Christopher shivered at the mention of abandoned mineshafts. He was surprised and pleased when Amaryllis’s cool smooth hand crept into his at that moment, hidden from the view of the others by the table.
‘When Malcolm Murray and James Molyneux left Old Pitkirtlyhill House a few days ago after abandoning several people in a smoke-filled basement they only escaped from thanks to the persistence and courage of Christopher Wilson…’
There was a small round of applause at this point. Christopher blushed, and Amaryllis squeezed his hand.
‘After they left the house, as they thought, in flames, they put on skis to make us think they were planning to ski all the way over the hill to Longannet, but in fact they only skied to the edge of Lord Murray’s grounds, where they entered an old mine tunnel and proceeded through it on foot to the place where they’d left the explosives.’
‘Meanwhile we travelled by helicopter and got there first!’ said Amaryllis, at last showing a small spark of enthusiasm. ‘Using our knowledge of the maps Mal had on the kitchen table when he was finalizing his plans and Christopher and I came knocking at the door.’
‘Amaryllis and I investigated the tunnels, and located the explosives, but when we heard them coming we separated.’ Charlie’s voice took on a grimmer tone at this point. Was this where Amaryllis had insisted on doing things her way and he had objected? Christopher wasn’t sure.
‘Charlie was very brave and distracted Mal to give me time to get along to the end of the tunnel,’ said Amaryllis sweetly. Jock McLean gave her a suspicious look.
‘And that was when reinforcements arrived by land and sea,’ said Charlie, trying hard to stick to the official line.
‘By sea?’ said Jemima.
‘Yes, from Rosyth,’ said Charlie. ‘They happened to be on exercises in the Firth of Forth and they headed for Longannet when the ransom demand came in.’
‘So was that when you got drenched in mud and sea water?’ enquired Christopher, still holding Amaryllis’s hand.
‘It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the man in the paper shop made it seem,’ she protested. ‘I’m not any kind of a heroine.’
‘Amaryllis opened the sea gate at the end of the tunnel,’ said Charlie. ‘She clung on to the ladder when the water rushed in, and climbed up and hammered on the hatch at the top. Luckily for her, the landing craft had just arrived and the men from the navy were able to give her a hand out.’
‘So you were ready to sacrifice yourself to save Pitkirtly!’ said Jemima. ‘I think you deserve a medal, dear.’
‘Jemima could make you one,’ suggested Christopher, light-headed with the terror that had flooded his mind just as the sea water had flooded the tunnels. ‘With gold wire and purple and orange beads.’
‘It wasn’t the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done in my life,’ said Amaryllis modestly. Christopher sensed that she was rather pleased that she had managed to do something important and worthwhile, even if she hadn’t really intended to.
‘Are the two men in custody?’ said Dave.
Charlie made a face.
‘James Molyneux was caught in the tunnels when we went in. He had an ice-axe with him, and it saved his life. He jammed it into the rock and hung on to it. There was no sign of Malcolm Murray, but the roof had caved in with the force of the water, and another team of officers found a body washed up at the other end, near the grounds of Old Pitkirtlyhill House.’
‘So it’s the end of his epic quest,’ said Amaryllis quietly. Christopher had never known her so subdued. He guessed it was because she had initially been so well taken in by Mal: she would take a while to forgive herself for being such a bad judge of character.
‘Oh well, you’ll just have to concentrate on your PI business. Maybe you can re-brand yourself as an expert on lost cats or something,’ he said, trying to cheer her up by being stupid again.
‘That reminds me,’ said Jock McLean. He was about to say more when his mobile phone suddenly rang – or at least, something played ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ in his pocket. He took out the phone, glanced at the display, and his face brightened. ‘Rosie. Maybe she’s speaking to me again after all.’
He didn’t bother getting up from the table and moving away for privacy. They heard him say, ‘That’s great!... How did it happen? So they’re all present and correct now, are they?... I can be up there in the morning if you like. If I can get a lift.’
He faced them all after disconnecting.
‘So what had you done? At the cattery?’ said Dave, preparing to look menacing.
‘It was one of the cats,’ said Jock. ‘She said she couldn’t find him – and I had been the last one in there, putting more Fun-Cat in his dish.’
‘Fun-Cat?’ Amaryllis mouthed to Christopher. He felt a huge, stupid laugh building up inside him.
‘That was why she fired me.’
‘And?’ said Dave, leaning back and looking a bit less fierce.
‘She’s found him. He never got out. He had just found a way of hiding in between the little house thing and the wire fencing. He was there all the time.’
‘That’s what Fun-Cat will do for you,’ said Amaryllis, nodding wisely. She still had a tight grip on Christopher’s hand. He felt her nails digging into him as a warning not to laugh.
Amaryllis could be quite a scary woman sometimes.
Author’s Note:
Frozen in Crime is a mystery novel in the ‘Pitkirtly Mystery’ series. If you enjoyed it, please try the others in the series, also available for Kindle:
Crime in the Community
Reunited in Death
A Reformed Character
Death at the Happiness Club
To find out more about Cecilia Peartree please visit my blog at http://ceciliapeartree.wordpress.com or follow me on Twitter: @ceciliapeartree.
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