Louisa hugged him. “You are the best, Uncle Raymond, and you have always been family to me.”
He gave her a big hug back. “Right. I am taking a shower and we are going to the distillery to look in more files. Will James be back from his trip?”
“Yes, he should have arrived back yesterday.”
“Call him and tell him it’s urgent that he be at the distillery in two hours. Tell him that no is not an option.”
“He will be asleep, probably drunk.”
“Wake him and tell him from me that he’d better get his sorry ass down there. He has some explaining to do.”
The distillery was the best place to lure Mitch Farrell. Raymond’s intuition told him that Mitch was already on the Island. You never lose the craft or the instinct – this awareness he’d developed and trusted was like riding a bike. It was all coming back, and he most certainly felt Mitch’s presence tonight.
“What is so important that you need me and James?”
“Louisa, just trust me. I am having a quick shower and then we’ll walk down to the distillery.”
“Only takes two minutes in the car.”
“No, I need some fresh air; this could be a long night,” he replied.
CHAPTER 41
Raymond took a long shower and dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. Tonight could get messy.
“Louisa, are you ready?” he shouted, heading down the stairs.
No reply, the house was dead silent. He opened the front door and her car was gone. Crap. She must have known something was up and had gone to warn James.
Raymond went straight to Gordon’s bedroom, retrieved the hunting rifle Gordon kept in his closet and then reached up to the shelf and grabbed a box of shells. Raymond set off at a quick pace down the lane toward the distillery. There was a light drizzle lingering in the night air and a stiff wind was kicking up. A storm was rolling in. He pulled up his jacket collar.
He let himself into the distillery through a side door of the cask room that led into the main distillery. He heard the front door slam shut and James screaming at Louisa. What the fuck?
Then there was silence.
Suddenly, he heard raised voices coming from the area of the main office. He eased into the hallway, keeping to the wall, silently walking toward the office door. He took the safety off the rifle, took a deep breath, and kicked it open.
“Ah, Raymond… How nice of you to join us. Right on cue. I know all about you and anticipated your arrival… Please put down your gun.”
Raymond was shocked to see Willy there, bound and gagged, tied to a chair. James was huddled in a corner and Louisa stood defiantly glaring at Mitch. She was just about to start screaming when Mitch whirled around and pushed her violently down on the sofa.
“Shut up and stay put, bitch. Your turn is coming.”
“Mitch, you bastard. I could easily put a bullet between your eyes before you could blink. The gun stays.”
Oh, I don’t think so. You, mister ex-MI6, have five seconds.” Nonchalantly, Mitch raised his Glock to Willy’s head and sneered, “Old man, you will be the first to go. The girl is next.”
All Raymond saw was Willy’s pleading eyes.
Reluctantly, Raymond lowered his gun and placed it on the floor. He raised his hands up.
Mitch smiled and turned back to Raymond. “I know you are working alone, in the dark, and now you are backed into a corner. The police have no evidence, and aren’t even considering foul play.”
“True, and you are also working alone this time, Mitch Farrell. Your clients are looking the other way. I suspect you went outside their boundaries when you tried to run over Louisa. They are worried your actions will put them in the limelight. They do not want any links to your activities. If you don’t pull this off –which you won’t – you will be a dead man. I can imagine failure is not an option.”
“Done your homework too, I see.” Mitch laughed. “You can’t prove that I had anything to do with Reid’s untimely heart attack. And you’re not so smart…I have been watching you ever since you arrived on this island to visit your old mate. Had your photo checked through our computer system. What a fascinating career you’ve had.”
“That means you waited until I left the Island and then staged the murder?” Raymond was now shaking with anger.
“That’s right, old man.”
Louisa stood up and shouted, “I am so sorry, Uncle Raymond. This sick bastard had Willy. He called the house while you were in the shower. He said not to say a word to you and told me to come here immediately. He was waiting here, in my father’s office and he had Willy all tied up. He said he’d blow Willy’s head off if I wasn’t here in five minutes and he told me to bring my brother.”
Mitch headed toward Louisa, rage in his eyes.
Raymond knew he had to keep talking to him. Work on his large ego.
“How are you going to hide the death of Louisa and me?” And what about James? Once you have the distillery, I don’t think you can allow him to live.”
“I am a master at my craft and will have no problem with the disposal of all of you, including the old man here. Louisa and Willy will die in a boating accident in about an hour from now. You will go missing, permanently. James is safe for now,” he said, turning to glare at Raymond.
“What’s the motive, Mitch? Money? After all, the gaming commission does help your bosses and while they settle for much less, you do win in the end. If someone owes a bad debt how much have the casino ever actually lost? Nothing. It’s a win-win for your lot.”
“The commission is too weak. Someone owes ten million and they tell my bosses to settle for eight hundred Gs.”
“How much do you get, Mitch?”
“If I personally settle the debt, ten percent.”
“James owes over ten. A million and a bit would go a long way toward your retirement.”
“Precisely. Now let’s cut the chit chat.”
CHAPTER 42
James had stayed quietly in the corner until then.
“Hey, it’s bad enough I have to live with the guilt of Dad’s death. I won’t let you hurt my sister or Willy.”
He stood and lunged toward Mitch who just smiled and shot him in the arm. James rolled back on to the chair screaming, crying out.
“Kill me and you will never get the distillery.”
“Shut up, it’s just a flesh wound. Next time it will be your kneecap.”
“So where are we doing all this, right here in the distillery?” asked Raymond.
“No, I think we will all take a boat ride. The four of you decide to take out your dad’s boat, the speedboat that is. Who knows why? You have an accident and only James survives.” He looked at James. “I will come up with a plausible reason. Go with it or I will kill you and the distillery will go on the open market.”
“How the hell did you get in this mess?” Raymond asked James.
“I am so sorry, Uncle Raymond. Gambling is a terrible addiction – worse than cocaine. And once you are hooked they have ways to keep you playing. It’s like brainwashing.”
“You two are going to make me cry. Shut up,” said Mitch before he punched Raymond hard in the stomach.
Raymond staggered slightly. Mitch grabbed his lapels to prevent him from going down, ready to hit him again even harder. Then he put the gun to Raymond’s temple.
“Why would an Englishman have a Canadian maple leaf pin on his lapel? Looks like a listening device to me. Although who could hear you on this miserable island only fit for sheep and whisky?” Raymond didn’t answer.
“Take it off and hand it to me.” Raymond did, but slowly. Mitch studied it then threw it to the ground and stamped on it, hard. “No more talking, let’s move.”
Oh shit, thought Raymond. I need to delay him, to stay here. The signal from the label pin was dead; his backup was on their way… If a ferry takes thirty-five minutes, then speedboats or better still a helicopter could be here in no time.
He had
to delay...
CHAPTER 43
“Mitch, I have a question,” said Raymond.
“No questions and stop your delay tactics; do you think I am stupid? You liked my last punch so I guess breaking your jaw now will be okay. It will look like it happened when you fell off the boat, if they ever find your body.”
Raymond leaped off the ground and charged straight at Mitch. Mitch staggered backwards but kept hold of the gun.
“Run, now!” Raymond shouted, while kicking the gun free from Mitch’s hand. While Mitch had been distracted with Raymond, Louisa had cut the ropes that bound Willy to the chair. She, Willy and James ran out of the office and scattered. While Mitch rolled toward the gun, Raymond jumped him. However, this guy was strong and Raymond was older, and rusty. His hand to hand combat training, long gone.
As forcefully as he could, Raymond elbowed Mitch in his face, breaking his nose. Mitch sank to the floor.
Nice one old man, now it’s time to play rough. Raymond picked up the rifle and Glock and knew if there was another assault, Mitch would out muscle him. His body ached. He ran in the same direction as Louisa and James – into the cask warehouse – knowing that Mitch would be after him. He was now in a panic to find everyone and get them to safety.
The room was dark, with hundreds of casks neatly laid in tight rows. Whisky maturing required peace and quiet with no sudden movement.
Raymond found Louisa hiding behind a pallet of casks with ‘2006 Vintage’ stamped on the head of each cask. He whispered, “Come now, where is James? Before Louisa could answer, Raymond put his finger to her lips and gestured her to silence.
In the blink of an eye, Raymond knew they were screwed when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed up against the back of his head. Mitch had another gun tucked away. Probably in an ankle holster.
Mitch’s face showed his evil smile and rage glared from his eyes.
“Now I will just have to kill you both here. Throw you in the vats and make whisky. A fuller body expression I think for this run. I will find the old man and burn him alive.”
The sound of a helicopter and the vibration of the distillery roof made Mitch pause.
“Right, say your good-byes, it’s time for me to get out of here and go back to civilization.”
Mitch raised the gun toward Louisa’s head.
Crunch! Out of nowhere James leapt off a cask and hit Mitch full on the head with a long cylindrical tool. Mitch went down fast, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.
CHAPTER 44
James stood motionless while Louisa grabbed the rifle and pointed it at Mitch. She then handed the rifle to Raymond and walked right up to James. She slapped him across the face.
“This is all your fault, you and your damn ego. You killed our father. You have no respect for anyone nor do you care about your family,” Louisa screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks. James put out his arms and she collapsed within his grasp.
“I am sorry, sis. You’re right. I have been such a weasel. None of this was planned but I was so weak. I will never forgive myself.”
Raymond checked Mitch’s pulse. It was weak but he would live. He looked at the copper tool.
“What the heck is this, James? And by the way, well done.”
“It’s an old fashioned whisky thief – of sorts. Willy found it at an auction. I think it has a Spanish name. He uses it to take samples from the casks that are maturing. The new ones are flimsy-looking things that look more like a straw. Willy wouldn’t use them. Preferred that antique.”
“Thank goodness. The new ones would not hurt a fly; they are so light. That old thing is a heavy brute,” he said, pointing to the copper tool that was now full of blood. Raymond looked over at Willy, giving him a nod of approval. The old man was badly shaken up but managed to raise one arm slowly to display his response, an upright thumb.
“I see you didn’t need us,” shouted John while six armed policemen burst in with semi-automatics.
“No, but the helicopter noise distracted him enough. Your timing was impeccable.”
John walked toward him. “So what the hell happened?”
“James saved the day.”
“Really?”
“He clobbered him over the head with a whisky thief, it seems. Quite a heavy tool, and thank goodness Willy the whisky maker prefers the old style. Quite ironic really. A thief, knocked out by a thief, trying to steal the Isle of Bute Distillery. That was never going to happen on my watch.”
EPILOGUE
Six months later
The whisky dinner was being held in Rothesay, at the Glenburn Hotel, one of Scotland’s most prestigious hotels. The Glenburn was an impressive converted Victorian manor, surrounded with botanical gardens and a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Louisa and all the distillery staff had been working on the event for months. It was a celebration for a variety of reasons, mainly to honour the Canadian market because outside of Asia, Canada was their best market. It was the Canadians who’d coined the catch phrase “this is a Bute.”
Since the death of her father, Louisa had taken the steep walk up to Canada Hill many times. Once there, the view over Rothesay to the Firth of Clyde and the Cowal Peninsula was spectacular and she would sit and gaze out across the ocean.
Aptly named, this hill was where families would have said good-bye then rushed up the hill to watch the ships sail away on the long voyage to Canada. Once across the Atlantic, they would arrive in the port of Halifax and head west to Ontario and Quebec.
Louisa struggled with the death of her father and until that day she had not been able to say good-bye.
Raymond finally persuaded her to take her father’s ashes to the spot Gordon would have liked. They had both gone first thing that morning. Once there she understood why the place was so special for her father and her granddad. She told Raymond she felt more at peace, finally.
The celebration event would herald a new start for her and the distillery. She was determined to make her father proud.
At 7:00 the doors to the banquet hall opened and the guests streamed in looking for their tables. At the podium, the MC tapped on the microphone, asking for silence.
“Ladies and Gentleman, thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate whisky and to welcome our special guests from Canada. May I introduce your hostess for this evening, Louisa Reid?”
The crowd applauded loudly. Louisa looked stunning wearing a long flowing cream strapless dress, complete with her mother’s ruby and diamond necklace. Red and white, the colors of Canada, her idea for tonight’s celebration.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Tonight we have six single malt whiskies, matched to perfection by three amazing chefs. We have a chef from Ontario, one from Nova Scotia, and our own Bute chef.
Two of the whiskies are from Eastern Canada to complement our very own Bute malts.
The theme for tonight’s whisky dinner is whisky matured in wine casks – which of course is dear to my heart.” The audience smiled their approval.
“For the first time here on the Island, we have malts finished in maple and ice wine casks. I guess it must get cold in the highlands of New Scotland. Ice wine indeed.” Members of the audience laughed and she continued.
“Before we get started, I would like you all to raise your glasses to a man I will miss for the rest of my life. A pioneer in this ever-changing whisky industry. A man I am proud to say was my father.”
The audience rose to their feet.
“Gordon,” they all said in unison.
“Miss you so much, Dad,” Louisa whispered.
Their whisky dinner would go on record as one of the best ever. The chefs that night had married the nuances of flavours, matching each malt to food like an orchestra blends sounds, putting whisky on the world map as a drink to pair with food.
“Louisa do you have you a moment?” Raymond asked when dinner was over.
“Of course, Uncle Raymond.” She took his hand. They strolled through the b
eautiful gardens of the hotel where the fragrance of flowers was almost overwhelming.
“So, all is well with the distillery?” he asked.
“Fantastic; could not be better. I found a real gem to cover Asia and the USA and I will look after Europe and Canada myself, for now. One of them, Tracey, was with a big French company. She’s from the south of England, born near Brighton and is so passionate that Scotland is finally taking back distilleries and really getting behind Brand Scotland. She took a pay cut to join us.”
“Excellent. And the finances are in order?”
“Thanks to you. I have still not met my silent partner in the flesh. Talked to him on the phone and Skype. He’s an absolute treasure and very handsome too.”
“The minute I told him about our story and that the gambling commission would accept one million for the debt, he was only too happy to help.” Raymond winked.
“So, how do you know Ben Shannon?”
“Well, that, young lady, is a long story. I have known him for some time and have stayed in touch. How about James. Still in rehab?”
“Yes, and will be there for some time.”
“Any thoughts of having James back here to work?”
“Probably. Maybe I will have you here for a weekend to get your advice, when the time comes.”
“My pleasure, and glad it’s all working out.”
“By the way, Anne looks absolutely gorgeous this evening,” Louise said tapping his arm to get his attention.
Raymond followed Louisa’s eyes and saw Anne on the terrace.
He gestured for her to join them.
“I have a small piece of news, Louisa. Anne and I are getting engaged. Sounds so stupid at my age, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t be daft, I think it’s wonderful.”
“What’s wonderful?” Anne asked as she joined him.
“You are.” Raymond put his arm around Anne’s shoulder and along with Louisa they slowly made their way back to the guests.
The Whisky Affair (Raymond Armstrong Series) Page 13
