Page 77 of Death at a Scottish Halloween

“True. I can’t believe the parents went along with it.”

He shrugged. “They’re good people at the end of their wits with a teen. He reminds me of me,” he said.

“What? Mr. Doo-Gooder was a salty teen?”

He laughed. “I had my moments. My own dad put me in the cells after I put porridge in the headmaster’s car.”

“I can’t believe you did that.”

“On a dare and with some of my friends. Da stuck us all in the cells for two days. It worked. Especially since back then we had to share with drunks and assorted petty criminals. I told you before, I’m far from perfect. I don’t always agree with my Da, but he knew what he was doing. The kid last night was lucky. He has his own cell.”

I couldn’t imagine Ewan as a bad boy. He carried the weight of Sea Isle on his shoulders.

“In his formal statement, did he give you any idea who the woman might be.”

“Not a lot more than what he said to you, except that she was Scottish and posh sounding. She also had a wad of bills with her. She was about five foot, five inches. Does that remind you of anyone?”

“I haven’t had my coffee yet.”

“I forgot the ritual. I’m surprised you could speak before your first sip.”

I held up a hand. Then took a sip of my espresso. “OK, you may proceed.”

“I spent most of last night going through CCTV of the fête and looking at photos from social media trying to find the witch.”

I snorted.

“What?”

“Just that you’re looking for a witch. It was funny. I’m sorry. It’s too early for me.”

“Did we wake you up?”

I shrugged. “I sensed someone else in the house. These days, I can’t be too careful.” He glanced by the door where I’d left my bat.

“How many of those do you own? And I told you a cricket bat has a wider surface area for greater damage.”

“I never actually plan on hitting anyone, it’s more of a deterrent.” Though I’d grown brave after years of working in the ER. One never knew the state of a patient, or of those who came with them. But there, I had armed security guards. Here, I had my bats and Ewan.

“Have you been snooping on your own?”

“I told you about visiting the sites where our second Duncan had been buying things. But we didn’t come up with much. Except that Robert McClendon’s house was one of those places. Did you get the phone records? Do you know if he called McClendon?”

“Takes a while to get phone records. Many hoops, as you like to say.”

“Right. I think it’s the same way in the states. I’m releasing the bodies today.”

“Well, hopefully, that will stop whoever has been trying to get in.”

“Hopefully.”

“I need to get back to the station. Time to let the prisoner out.”

“Poor kid.”

“You say that now, but I remember how upset you were that night.”

“True.”