Page 47 of Death on a Scottish Train

But I took my job seriously and had learned a great deal about solving crimes over the past year. Even though my real job was to determine cause of death and if there had been any sort of foul play. I’m me, so of course I took the investigating a step further.

In the beginning, most of my knowledge had come from the UK mysteries I watched. But like Abigail, I’d done a fair amount of research into forensics and crime solving. I found it all quite fascinating.

In many ways, I related it to my working in the ER for more than a decade. Back then, I never knew what kind of case might present itself next, and I had to do a fair amount of medical deducing rather quickly.

Though, when it came to solving crimes, I still had a great deal to learn. Not the least of which was never making assumptions, something I was prone to do, even though Ewan demanded we have evidence to indicate someone was guilty.

He wasn’t wrong. It was just annoying.

After I left with Ewan, Jasper caught up with us.

“Hey, before you go, there is something I need to tell you,” Jasper said. “I didn’t want to ruin your time on the boat with local gossip.”

We moved up the pier a little bit away from the crowds getting off the various fairy boats.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I didn’t realize where she works, but Catherine Allan was in the bakery earlier. She ordered several dozen petits fours for the office. It seems they have some important people coming in tomorrow. While she was in the bakery, she was speaking quite loudly on her cell phone.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Jasper didn’t approve of people talking on cell phones in his bakery. He even had a sign that stated as much.

“If she hadn’t made such a large order, I might have kicked her out. She told me she was talking to her boss, who wanted to make certain that the baked goods were fancy. That the clients they had coming in were very important.”

Ewan and I glanced at one another. If the search was to take place the next morning, Catherine and her boss, Jeremy Burns, were in for a big surprise.

Chapter Thirteen

Bright and early the next morning, I met Ewan at the pub. Abigail had rearranged my appointments at the clinic for later in the day, so I could join the investigators when they went to Donald Jacks’s office.

Ewan and Henry were finishing up what looked like a full Scottish breakfast.

“Ewan said you were coming,” Mara said as she handed me a bag. “I made you one of those egg and bagel sandwiches you like so much.” Then she handed over a paper cup. “And of course some coffee.”

I’d already had two cups, but I wasn’t about to turn down a third.

“You are a lifesaver,” I said.

“Can’t have our Doc going hungry,” she said.

“We have time if you want to eat here,” Ewan said.

Their plates were nearly clean. “I can eat in the car on the way up the mountain,” I said. “If it’s OK with you.”

“Aye, it tis,” Ewan said. He put several bills on the bar for Mara.

Henry laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re the only person he would allow to eat in his car,” Henry whispered.

I was certain that wasn’t true.

On the way up the mountain, Ewan and Henry told me what they’d learned so far.

“The forensic accountant is going through the files we found in Mr. Jacks’s home,” Henry said. “She dinnae have much to say yet, but she did mention that she would be comparing the files with what was found in the office.”

Ewan nodded. “She also mentioned that many of the investments appeared to be bad from the get-go. Almost like he’d planned to lose his clients’ money.”