Death of a Kingfisher Read Online Free Page A

kingfisher and then focused on Blair giving Hamish a dressing-down. Move to picture of beautiful Mary Leinster with tears running down her face and Blair calling her a tree hugger. After Blair had left, Mary Leinster made a speech, saying it was not Sergeant Macbeth’s fault. She was so shocked she had reported the death as a murder. But, she went on, something beautiful had been killed, not only the kingfisher but ‘his wife and the wee bairns.’ Then she began to cry again.
    Comments from the angry crowd followed calling Blair every kind of unsympathetic villain who had no respect for the public.
    When it ended, Daviot looked grim. ‘This is a public relations disaster, Macbeth. I want you to concentrate all your energies on finding out who did this.’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ said Hamish, a picture of Mary in tears impressed on his mind’s eye. ‘An ornithologist, Frank Shepherd, has taken away the bird and some pieces of fish. He thinks the birds were poisoned.’
    ‘Tell him he may avail himself of the services of our forensic lab. Now off with you.’
    ‘If I might have a word, sir,’ said Dick while Hamish looked at his constable in surprise.
    ‘Go ahead, Fraser. What is it?’
    ‘Would your good self have any objection to me appearing on a game show on the telly? It’s a quiz show, Get It Right .’
    Daviot smiled indulgently as he looked at Dick. Perhaps if he had been as slow moving and stupid as Dick Fraser, he might not have risen to the dizzy height of his job. ‘I don’t see it will do any harm. In your own time, mind!’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
     
    ‘Think Blair’s been suspended?’ asked Dick as they settled back into the Land Rover.
    ‘No,’ said Hamish. ‘That one could creep his way out of any situation.’
    ‘Think it was those horrible kids?’
    ‘Too planned for my liking. That bird was hanged there to cause the most distress. What’s all this about a quiz?’
    ‘I didnae tell ye because I thought ye might laugh at me,’ said Dick. ‘It’s the morrow night. The prize is a dishwasher. Just think. No more washing up.’
    ‘You hardly wash a cup unless I shout at you,’ said Hamish. ‘Oh, go ahead. Make a fool of yourself if you want.’
     
    That evening, Ralph and Fern Palfour arrived at the hunting box. Fern’s mother was angry with her daughter. She said she did not want her peace disturbed and wished she had never invited the horrors that were her grandchildren. On the other hand, Fern had been born just before Mrs Colchester’s menopause. She had been surprised to find that she was pregnant at the age of forty-four. But her late husband had doted on their daughter as Mrs Colchester had doted on her husband. It was only after his death that she began to find her daughter – with her politically correct ideas, her wimp of a husband, and her nasty children – unwelcome visitors. She knew that her son-in-law was in financial difficulties and took some bitter amusement from the compliments he heaped on her grey head.
    She told them they could stay a week, but that was all. Mrs Colchester had another reason for wanting them out of the house. She had fallen in love with the Fairy Glen. She liked to get out of the house at night in her motorized wheelchair and go down to the wood and sit there, drinking in the peace and silence.
    Mrs Colchester was from a remote island in the Hebrides and had a strong superstitious streak. She also believed in fairies. She thought the glen was really enchanted and resented the daily busloads of visitors. At least when theScottish winter settled in, she thought, she would be able to have the place to herself during the day was well.
    The following evening, most of the police and detectives who were not on duty switched on their television sets to watch that joke of a copper, Dick Fraser, make a fool of himself.
    At first Hamish wondered if he could bear to watch the programme, but he decided he’d better see how badly Dick was faring and be on standby with