Page 87 of Death on a Scottish Train

I shrugged.

“Well, everyone in town already knows the girlfriend was having a breakdown in my shop,” Jasper said. “Minerva, who has been helpingLulu, saw her in there. And I heard she’d helped take care of the wife after she had a run-in with the mistress. By late afternoon it was all over town.”

I wasn’t fond of it, but that was the way things were in a small town.

“I think I’ve seen him in the coffee shop,” David said. “I never forget a face or an order. He must have been with the other woman when he was there. I remember she wore a weird sort of wig and had an insane order with about ten different items in one coffee. Don’t tell anyone, since I run a shop that serves coffee and source beans, but I’m not a fan of anyone who tries to cover up the taste of such a wonderful brew.”

We laughed. “I couldn’t agree more,” I said. “I like black, like my heart.”

Everyone chuckled again.

“I remember thinking he seemed embarrassed how she kept going on and on. I honestly, thought she was his daughter.”

“Oh?”

He shrugged. “A vibe, that’s an American saying, right? She was pawing him, but he seemed embarrassed or annoyed. It was hard to tell which one.”

“He probably didn’t appreciate the pawing out in the open,” Mara said. “He dumped her when she told the wife about the affair. That was why she was in Jasper’s shop eating herself into a food coma.”

I’d told Ewan all of this, but he didn’t seem happy we were talking about the accountant and his marriage woes.

“Is something wrong?” I whispered. “Are you mad that we’re talking about them?”

He shook his head. “It isn’t that. Look at her face. I’m worried she’s been poisoned. She doesn’t appear well.”

I did as he asked, and he was right. She’d gone pale, especially around her mouth.

Suddenly, she stood.

And then she fell to the floor, her husband catching her before she hit too hard.

Ewan and I rushed over.

“Stand back,” I said, as I grabbed her wrist and took her pulse. It was strong, but she had definitely passed out.

“Do you know if she took anything?” I asked the husband.

“No, she didn’t,” her husband said. “One minute she was fine, the next she said she felt nauseous and dizzy. When she tried to stand, she fell.”

“Ewan, I need a damp cloth, and something to prop her feet above her head.”

Mara handed me a napkin that had been dipped in ice water. And Ewan soon came back with some pillows. A crowd had gathered around, and I glanced up at Ewan.

“Everyone, please stand back. The Doctor needs space.”

“I had mum call for an ambulance,” he said. “They should be here in fifteen.”

“I didn’t bring my doctor’s bag with me.” I leaned down to listen to her breathing. Everything seemed fine.

“Did she eat today? Do you know if she’s diabetic?”

Her husband shook his head. To his credit, he appeared genuinely worried about her. “She’s had a lot of stress the last twenty-four hours,” he said. “Could that do it?”

“Yes,” I said. “But she appeared ill just before she fainted. Did she say anything to you?”

“No. Only what I mentioned to you. It’s my fault. We’ve been arguing most of the night. It was just too much for her. I blame myself.”

Her eyes fluttered open but she appeared dazed. “What happened?” she asked me.