Dalintober Moon by Denzil Meyrick Read Free Book Online Page B

keep the sensation going. They were paid by how quick they were. The earlier they got intae port, the mair money they got. A well-oiled machine at sea, and well-oiled in port, if you know whoot I mean.’
    ‘So your grandfather and this McMunn are loading the boat?’
    ‘Aye, jeest so. The crew got back efter their carousing – in the early hours o’ the morning, you understand – and there was no sign o’ either o’ them, neither my grandfaither or McMunn. The horse jeest standing haltered tae the cairt, fair scunnered, but o’ them nothing. The next day they found Grampa Billy’s bunnet washed up on the shore at Dalintober beach.’
    ‘Really?’ remarked Daley, remembering the location of the skeleton.
    ‘Aye. At first, everyone thought they’d had some accident – a fight mair like – tumbled intae the sea an’ drooned. For years folk thought it, that my grandfaither had enough o’ McMunn’s bullying an’ fought back. And then, twenty years later, the money started,’ she said in a matter-of-fact way.
    ‘What money?’
    ‘McMunn’s wife started tae get money from America. At first naebody knew where it came from, but her son, born jeest two months efter the pair o’ them went missing, started poking about.’ Mrs Hutchinson sat back in her seat and sighed. ‘Turns oot that after killing my grandfaither, McMunn had made it tae America, where he’d made good. He was the mayor o’ a wee toon in New Jersey. The boy wanted tae go over tae America tae see him, but McMunn didna want tae know. Kept sending the money, mind.’
    ‘Surely there was some kind of official investigation? This was a murder, after all,’ said Daley.
    ‘Och, you know fine. He was interviewed by the police over there. They were happy with his story.’
    ‘Which was?’
    ‘Jeest that Grampa Billy had attacked him, would you believe? In the scuffle, my grandfaither fell overboard. McMunn said he panicked, made it tae Glesca and worked a passage tae America, an’ that was that.’
    ‘So he basically got off with murder,’ said Daley with a shake of his head.
    ‘Aye, that he did, Inspector. Though today is the first time we’ve been able tae prove it. In them days if there wiz no body tae be found, the polis jeest weren’t interested, an’ that’s a fact.’
    ‘What was your grandfather’s second name, Mrs Hutchinson?’
    ‘Cardle, Willliam Cardle,’ she replied as another tear slipped down her cheek.
    ‘Cardle? There are still Cardles in Kinloch now, aren’t there?’ said Daley, recognising the name from somewhere.
    ‘Aye, and McMunns tae. There’s been a feud ever since. My ain great nephew was up in court recently for fighting with Hugh McMunn, I’m ashamed to say. Some things never change, Mr Daley.’
    ‘Ian Cardle, am I right?’
    ‘Yes, you are,’ she replied ruefully. ‘In wee places like this, Mr Daley, a slight is a slight and can last for generations. My grandmother struggled tae bring my faither and his brother up on a pittance, while the man who killed oor grandfaither made sure his family wanted for nothing.’
    ‘I can see that would cause bad feeling, Mrs Hutchinson.’
    ‘Mair than that, Mr Daley. Both families hate each other. All these years, me, my weans – theirs, tae – have been playing on that beach, no’ knowing that poor Grampa Billy is right underneath us, horribly murdered. I’ll tell you something for nothing, finding my Grampa Billy deid in a barrel will dae nothing tae make this feud any better. Aye, no matter how many years have passed.’

III
    DS Brian Scott had arrived with the Forensic team, who set to work removing the barrel and its contents from the sand on Dalintober beach.
    When Daley briefed Scott about the discovery of the body and its possible history, the detective sergeant was sceptical.
    ‘Dae you no’ think we’ve got enough on oor plate without having to investigate murders from over a hundred years ago? Is there no’ a special department devoted to