Page 32 of Death at a Scottish Halloween

We all smiled.

“Great,” Abigail said. “Good on you.”

“Chippies?” he asked.

That was his favorite place to eat.

“Sure,” she said. She handed me the stack of labs. “It’s also on your handheld, but I know you like paper. If you need anything just call. Oh, and there was something in the stomach contents that is still running. I’ve no idea what it might be.”

“I’ll keep an eye out. You and Tommy go on and thank you for all the help this weekend. As usual, you’ve gone far and beyond your duties.”

She waved a hand. “I had fun.” She frowned. “Well, except for the men dying. That’s never fun. But I feel like I learn something every time we have to do an autopsy.”

“I understand what you mean,” I said. “You two get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They waved.

I turned to Ewan. “What if he was staying at a bothie. Maybe the one up the mountain from here. It’s free and close to town.”

“Right, but then where did he park his car? We’ve looked all over town for it.”

“It’s worth a look, right? We can make a quick dash up there just to see.”

“Or I could send one of my team.”

“Come on, Ewan, it won’t take us long.”

He sighed and then nodded.

“Let me grab my wellies,” I said.

Ten minutes later, we headed up the mountain. Thankfully, the path was dry. Though I knew better than most that the rain could come up suddenly and turn the side of the mountain into a waterslide.

There were bothies all over the Highlands. They were small cabins for hikers and were maintained by groups of volunteers. Some were outfitted with a few amenities, but most were merely shelters from the wild Scottish weather. The closest one to my practice was just a short walk up the mountain.

“What makes you think he might have been staying in the bothie?”

I shrugged. “It’s free and fairly close to town,” I said. “She said he liked to save money. From what I understand, with the exception of a couple of rooms at Mrs. Beatty’s B&B this weekend, there are bookings for most of the places people can stay around here because of the festivities. He might have had to stay in the bothie for practicality. It’s worth a look.”

He carried my messenger bag for me. It had evidence kits and things we might need if we did come across anything helpful.

“I don’t like the idea of people using our bothies as a motel.”

I grinned. Most of the bothies didn’t even have restroom facilities or showers. But I wasn’t going to point that out to him.

“Since you’ve tried the other places around town, I just think it’s worth a look.”

We traveled in silence the rest of the way. The sun hid behind the clouds, and the temperature dropped several degrees. I was glad for the mac that I’d thrown on at the last minute. While there was no forecast for rain today, one never knew what might happen in the Highlands.

When we arrived, the bothie was dark. It had been refurbished since the last time I’d been there. A fresh coat of paint and new trim around the windows. The bushes around it had been cut down. They’d nearly hidden the place from view a year ago.

I pulled out my flashlight, and Ewan did the same.

I put on gloves that I kept in my pocket. Then I handed him a pair. “Just in case.”

“Stay behind me,” he said. Then he opened the wooden door. “Constable Ewan, please make yourself known,” he said in that deep Scottish brogue of his. It was all very professional.

An eerie silence replied.