Dark Angels

‘It’s Lord MacGregor,’ he revealed.

‘The old Lord Justice Clerk?’

‘If you want to put it that way, yes. Personally, I think his role as father of the murder victim is more important.’

I wouldn’t have recognised him from court because he retired from the bench long before I was called. The only thing I knew about his career was that some still said he had retired too young and that the Law of Scotland had suffered as a result of his lack of influence.

The need to know how I knew him still gnawed at me. A traffic warden passed his car, stopped to look at it, then, magically moved on. I was still puzzling over this. Edinburgh wardens are mean and vindictive, and generally deserve their press coverage. I personally had never witnessed one walk away from such easy pickings.

Speaking of easy pickings, I turned my attention back to Jack Deans.

‘Why were you surprised that he turned up? Surely, a father-in-law would be the first one to comfort the widow.’

‘I wasn’t surprised,’ he sounded huffy, ‘I just said I wondered if he would. There’s a difference. I like to keep an open mind on all things.’

I snorted before snapping, ‘Oh, for God’s sake, just tell me what the score is here.’

Resigned, he spoke. Slowly at first, as if trying to formulate it all in his head.

‘They fell out years ago. I don’t think they were ever close. No one knows what the cause of the argument was but Lord MacGregor refused to sit on the bench with his own son.’

Jack Deans chewed on the end of his pen, trying to formulate his own answer.

‘The members of the Enlightenment wouldn’t get involved, wouldn’t even try to sort out the mess and old MacGregor resigned.’

I ignored the way Deans had managed to bring his conspiracy theories in again and asked: ‘Was Lord MacGregor involved in the law at all after that?’

‘No,’ answered Deans. ‘He severed his ties and left the country, although he did keep his flash pad in town. He was a widower, so he took to wandering the globe. Finally, he settled in Thailand, and I understand he married again and has a young family.’

The lives some people lead. At his age, I would have thought he was more in need of a pipe and slippers than a mail-order bride. It was all interesting enough, but still didn’t explain where I knew him from. I waited anxiously for Lord MacGregor’s exit from the house.

‘There was only one connection that Lord MacGregor kept up,’ added Deans.

I turned to face him, but he toyed with me like a game show host pausing to increase the suspense. I moved away, keen not to let him see my interest in this matter.

Eventually he gave in.

‘The only link that Lord MacGregor maintained was his post as governor at Gordonstoun School.’

Looking at me in anticipation, he continued:

‘Coincidentally, he severed that tie the year you left.’

Again with his conspiracy theories.

This time trying to drag me in.

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, Jack, it’s not unusual for old boys to remain in touch with their schools. Some judges even take their judicial names from their school house.’

Jack Deans cut me short.

‘He went to Eton.’

I couldn’t think about this latest piece of information. The black-painted front door was opening, the brass lion knocker looked positively menacing. It seemed as if nothing was happening, and an inordinate amount of time passed between the opening of the door and the eventual emergence of Lord MacGregor. He walked out of the house alone.

‘Interesting. I would have thought if that pair had buried the hatchet, then Lady Arbuthnot would have seen him to the door,’ commented Deans.

‘Perhaps she’s too upset by her recent bereavement to move.’

‘You obviously don’t know Bunny MacGregor. Appearances count for everything. Even in death.’

He looked at me conceitedly, and I, for one, was getting heartily sick of this game playing.

‘Jack, I didn’t know we were in a competition. I’m a lawyer remember, not some half-bit hack trying to steal your crown.’

I have learned that where men are concerned flattery gets you everywhere, and Jack Deans was no exception. He softened as he looked at me (and I softened as he softened–to my shame).

‘You’re quite right, darlin’–and there’s no telling what trouble a rookie like you could get into if I wasn’t there to help.’

I ignored him–again–and continued to watch Lord MacGregor. Pushing myself further back into the large privet hedge, I felt confident enough to ogle him. He seemed in no hurry to leave as he squinted his eyes, blocking out the August sunshine. Perched on the top step, he kept watch, and instinct told me he was waiting for someone. The heavy red velvet curtains in the house twitched several times. The unseen observer was also clearly wondering what Lord MacGregor was up to.

Jack Deans inclined his head towards Lord MacGregor.

‘His relationship with his son was always troubled. Did you know he was expelled from Eton?’

‘Who? Lord MacGregor?’ I asked.

‘No, Lord Arbuthnot. He was officially given the chance to leave, so that he could get into another school, but rumour has it that it was serious.’

‘Serious? In what way?’

I had any number of friends who should have been expelled from school, but it’s very hard to turn away twenty thousand pounds a year.

Lord MacGregor was pacing back and forth now. He was obviously not a man used to being kept waiting. A cloud of darkness shifted across his face and, momentarily, I felt sorry for his son. I would not like to cross Lord Gregor MacGregor of MacGregor.

Centuries seemed to fade, and I could see him in the role of war chief. Perhaps I should find out about his record in World War II. After all, he was not a man who had mellowed with age. Now glancing at his watch, the famous Highland temper glowed red, under his already sun darkened skin.

‘Are you listening to me, Brodie?’

I bit down hard on my lip.

‘Lord Arbuthnot was expelled when he was fifteen. For being a peeping tom.’

‘What? I thought it was something awful or murky or at least illegal. He was just a bit of a teenage perv? If snooping on women getting dressed or on couples having it off makes young men criminals, I can retire now. On top of that, what relevance can you–even with your bloody conspiracy theories–think that pretty straightforward adolescent behaviour has on his murder decades later?’

‘Well, the Jesuits would have disagreed. They believed you could tell the character of a man at seven.’

I repeated the old adage back at him.