Akin to Murder
Page 23
There was jubilation at the cottage. Charlie would give himself up. He would remain on bail in Macfie’s custody until his case was heard. What of the future? Lizzie would have begged him to stay. She had it all worked out. They could leave their beloved cottage, move to a larger house. Terraces were growing up everywhere, such as one of those tenements being built on the road outside.
But no, Charlie had decided. He would go abroad, where no one had ever heard of him, and begin his life anew with two friends from his schooldays, brothers who had great hopes of America. He would keep in touch with his beloved Ealasaid, of course, and who knows, maybe they would meet again, with that wee boy, who would be his nephew.
‘My wee girl,’ said Lizzie firmly, patting her stomach. ‘I am to call her Rose.’
Vince, too, felt very grown up now. The events of the last weeks had changed him, especially his regard for his stepfather. One evening he said to Lizzie: ‘Ma, I have to tell you this. I feel very disloyal.’ And taking her hand, ‘I hope you will understand, but you know, of late, I don’t feel the way I used to about my father. I know he was a hero, and I’ve always cherished his memory, but somehow all that is fading. He doesn’t feel real any more. Not like Stepfather. He feels much more like my father. I hope you understand.’
They stood at the window. He was coming home, walking up the path. Supper was ready and Lizzie smiled.
As Faro waved to them, she understood perfectly.
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About the Author
ALANNA KNIGHT (MBE) has had more than sixty books published in an impressive writing career spanning over forty years. She is a founding member and Honorary Vice President of the Scottish Association of Writers, Honorary President of Edinburgh Writers' Club and member of the Scottish Chapter of the Crime Writers' Association. Born and educated in Tyneside, she now lives in Edinburgh. Alanna received an MBE for services to literature.
alannaknight.com
By Alanna Knight
THE INSPECTOR FARO SERIES
Murder in Paradise
The Seal King Murders
Murders Most Foul
Akin to Murder
THE ROSE MCQUINN SERIES
The Inspector’s Daughter
Dangerous Pursuits
An Orkney Murder
Ghost Walk
Destroying Angel
Quest for a Killer
Deadly Legacy
The Balmoral Incident
THE TAM EILDOR SERIES
The Gowrie Conspiracy
The Stuart Sapphire
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
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First published in 2016.
This ebook edition first published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2016.
Copyright © 2016 by ALANNA KNIGHT
The moral right of the author is hereby asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library.
ISBN 978-0-7490-1924-2