When it Rains: The Angus Murders Mystery Short Story Prequels

By Allan L Mann

WRUNG OUT 

DS Tom Guthrie investigates the death of a young man. During the investigation, Guthrie goes too far when interviewing a suspect and instantly regrets his actions. But it’s too late to save his career—the last straw. He’s forced to take early retirement, rather than being officially kic

• Language: English
• Publisher: Noir Cafe Press, LLC
• Release date: Aug 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781732922730

Allan L Mann

Allan grew up in Scotland. Brechin to be precise. Brechin - the UK's smallest city. Home of Brechin City FC, Brechin Cathedral, Brechin Castle and a population of roughly 6000. He now lives in the countryside of central Kentucky, USA. Georgetown is home to Georgetown College (not Georgetown University - that's a completely different Georgetown), horse farms, and the Toyota plant employing over 6500. Growing up Allan always wanted to fly aircraft for a living. The Royal Air Force had the coolest ones, so he did everything he could to make sure his dream came true. It did. So he flew jets when they looked cool and made almost as much smoke as noise. After marrying Christy and moving to the US, Allan started flying aircraft again and has been involved in business aviation ever since. In the 40 years since the first time he took the controls of a glider at the Angus Gliding Club in Arbroath, he has flown everything from a hot air balloon, Cessna 150 and Beagle Husky to a Victor K2, Boeing 727 and Gulfstream G550. Allan is a leading figure in the business aviation community in the United States and continues to work with both industry and government leaders to formulate a safer aviation environment. Allan has been a long-time fan of crime fiction and in particular that which is based in Scotland. Since turning his hand to writing, he has found out that reading it is easier. Consequently, he's spending more and more time in front of his computer. He tries to get back "home" (even though he's lived in the US just as long as the UK) every couple of years. Living somewhere other than Scotland makes him much more appreciative of his homeland, and certainly more patriotic than he probably would have been if he were still living in the UK. He's trying to work out if this is a good thing. His wife, Christy, three incredible daughters, two funny dogs, a weird cat, and two goldfish (Rebus and McRae) put up with him at home.

Book preview

When it Rains

The short story prequels to The Angus Murders Mysteries series

Allan L Mann

Noir Café Press

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used in a purely fictitious manner.

Copyright © 2015, 2019 Allan L. Mann

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

First paperback edition August 2019

Cover design by Nick Castle

Author photograph by Allan L Mann

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909756

ISBN 978-1-7329227-2-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7329227-3-0 (ebook)

Published by: Noir Café Press, LLC

www.NoirCafePress.com

To Christy, who puts up with all of my projects.

To Mum and Dad, who still worry about me.

I like that.

Contents

Introduction

WRUNG OUT

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

MURDER IN THE SMA’ GLEN

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Notes on WRUNG OUT

Notes on MURDER IN THE SMA’ GLEN

The Real Sma’ Glen Mystery

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Allan L Mann

Introduction

The two short stories contained in WHEN IT RAINS helped me craft the character of Tom Guthrie for a trilogy in THE ANGUS MURDERS MYSTERIES series.

I felt I needed to know him a little before I embarked on the trilogy—to find out what he was going to be like, how he thought, the decisions he would make.

What I discovered was the way he quickly developed his personality. He began thinking and doing things I might do in some situations and ended up doing his own thing, leaving me wondering why he did this or that. There were times I was writing and knew such and such was going to happen—then it didn’t, it went in a completely different direction.

This is the creative process.

I hope you enjoy your time with Guthrie and learn as much as I did about him.

— Allan L Mann

Georgetown, KY, July 2019

WRUNG OUT

One

It was moonless and cold, the damp air penetrating Jock Bishop's jacket making it feel colder than it was, so he turned up the collar, hunched his shoulders, and shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as possible.

That's when he felt it.

It was a sickening blow to the back of his head. His legs immediately stopped working and he fell to his knees then flat onto the pavement, face first. With his hands in his pockets he couldn't cushion his fall even if he wanted to. His face hit the wet surface hard enough that his right cheek bone cracked. He managed to free one hand and tried to push himself up.

Then the kicks came. Some to his chest and stomach, others to his back.

Slowly, the world faded. He felt like he was falling asleep in fast forward.

The beating continued as Jock Bishop slipped into unconsciousness. He would die later that morning.

Two

Tom Guthrie pinned the man against the wall of the public toilets, pushing his face into the cold tile of the wall. He kneed him in the back of his right leg, forcing him to collapse slightly, his hands now caught between his beer belly and the urinal.

"What's wrong, Franky-boy? Little shy or are you finished?

Shite!

Oh really, Franky? You do know you're doing it all wrong? Perhaps I can help.

Detective Sergeant Tom Guthrie grabbed the back of the man's shirt collar in one hand and his belt in the other, spun him around and slammed him into a cubicle door which, in turn, crashed off the side wall. Guthrie threw the short, thirty something Glaswegian against the grubby toilet.

Shite! was all Franky could manage again as he struggled to extricate himself from between the toilet bowl and the wall of the cubicle where he had landed. Little bits of toilet tissue were sticking to one leg of his designer jeans, one knee of which was now a little wet. Probably not with water. Once on his feet he quickly rearranged himself and zipped his fly.

Franky-boy—sit down. Guthrie indicated the white plastic seat, covered with stains of uncertain origin.

Aw, c'mon, Mister Guthrie, Franky protested. Gonnie no make me sit on that in ma gid jeans, eh?

Aye, I am. Sit. Franky mumbled another protest but gingerly perched himself on the front lip of the public commode.

Now, Franky. Tell me what you know about what happened to Jock Bishop.

I told you, Mister Guthrie, I don't know onythin'

Oh, come off it, Franky. Guthrie kicked the door of the neighboring cubicle to punctuate his frustration. You and I both know that's not quite kosher, eh?

Look, I tol' you aw'hing back at the nick and I'm no about tae tell you awny'hing diff'rent, 'cos a've nuh'ing tae add.

Guthrie stared at Franky and let the silence linger. Franky started to pick the bits of toilet tissue off his jeans, flicking them back onto the wet floor.

"Franky, let me