The slaughterhouse, p.1
The Slaughterhouse, page 1
G R Jordan
The Slaughterhouse
A Highlands and Islands Detective Thriller Book 34
First published by Carpetless Publishing 2024
Copyright © 2024 by G R Jordan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
G R Jordan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
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First edition
ISBN: 978-1-915562-88-3
This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy
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Film your murders like love scenes, and film your love scenes like murders
Alfred Hitchcock
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgement
Books by G R Jordan
Chapter 01
Interlude 1
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Interlude 2
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Interlude 3
Chapter 09
Interlude 4
Chapter 10
Interlude 5
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Interlude 6
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Interlude 7
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Interlude 8
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Interlude 9
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Read on to discover the Patrick Smythe series!
About the Author
Also by G R Jordan
Foreword
The events of this book, while based around real locations around Scotland, are entirely fictional and all characters do not represent any living or deceased person. All companies are fictitious representations. This book was filmed in Supermacleodation!
Acknowledgement
To Ken, Jean, Colin, Evelyn, John and Rosemary for your work in bringing this novel to completion, your time and effort is deeply appreciated.
Books by G R Jordan
The Highlands and Islands Detective series (Crime)
Water’s Edge
The Bothy
The Horror Weekend
The Small Ferry
Dead at Third Man
The Pirate Club
A Personal Agenda
A Just Punishment
The Numerous Deaths of Santa Claus
Our Gated Community
The Satchel
Culhwch Alpha
Fair Market Value
The Coach Bomber
The Culling at Singing Sands
Where Justice Fails
The Cortado Club
Cleared to Die
Man Overboard!
Antisocial Behaviour
Rogues’ Gallery
The Death of Macleod - Inferno Book 1
A Common Man - Inferno Book 2
A Sweeping Darkness - Inferno Book 3
Dormie 5
The First Minister - Past Mistakes Book 1
The Guilty Parties - Past Mistakes Book 2
Vengeance is Mine - Past Mistakes Book 3
Winter Slay Bells
Macleod’s Cruise
Scrambled Eggs
The Esoteric Tear
A Rock ‘n’ Roll Murder
The Slaughterhouse
Boomtown
Kirsten Stewart Thrillers (Thriller)
A Shot at Democracy
The Hunted Child
The Express Wishes of Mr MacIver
The Nationalist Express
The Hunt for ‘Red Anna’
The Execution of Celebrity
The Man Everyone Wanted
Busman’s Holiday
A Personal Favour
Infiltrator
Implosion
Traitor
Jac Moonshine Thrillers
Jac’s Revenge
Jac for the People
Jac the Pariah
Siobhan Duffy Mysteries
A Giant Killing
Death of the Witch
The Bloodied Hands
A Hermit’s Death
The Contessa Munroe Mysteries (Cozy Mystery)
Corpse Reviver
Frostbite
Cobra’s Fang
The Patrick Smythe Series (Crime)
The Disappearance of Russell Hadleigh
The Graves of Calgary Bay
The Fairy Pools Gathering
Austerley & Kirkgordon Series (Fantasy)
Crescendo!
The Darkness at Dillingham
Dagon’s Revenge
Ship of Doom
Supernatural and Elder Threat Assessment Agency (SETAA) Series (Fantasy)
Scarlett O’Meara: Beastmaster
Island Adventures Series (Cosy Fantasy Adventure)
Surface Tensions
Dark Wen Series (Horror Fantasy)
The Blasphemous Welcome
The Demon’s Chalice
Chapter 01
Clarissa Urquhart parked the small green car and jumped out, walking round to the far side to put her arm through Frank’s. It was time to go out together, time to put away business for the day. For far too long, she’d come home to empty houses. She’d sat with her glass of wine alone, but now with Frank she had evenings to look forward to.
Not that every evening had to be something special. In fact, tonight, she was going to see a film she’d seen many times. An old black-and-white, a classic in some senses, and one that touched the soul in a good way. It would be bright and cheery. There’d be the odd musical number with it as well and that old-fashioned dancing. But above all, it would be time to just sit together and relax.
The cinema they were entering was a heavily restored building. Approximately three years ago, it had been finished, and the public were allowed back in after what had seemed an age. But Clarissa had seen an incredible renovation and for that, she loved the place.
At this cinema, you could get a drink at the bar. The seats were the old-fashioned kind, close in together, and you could disappear up onto the back row happily. There was one screen, that was it. One choice of film to go to.
She remembered when her parents had told her about going to this type of cinema and seeing film after film, after film, but all on one screen. There was even a newsreel.
Very different from today’s cinemas. The large drink holder beside you, your popcorn on one side, costing more than a small island in the Caribbean. And seats that were so big and reclined that you felt like you were on a long-haul flight in first class.
The seats in this cinema would be smaller, but at least you could cuddle up. That was the trouble with these big seats. They were made for one. Everything was made for one nowadays, wasn’t it? What do you want? How do you want it? That’s what the modern day promised.
Clarissa reckoned that meant that you missed out on being together, being a part of something with somebody else. They were also good about mobiles in this place. If you had a phone out, they jumped on you. They didn’t do phones here. Mobiles were for when you were outside. And you certainly didn’t bring one out during the film where you’d be escorted outside to use your phone.
‘What are we going to have before we sit down?’ asked Frank.
Clarissa listened, thought for a moment, and then smiled at him.
‘You have what you want. I’m going to drive back.’
‘You can have a drink if you want to. I’ll take the car. I am insured on it.’
‘Yes, I know you’re insured on it, Frank, but it’s okay. I’ll drive it.’
‘You treat that car like it’s some sort of—a baby,’ said Frank.
‘No harm to you, love,’ said Clarissa, ‘but that car is special. It is mine and as much as I trust you with my life, I wouldn’t want you to damage the car. It could cause a bit of a problem between us.’
‘Fine,’ said Frank. ‘I’ll get a pint then.’
They walked in through the front door of the building, which was large and set in picturesque grounds towards the centre of Inverness. The river wasn’t far away, and Clarissa could just about hear it rushing. The building had a slightly more modern exterior at the front, added with planning permission.
Clarissa thought it probably did the building justice. She wasn’t for changing old things. She liked them preserved, kept the way they were, but sometimes you had to go with the flow. What was the point of having something old if it just did nothing? This was now a working building again. A place that people could come to. A place for them to share. It was good.
‘Decent turnout tonight,’ said Frank as they walked in. ‘Plenty of vehicles in the car park.’
‘I love this film,’ said Clarissa. ‘It’s that bit in the middle. It always gets me.’
‘In what way?’
It was the first time they would see it together. Frank remembered it from long ago, but it was one of Clarissa’s favourites, and she had been begging him to come and see it with her.
‘I might shed a tear.’
Frank made a motion as if he was about to fall over and she punched him on the arm. ‘Don’t be like that,’ she said. ‘It does. It’s a cracking piece of cinema.’
‘I’ll wait and see,’ said Frank. ‘Anyway, I’m going to get to the bar and get my pint. Do you want anything else?’
‘Get me a hot chocolate,’ she said. ‘But only if they do it right. I don’t want just some packet and hot water. I want—’
‘I know what you’ll want,’ said Frank. ‘I’ll sort it—don’t worry.’
Watching him, Clarissa felt happy. Work was on her mind, though. She’d been moved up in the arts team and was now the detective inspector. Now she was calling the shots. She’d been impressed with Macleod, her boss, for he kept moving aside, letting her run the team. She never thought he could do that.
Seoras had always been full on when he had been the boss, the detective inspector. He’d been the one driving investigations. Now he was stepping aside, but he was controlling differently, in a way she liked.
Frank returned from the bar and handed Clarissa a cardboard cup, complete with hot chocolate and a veggie-ware lid.
‘Let’s go in,’ he said. ‘Come on.’
He put his arm out and Clarissa took it again and together they marched in, finding the row right at the back. They sat down in their seats. Clarissa leaned across, placing her head on Frank’s shoulder.
‘This is nice,’ she said. Glancing around, she could see that most of the people in the cinema were older. But there were a few younger faces. She leaned over and kissed Frank on the cheek.
‘Just so I know,’ he said, ‘are you expecting to watch the film? Or are you expecting some tender moments during it?’
‘Tender moments?’ queried Clarissa.
‘Well, you know, you know what I mean. I don’t know if you were expecting a—’
‘A what?’ asked Clarissa.
‘You know,’ said Frank.
‘A snog?’ said Clarissa.
‘Well yeah, like a snog.’
‘Frank, you are hilarious,’ said Clarissa. ‘If I want the snog, don’t worry, you’ll know about it.’ He gave a slightly worried look. ‘Don’t give me that,’ she said. ‘You love it. You love it when I get all amorous.’
He put his arm around her, pulling her close, and kissed her on the top of the head. ‘You know I do,’ he said.
They pulled each other close, waiting for the film to start. The lights went down and trailers ran, advertising various products that Clarissa couldn’t care less about. She noticed Frank got a little agitated.
‘What’s the matter?’ she said.
‘Can you smell something?’ asked Frank.
‘Smell something? I don’t think so.’
There was a ‘shush’ further along the row. Clarissa tried to peer along and see who was giving her the evil eye. An older woman looked back at her, and Clarissa ducked back in at the ferocity of the eyes.
‘Okay, Frank,’ she whispered. ‘What smell?’
‘It’s like rotten eggs,’ he said.
‘Oh, that’s the stale air.’ And then she smelled it. Frank was right, and it was becoming more pungent.
‘That’s disgusting,’ said Frank. ‘That smells like eggs, doesn’t it? Like eggs that are off. Not good eggs. Not nice eggs.’
Clarissa sniffed again. She was getting it now. It really was awful.
‘Oh, that’s desperate,’ he said. ‘That’s desperate. I can’t believe that.’
‘Why are there eggs in here? Rotten eggs?’ asked Clarissa. She looked around and saw that some of the rest of the audience were getting anxious.
‘That reminds me of a film I saw once,’ said Frank.
‘Rotten eggs remind you of a film. We don’t smell things at films, Frank.’
‘Of course we don’t. But I remember it. There was a film back in the sixties. It was like a slasher. You know?’
‘Don’t watch that many slashers,’ said Clarissa.
‘Oh, this one was. I remember I watched it,’ he said, ‘because it had been banned previously. I was in my late teens when I got hold of it.’
‘A banned film? What was it banned for?’
‘I can’t remember,’ said Frank. ‘I think there was just a lot of stuff in it.’
‘Like what? Like guts and gore?’
‘Guts and gore. Oh, a bit of nudity. Well, in fact, actually, a fair bit of nudity. And some coarse language.’
‘Vulgar language in the sixties. I mean, how bad was it?’
‘Actually, it was like a lot of films nowadays,’ said Frank. ‘The nudity wasn’t that bad compared to some I’ve seen.’
‘Well,’ said Clarissa, ‘I hope this smell goes away.’
‘You’ll get used to it,’ said Frank. ‘The nose does that.’
The ads kept running and Frank was right. The audience was slowly becoming accustomed to the scent—so much so that Clarissa began to not smell it.
‘There we go,’ said Clarissa, looking up at the screen that gave a rating for the film, and the signatures of those who had signed off on what rating it should have. ‘Now don’t talk during this,’ said Clarissa. ‘Talk about it afterwards.’
‘Yes, your majesty,’ said Frank. He received another punch in the arm.
‘I mean it,’ said Clarissa. ‘I love this film.’
Frank pulled her close and together they watched the screen. Thirty seconds in, with the title credits still running, something fell from above.
It took Clarissa completely by surprise, when she saw the object descend at a rapid pace from the ceiling. The large object reached about five feet above the audience before a rope it was attached to went taut. Suddenly, the body was swinging back and forward just above everyone. For it was a body. Clarissa could see that now. And it didn’t look like a live one.
Clarissa was up and out of her seat as the rest of the audience panicked. There was shock spreading throughout, causing gasps and moans while Clarissa tried to get underneath the point of descent.
‘Everyone, stay calm. Everyone, keep calm,’ she shouted. ‘I’m Detective Inspector Clarissa Urquhart. Someone get me a knife. Can we get up there? Can we get up there?’ She shouted, pointing up towards the ceiling.
Frank had got up out of his seat by this point and was coming across to help her.
Clarissa tried to reach up and grab the body, which was swinging, but she missed it. Beside her, Frank pushed down one of the flip seats from the cinema and told her to stand on it.
‘I don’t have the balance these days,’ she said quietly to Frank. She stepped up on it. He reached up, grabbed her hips, and steadied her. The body swung past. Clarissa reached out, put her hand in front of it and got hold.
‘Have we got a knife?’ blurted Clarissa. ‘I need a knife. You, over there,’ she shouted at one usher. ‘Get a knife,’
‘Can you see his face?’ asked Frank.
‘No, his legs aren’t moving. He might be unconscious,’ said Clarissa. ‘Someone, ambulance now. Ambulance and police.’
‘What do I tell them?’ came a shout.
