The Ardmore Inheritance, Rob Wyllie [best novels for students TXT] 📗

everything nice and low-key was going to be absolutely vital. And top priority was making sure as few people as possible knew about the screw-up over the time of death of the victims, a screw-up that Frank hoped was causing Sir Brian Pollock to have sleepless nights. A screw-up that proved Jess Sinclair's brother couldn't possibly have done it.

'And I should have said of course, I'm really sorry for your loss. We both are.'

She looked at them impassively. They were just words, he knew it and she knew it, and she'd have heard it a hundred times in the last few weeks. But you still were duty-bound to say them, and although he didn't know her and hadn't known her brother either, the sentiment was genuine. He was bloody sorry that an innocent man had been convicted for something he hadn't done. And now he had to ask the question he really wasn't looking forward to asking.

He lowered his voice so that it was barely audible. 'Mrs Sinclair, have you any idea what drove James to take his life? I'm really sorry to ask, but it might help us.'

'I would have thought that was pretty obvious,' she said, not looking him in the eye. 'He adored that wee girl with all his heart, and without her... well, he just couldn't go on.'

'I know this will be very difficult,' Lexy said, 'but why did he choose to do it now? Four years after the event I mean?'

She gave her a sad look. 'I think the pain was unbearable for him and it just kept building up and building up. You might imagine it gets better over time but I can tell you it doesn't. The reason it happened now? He tried it just a few months after he was sent there, and so he's been on suicide watch ever since. But I think they were a bit short-staffed and weren't as careful as they should have been. And although it sounds a terrible thing to say, I'm glad in some ways. At least he'll be at peace now.'

Frank couldn't help but shake his head in disgust. An innocent man driven to despair and one day very soon his sister was going to find out the devastating truth, and all because of a piss-head pathologist and a short-cutting copper. It made him physically sick at the thought of it.

'I really hope he is at peace Mrs Sinclair, I really do,' he said. 'But you never ever believed he did it, did you? Why was that?' He was hoping she would give him more than a simple because he was my brother.

'He'd never have killed wee Isabelle. Not in a million years. No matter how angry he was with her.'

No matter how angry he was with her. He caught the nuance immediately.

'Was their marriage having problems then?' Frank asked in a sympathetic tone.

She looked uncomfortable. He guessed she was angry with herself for giving away more than she intended.

'I don't know, not really,' she said, staring at the carpet. 'I didn't think so at the time, but then you don't really know the truth about any relationship, do you? Not when you're looking in from outside.'

He assumed the question was rhetorical and let her continue.

'But they were very different, Morag and James.'

'How do you mean?' Frank asked.

'Well James was so quiet. When he was home he just like to potter about in the garden or play with Isabelle or just relax and watch the football. She was much more outgoing you see. I think she felt quite stifled by service life, and wanted more.' They way she said it, he could tell she didn't approve.

'Did you like Morag, Mrs Sinclair?'

'Like?' she said, then hesitating as if weighing up her response. 'Like? Well, we were friends I suppose, and yes I did like her in that regard. But I don't think she was always fair to my brother, looking back.'

'Why was that?'

'Well in my opinion, she just didn't appreciate what she had. My brother was a lovely person and his family meant everything to him, and it wasn't his fault if the job took him away for months on end. That's the reality of life in the navy and she should have thought about it before she married him.'

Frank smiled. 'You sound as if you're speaking from experience.'

'I am. My man was in it for eight years and I knew he'd be at sea for long periods. So you learn to cope. That's what you have to do if you're a navy wife.'

And Morag McKay couldn't cope and was therefore to be despised, that was the clear implication.

'But that was one of the main things the prosecution used during the trial wasn't it?' Lexy said, then looked at Frank. 'I'm talking about the state of their marriage. You don't mind if I ask about that sir?'

'No, go ahead,' he said.

'So there was a massive email trail between them, wasn't there Mrs Sinclair?' Lexy said, furrowing her brow. 'Whilst he was on his last mission. Mrs McKay said over and over again she was tired of her life in Ardmore and was going to move to the city with the little girl. At first your brother was pleading with her, telling her how much he loved her and wee Isabelle. But then his replies began to get more and more angry.'

'Until he threatened to kill them both,' Frank said. 'That's right, isn't it?'

'Yes sir,' Lexy said simply.

'That wasn't right.' Jess Sinclair shot out the words. 'It wasn't right.'

'What do you mean Mrs Sinclair,' Frank asked.

'I told you James was a quiet man, didn't I? Everyone was always teasing him about it, even his navy friends. You ask anyone and they would say the same thing. He's a man of few words your James, that's what they would say.'

'So what are you saying Mrs Sinclair?' he asked again.

'I don't know, I don't know what I'm saying.' She looked at him, her expression a mask of confusion.