg. He phoned Dr Brodie in Lochdubh and asked him. ‘That would be Dr Askew,’ said Dr Brodie. ‘Nice fellow.’
    ‘Give me his number.’
    ‘A moment. Right. Got a pen?’
    ‘Yes.’ Dr Brodie gave him the number.
    Hamish phoned and waited until Dr Askew came on the line, then asked him about the rescue. ‘I went over to see this famous glen on my day off,’ said Askew. ‘It would have been cheaper if I had taken the tour bus because theydo charge motorists a lot. I wasn’t on the bridge. I was sitting down by the side of it, wishing all the tourists would go away so that I could enjoy the peace of the place. I looked up and saw them starting to move. Then I heard this splash and scream and saw the boy struggling in the water. I dived in and got him out. He was all right. To tell the truth, I think the child just slipped. I couldn’t see anyone around, but then I wasn’t looking.’
    ‘Have you any idea how anyone could have got close enough, unseen?’
    ‘Not a clue. Everyone was looking the one way to see if they could see the kingfisher, so I suppose someone on the other side with a pole or something could have shoved the little horror in. What a family. Granny Colchester called the police but no one showed up to interview me.’
    Hamish thanked him and rang off just as the police Land Rover with Dick at the wheel rolled up the drive. Dick was steering with one hand and eating a large sandwich with the other.
    He slid down the window and spoke. It sounded like, ‘ErrottagaeStrathbane.’
    ‘Chew and swallow,’ said Hamish testily. ‘What are you trying to say?’
    Dick swallowed a mouthful of sandwich and then said,
    ‘We’ve got to gae to Strathbane. The big yin wants tae see you.’
    The ‘big yin’ was Superintendent Peter Daviot.
     
    What now? wondered Hamish as the superintendent’s sour-faced secretary, Helen, ushered them into his office.
    ‘Ah, come in,’ said Daviot, smoothing the well-barbered wings of his silver hair. ‘This is a bad business. Strathbane Television asked me for a comment on the death of the kingfisher. I said we had more important things to do. They sent me round this DVD. Watch!’
    He slotted it into a machine. It started with a presenter explaining about the death of the