Page 43 of Death on a Scottish Train

She took the card from him. “Small towns are so different,” she said. “In Edinburgh, I barely know any of my neighbors. Here, everyone seems to know me, even though we’ve never met.”

Ewan and I smiled.

“Word does travel fast,” I said. “And I will alert you to our findings as soon as we finish, and Ewan gives the OK.” I’d said that already, but I wanted her to understand that we did care and would not leave her hanging indefinitely.

“I can’t help but think you are hiding the fact that someone may have killed my brother.” She held up a hand. “I realize you can’t tell me now. But if someone did hurt him, please catch them and bring them to justice. We may have been arguing, but he was the last of my family.”

Ewan nodded.

We were already on the hunt for a killer and had more than one suspect.

The hard part was finding which one of them did it.

Chapter Twelve

The next afternoon, I bundled up for the fairy cruise. The weather had taken a turn. It was overcast and drizzly, which wasn’t unusual for the summer months in Scotland. I’d moved here from Seattle and the amount it rained here in Sea Isle was on par with my former town. It was just much colder, even in the summer.

But nothing would stop these tours or the kick-off of the ten-day end-of-summer festival. I had hired one of the private boats so that Tommy and Abigail could come with me, Mara, Jasper, and our friend Angie. Tommy didn’t do well with crowds, but he had been curious about the fairy stories. I’d overheard him talking to Abigail about the trips.

I wasn’t much for crowds either, so I’d decided to hire one of the smaller boats for us to take out.

“We’re here,” Abigail bustled into the front of the clinic. “I hope we aren’t too late.”

“You are right on time,” I said. “I was just putting on my mac and looking for my rain hat.”

“It’s in the small closet by the pharmacy room,” she said. “I’ll grab it for you.”

Leave it to Abigail to know how everything in my home and office was organized. Before I could say I would do it, she was gone.

Tommy stood just inside the door staring at the floor.

“Are you excited for the fairy boat tour?” I asked.

“Dinnae know if they are real,” he said in his stilted and careful way.

“The fairies? Me either,” I admitted. “I saw that sightings are guaranteed. I don’t understand how they can do that.”

“Thought I saw one once in the garden but could have been a trick of the light. I like the stories.”

He didn’t usually carry on conversations like this. A few words and then he was gone. I loved that he felt comfortable enough with me to speak.

“Me, too,” I said. “I don’t know many of the tales, but I’ve read a few. I’m hoping to learn more today.”

Abigail came back in with my hat, and we made our way to the docks where our friends waited for us at the pier. By the time we’d made it down, the drizzle had stopped, though it was still cool and cloudy.

I was surprised to see Ewan and Henry there.

Mara smiled at me. “The guys were in the pub grabbing a late lunch, and I asked if they wanted to join us,” she said. “I hope that’s OK.”

“I—of course,” I said. “The more the merrier. I’m just surprised you have the time.”

Ewan nodded. “We are waiting on some specific warrants for the files. We have a bit of time before those come in.”

I cleared my throat. “That’s great.”

Abigail blushed as Henry waved hello to her and Tommy.

“Hi Henry,” Tommy said. “Abi bought me a new game. Will you come play it with me?”