Death of a Gentle Lady

we can see each other sometimes?’
    ‘Maybe. I do haff the girlfriend, you know.’
    ‘Oh, well, I’d better be on my way.’
    Hamish saw her out, finished his meal, undressed, showered and went to bed, stretching out with a groan of relief. There were two thumps and the cat and dog got into bed with him.
    A gale was howling outside, wailing round the building like a banshee. Before he plunged into sleep, Hamish found he was experiencing a stab of superstitious dread. Must be that pie, was his last waking thought.

    The morning was glittering with yellow sunlight. Wisps of high cloud raced across a washed-out blue sky, and the waters of the loch were churned up into angry choppy waves.
    Hamish put on his uniform of serge trousers, blue shirt, dark blue tie and police sweater with epaulettes. He put his peaked cap on his red hair. He noticed that his trousers were baggy at the knees.
    He unlocked the large cat flap, big enough to let the dog in and out as well, and said to his pets, ‘You stay here. I’ve got a visit to make.’
    The wind sang in the heather as he made his way on foot to Sandy Ross’s old cottage. Who was this Catriona Beldame that even the Currie sisters wouldn’t gossip about?
    He sensed someone behind him and swung round. The seer, Angus Macdonald, his long grey beard blowing in the wind, was shouting something, but his words were whipped away with the gale.
    Hamish waited until Angus caught up with him. ‘Dinnae go there, Hamish,’ panted the seer.
    ‘Why not,’ said Hamish, rocking slightly in the force of the wind and holding on to his peaked cap.
    ‘Because she’s a witch, that’s why,’ said Angus. ‘She’s brought evil to Lochdubh.’
    ‘Havers,’ said Hamish. ‘What’s she doing? Setting up in competition?’
    ‘I’m warning ye, Hamish. Black days are coming. I see blood.’
    ‘Och, away wi’ ye,’ said Hamish. ‘There’s no such thing as witches.’
    ‘On your ain head be it,’ said Angus and turned away.
    Hamish walked on, hoping that old Angus wasn’t beginning to suffer from the onset of Alzheimer’s.
    The cottage had no garden. The springy heather went right up to the door. It was a low one-storey whitewashed building with a red corrugated iron roof.
    As he approached the door, a large black cloud swept across the sun and all at once the wind died.
    Again Hamish felt that odd stab of superstitious dread. Then the wind started up again and the cloud moved from the sun.
    Hamish raised his hand to the weather-beaten knocker on the door.

To order your copies of other books in the Hamish Macbeth series simply contact The Book Service (TBS) by phone, email or by post. Alternatively visit our website at www.constablerobinson.com.
    No. of copies
Title
RRP
Total
Death of a Gossip
£5.99
Death of a Cad
£5.99
Death of an Outsider
£5.99
Death of a Perfect Wife
£5.99
Death of a Hussy
£5.99
Death of a Snob
£5.99
Death of a Prankster
£5.99
Death of a Glutton
£5.99
Death of a Travelling Man
£6.99
Death of a Charming Man
£6.99
Death of a Nag
£6.99
    And the following titles available from spring 2009 …
    No. of copies
Title
Release Date
RRP
Total
Death of a Witch
Feb 2009
(hardback)
£18.99
Death of a Macho Man
May 2009
£6.99
Death of a Dentist
May 2009
£6.99
Death of a Scriptwriter
July 2009
£6.99
Death of an Addict
July 2009
£6.99
Death of a Celebrity
Sept 2009
£6.99
Death of a Dustman
Sept 2009
£6.99
A Highland Christmas
Nov 2009
£6.99
Death of a Village
Nov 2009
£6.99
Death of a Poison Pen
Nov 2009
£6.99
Death of a Bore
Feb 2010
£6.99
Death of a Witch
Feb 2010
(paperback)
£6.99
Death of a Dreamer
Apr 2010
£6.99
Death of a Maid
Apr 2010
£6.99
Grand Total

£



The Hamish Macbeth series

    Death of a Gossip
    Death of a Cad
    Death of an Outsider
    Death of a Perfect Wife
    Death of a Hussy
    Death of a Snob
    Death of a Prankster
    Death of a Glutton
    Death of a Travelling Man
    Death of a Charming Man
    Death of a Nag
    Death of a Macho Man
    Death of a Dentist
    Death of a Scriptwriter
    Death of an Addict
    Death of a Celebrity
    Death of a Dustman
    Death of a Poison Pen
    Death of a Bore
    Death of a Dreamer
    Death of a Maid
    Death of a Gentle Lady
    Death of a Witch

Copyright

    Constable & Robinson Ltd
3 The Lanchesters
162 Fulham Palace Road
London W6 9ER
www.constablerobinson.com

    First published in the USA 2008 by Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

    First UK edition published by Constable, an imprint of Constable & Robinson