Page 102 of Death on a Scottish Train

“You saved our poor Mara last night. We’re grateful, Doc. We need to keep you well fed.”

“I didn’t do much. She is tougher than she looks, and she’s one of my dearest friends, so of course I looked after her.” I didn’t bother to mention that the reason she’d been hurt was my fault. I still felt so guilty about that.

“Aye, and now we are looking after you.”

I grinned. “How did you even know I was here? You’ve been in the kitchen since I arrived.”

He laughed. “Magic, and the new security cameras Mara put in the pub. I think you’ve made her paranoid. Dinnae know what someone might steal from the pub, but we handed over the reins so she can do what she wants.”

I laughed. In addition to the security updates, which Ewan suggested when they started hosting larger events, she’d repainted the place and repaired all the booths, which had been showing some wear. That happened when something was more than three hundred years old.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs,” Mrs. Wilson said as she came out of the kitchen with a huge tray of food and drinks. “She has no business working today. I sent her to bed.”

Mara was lucky to have grandparents who loved and cared for her so much.

“Did she tell you what happened last night?”

“No,” Mr. Wilson said. “Only that it was police business, and she couldn’t talk about it.”

Well, that was surprising.

“I dinnae suppose you could give us more information?” he asked. I made the universal sign of zipping my lips together.

He laughed. “Half the town knows Jasper and Mara were attacked. There are all sorts of rumors floating around, including they saved your life.”

I smiled. “Let the town think what they want,” I said. “Even if I told you the truth, they would still be making up stories.”

“Can you tell us if our Mara is still in danger?”

I blew out a breath. I wanted to say as long as she stayed away from me, she’d probably be safe. “I don’t know for sure,” I said. “But I think last night was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t think the attacker wanted to hurt them.”

I had no proof, but why would anyone want to hurt them? They weren’t really involved in the case. I meant what I said about them being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“You’ll look after her, though.” He gave me the grandpa glare he was famous for when it came to his family.

“Yes, sir. With my life.”

“Enjoy your breakfast.”

I hadn’t realized the rest of the pub had been paying attention to our conversation. I should have known better. When I turned to look at the other customers, I found Kaitlyn’s glare had turned on me. And Catherine and Davina stared at me suspiciously.

Something was up with the three women, but were they capable of murder? It felt like I’d asked myself that a hundred times, and I still didn’t have an answer.

I’d finished my breakfast when Kiara and her son came into the pub. “Oh, Doctor, I’m glad we found you,” she said. She glanced around the pub.

“Is something wrong?”

She frowned. “Can I talk to you outside?” She glanced around again. “There are too many ears, here,” she whispered.

I nodded. After running my dishes back to the kitchen, which Mara’s friends did whenever we ate here, I headed outside with Kiara.

“It’s a beautiful day, why don’t we go down to the beach.”

“That’ll be good for Max. He loves picking up shells.”

While we settled on a couple of large rocks to the side of the beach, she watched her son walk along picking up shells and putting them in his pocket.