Page 41 of Death on a Scottish Train

“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” She laughed nervously. “I only meant he didn’t seem the type to date. He cared more about trains than people. That much was obvious from the meetings he attended. His whole life seemed to be focused on trains. Apart from his job. At least, that was how he appeared in our discussions,” she said. “I know I told you he was a perfectionist about the uniforms for the staff, and he’d dressed quite creatively as a detective. I’m sure I mentioned that earlier.”

“Did you notice the swelling on his face? Any of you?” Ewan asked.

Jasper had been unusually quiet throughout the meeting. He was usually up at the crack of dawn to get things ready at his bakery. I assumed he was tired this evening.

He raised his hand tentatively.

“You do not have to raise your hand,” Ewan said.

“I’ve been thinking all day that I may have seen him when I was washing my hands in the loo. Before I set everything up in the train, I was in there. I remember because he was coughing and wheezing a bit. I thought he shouldn’t be at a party spreading germs if he was ill. Now, I feel terrible for thinking such mean things about him.”

Jasper could do sarcasm with the best of them, but he had one of the kindest hearts. “I remember thinking I wanted to get away fromhim. Getting sick was not on my agenda. I can’t afford to be ill with my business.” He shook his head. “What if he needed help and I just left him there?”

“I doubt he knew what was happening,” I said. “He probably did not think to ask for help until it was too late.”

“Are you going to tell us what killed him?” Sarah asked.

“I know it isn’t what you want to hear, but we really are still running tests,” I said. I looked at Ewan and cocked my head.

He nodded at me again.

“I can say he had an allergic reaction of sorts. What we can’t figure out is why he went into the office rather than seeking medical help.”

“Maybe, he was searching for the first aid kit that is kept in there,” Sarah said. “Per the laws, we had to make sure we had a set up on the train and in the station. He and our station master set up the office while we were all volunteering to refurbish everything. He would have known. He had a checklist for that area.”

The Scots in Sea Isle were very fond of their lists.

Maybe, he had gone in looking for an EpiPen. Most people with severe allergies kept the pens on their person or nearby in a backpack or bag. But we hadn’t found one on him or at the scene.

At least, we had part of our answer as to why he was in the office in the first place. Maybe, he’d been searching for an EpiPen.

But it didn’t tell us who had stuck him in the cupboard.

Not long after, the meeting was dismissed. It had been a busy couple of days, and I was ready for bed. But as I went through the pub, I noticed the victim’s sister sitting in the corner alone.

She stared out the window.

“Who are you looking at?” Ewan said from behind me.

I hadn’t heard him come up.

“The sister,” I said.

“I have some follow up questions for her, do you want to come along?”

I stared up at him with surprise. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be used to you asking me to be involved.”

“Like I said before, better to just allow you to be a part of it so you dinnae get hurt.”

He makes a good point. I snorted as I followed him across the pub.

“Ms. Jacks, do you mind if the Doctor and I join you? I have a few follow-up questions about your brother.”

She frowned, but then motioned for us to sit down.

The noise in the pub died down, as people became curious about the ACC and me sitting with someone they probably didn’t know. As I had said many times, we lived in a nosey village where gossip was currency. The whole town would know soon enough about this little encounter.

“I’m not sure what I can tell you,” she said. “Nothing has changed from earlier. My brother and I didn’t talk much.”