Page 103 of Death on a Scottish Train

“What’s going on?” I asked.

She sighed. “I need your help.”

“Are you sick? Is it Max?”

“Nothing like that.” She sniffed as if she were trying not to cry.

“I know none of you said anything about my products being involved in the case, but this town …”

“What is it?”

“Word has gone around that my lip balm killed that poor man. I’ve had maybe three customers the last four days or so. People are afraid tobuy my things. We are barely getting by as it is, if my business goes under, I dinnae know what might happen to Max and me.”

“I’m sorry about that,” I said. “I can assure you it wasn’t me.”

She nodded. “Nor the ACC, but there are a lot of people involved with the case. And some of Ewan’s officers aren’t always great at keeping secrets. Things are often overheard, especially after a few pints.”

She wasn’t wrong, but I wondered how she knew that.

“What is it you think I can do to help? I’m willing, I just don’t know where you’re going with this.”

“I was hoping you and Abigail could test all my products. And then I could put a sign up showing that all ingredients had been tested by medical professionals.”

She held up her hands. “I know it’s a lot to ask. If I could afford to go out and have some independent lab do it, I would. But I can’t. And since the bad news came from the case you are working on, I thought …”

“Oh,” I said. As much as I felt sorry for her, I couldn’t ask Abigail to do that. She worked hard enough.

“I already asked Abigail, and she agreed to do it,” she said. “But she said I had to ask your permission since she would be using your resources.”

Technically, it was the town’s resources. Everything in my office, from the equipment to the personnel, was paid for by Sea Isle.

“And it isn’t everything. Just more of the balms and some of the lotions. I read an article that perception is everything. If people think you two have tested my products and deemed them safe, then they will be. I know it is a crazy thing to ask, and it is over the top, but I dinnae know what else to do.”

She was so sweet, and I adored her son. “Abigail said yes?”

She nodded. “Aye, I asked her last night after hearing Tommy sing. That boy has an amazing voice.”

“He does.”

“I dinnae like being pushy or asking for help, but I need you. Will you do it?”

It was highly unusual, but helping the community was a part of my job. Besides, poor Abigail would be running the labs, and if she said yes, I wasn’t going to be the bad guy.

“We’ll help you out,” I said. “Why don’t you drop some products off tomorrow morning? Today we’ll be a bit too busy with the ending of the festival, but we will get it done in the next few days.”

She grabbed my hands and held them tight. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You are a lifesaver.”

As I was walking home, I felt like someone was watching me. But there was no one around. I’d been through enough to know I should trust my gut. I hurried to the practice and let myself in quickly. Then I locked the door and stared down at the camera focused outside.

No one was there.

Now who is paranoid?

But that feeling stayed with me the rest of the day. Someone had been watching me.

Why? Did the killer think I knew something? Or had the killer been the one to attack my friends? Both might be true.

I sat down at my desk and started going back through the case files and the autopsy. I pulled out my journal where I usually wrote down notes for a case. I had been so busy last week, I hadn’t taken the time to review them. It helped seeing it all on paper.